I have been turning pepper mills for many years now. Up until now, I have only used dry blanks. Yesterday, I made quite a haul of some very nice green blanks (completely waxed). I have turned green wood for bowls and I am familiar with methods for dealing with wood movement, etc. Can anyone offer any suggestions or techniques for turning pepper mills from green wood, or is this not practical.
Thanks,
Richard
My preferred method of dealing with green spindle stock is to cut it into. 2x2x36 and 3x3x36 seal the ends sticker it and wait 2 years.
Pepper mills have a problem with the top which is usually a solid ball.
The base holding the mechanism can be drilled, roughed round and microwaved or air dried with a high success rate.
Then returned and redrilled to hold the mechanism and accommodate the top.
I have dried 3x3 Christmas ornament balls on several occasions when I wanted to make a gift From wood given to me in November.
I used pieces 3x3x5 turned a tenon and a 3 inch ball down to a 1" on the holding side. Drilled a 3/4" hole to 2 3/4 deep.
Microwaved dry. Return the tenon, redrill the hole, hollow and finish. I have done this with Maple, pecan, and cherry.
Never had a ball crack. I always did 3 hoping for 1.
I have microwave dried a lot of roughed out balls 5" down 1" that I wanted to be stabilized but the wood was already down to 18% mc or less.
This was just to be sure the round balls would stay round.
I have also turned lots of green wood balls 3x3 in demos and without any care they seldom crack except in places where there is low humidity like Colorado.
Try microwaving a roughed out drilled top. I'm guessing that it will dry without cracking.
When i microwave I do 3 minutes at 40% power waiting 30 minutes between
You can weigh them or test with a moisture meter.
The drilled pieces can be centered on the holes with cone centers for the base.
the top on a length of drill rod in a chuck or block of wood and come center.
Al