I have somewhat limited experience with Pentacryl, but all of it was positive. I
found that the rough turned bowls dried faster and were ready for final turning
in as short a time as 4 to 5 weeks. A redwood bowl dried enough for final
turning in three weeks. I had no cracking on the bowls that I treated. I think
the old tried and true technique of weighing the bowl when you put it on the
shelf then checking the weight once a week. When two weeks have passed and the
weight remains the same, final turn the bowl. My bowls warped less and had no
problems with cracking. One was walnut and the other was redwood. I final turned
the walnut bowl in two months after roughing and treating with Pentacryl.

Fred Holder
http://www.fholder.com

In article , Scott H. says...

I turn all of my bowls green, and have been trying different drying
techniques. I have used the boiling technique, but I still have some
cracking. I have recently tried Pentacryl "The Wood Stabilizer". I
dipped my bowls into the Pentacryl once, and after a few weeks, I
haven't gotten any cracking. But now I'm not sure what to do. It is
easy to tell when my boiled bowls are dry enough to finish turn from
their feel and their weight. How do I know when the rough bowl that
is treated with Pentacryl is ready for finished turning. Do I need to
wait until it feels dry, or can I finish turn the bowl before it feels
dry and not worry about warping or cracking.

Thanks, Scott H.