Elm Lidded Box

[William Young]

I turned this little 3.5" diameter elm box after lunch today.It has straight sides and a flat inside bottom.
I dont have a moisture meter so I am not sure if the 4" square chunk of wood that it came out of was dry or not. If the lid still fits nice and snug in another week or so as it does now then I will know it was dry enough.
So I guess I could call that my trial and error moisture meter. 😀 Turn a piece and if it doesn't warp then I can turn more pieces from the same piece of log . The wood was free so if it goes out of round I havn't lost much and I gained a little more practice.

Any suggestions on checking dryness without a moisture meter other than weighing and waiting until there is no weight loss for about a week like I do with large bowls after rough turning them ?
W.Y.

 

[Matt Meadows]

I'm not an expert on wood drying but I've tried two methods for drying the green or suspicious wood. Either nuke it in the microwave (I do it in two minute bursts, five minutes apart, until I'm sure it's dry, which is a hideously by-the-seat-of-your-pants method but has worked so far) or soak in denatured alchohol for two hours and allow to air dry normally. I've tried both and both have worked and prevented checking.

By the way, very nice piece of work.

 

[Steve Worcester]

I saw in one of the box making videos, the turner turns the basic outside shape and parts off the lid, slightly hollow each side, then lets them restabilize. The theory was that even oif the wood is bone dry, you are releaving pent up stress and you want the parts to do all of their moving before the final fitting.

 

[mkart]

rough turning dry boxes

I have been rough turning most of my boxes lately, leaving them dry for 3 weeks then finish turning them. Same as you described the turner in the video did. I am doing this with wood I have had for 5 to 10 years so it is pretty dry. I have a moisture meter but rarely bother with using it. I started this after turning an elm crotch box that warped after two weeks. The wood had been air drying for 8 years. I have since turned 9 boxes this way and all have stayed true.
mkart

 

[William Young]

Thanks for the replies.
Sounds like great ideas that have been suggested .

I didn't have any idea how dry the wood was in that particular piece . So far it has been fine and has not distorted so that is a good thing.
I am experimenting with the alcohol treatment with larger boxes for green wood just like I have done it with bowls . I rough turned this very green piece of cherry orchard wood with what looks like a lot of stress's in it . I left it thick enough and left the tenons on to dry within a couple weeks like my bowls so far have done and then finish turn it. Hope that relieves the stress's and works out OK.
I will be taking this one out of the alcohol today and fastening brown paper to the outsides only.
W.Y.

 

[Clem Wixted]

Testing Wood Moisture Without a Moisture Meter

A turner I have never met but have great respect for (Russ Fairfield) has explained it this way.

To check if wood has a stabilized moisture content hold it to the side of your face. If it feels cool there is moisture in it. If it doesn't feel cool it's ready to turn. Sounds simple. I guess it's the KISS method.

Clem

 

[MichaelMouse]

I'm not an expert on wood drying but I've tried two methods for drying the green or suspicious wood. Either nuke it in the microwave (I do it in two minute bursts, five minutes apart, until I'm sure it's dry, which is a hideously by-the-seat-of-your-pants method but has worked so far) or soak in denatured alchohol for two hours and allow to air dry normally. I've tried both and both have worked and prevented checking.
QUOTE]

I use a combination method. Weigh the piece after roughing, nuke slow and low, recheck. You've got a "should be" moisture based on relative humidity and a loss percentage to work with, which is just a touch above the seat of the pants.

I figure it does the birds all at once. Warming moves out bound water, relieves stress on the piece by denaturing a bit of lignin.

Also allows a bit looser tenon fit to swell as it re-equalizes. If too tight, a bit of oil and pumice laps it back to fit.