Drying green Olive wood

[Al Geller]

My neighbor has given me several sections of freshly cut olive wood. The tree was living and therefor very wet and dense. The logs are cut thru the pith and are end sealed. I plan to turn bowls, pepper mills and salt and pepper shakers. I will be rough turning the bowls next week and hope to dry them with out cracking the wood. I will also rough out the pepper mills and prebore an undersized hole to also speed up the drying.
Can anyone suggest any special ways of storing the wood to prevent cracking?? I have not had good luck in the past. The bowls range in size from 5" - 8" in diameter and approx 2" to 5" high.
Any suggestions and comments welcomed. Thanks,
Al Geller

 

[Gary Chapman]

Al,
I have had good luck drying all my bowls by just roughing them out, anchorsealing them and storing them in a brown paper bag. I have dryed hundreds of them that way and had few problems with cracks.
I weigh them after three or four months and then write the weight on the bag to keep track of weight loss. Whne they stop losing weight, I finish them. Gary