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Slow drying

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I just read a thread about cracks in a bowl after turning. The reply was to wet the wood and place in a paper bag. Paper bags are a rarity around here. Could the wood be wrapped in newspaper and get the same result?
 

hockenbery

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I just read a thread about cracks in a bowl after turning. The reply was to wet the wood and place in a paper bag. Paper bags are a rarity around here. Could the wood be wrapped in newspaper and get the same result?

A cardboard box works well too.
The bag and box work as a humidity chamber.
Newspaper should work it you can construct a way to leave air chambers and not have the print transfer to the wood.

Moisture coming off the wet parts keeps the dry parts a bit moist.
Some air around the piece is good.

The box or bag will let some moisture out.

I put most of my hollow forms in a box with the flaps closed, open the flaps on the second da and take out.
This may be more security blanket than absolutely necesary. I do know it works on large natural edge bowls,
Had a 16" Beauty in the box for one day. Decided to put another in the box and took a chance on just setting the one in the box on the shelf.
It dried too rapidly and cracked. Should have hunted up another box.

Al
 
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Knowing that you're almost as cheap as me, this suggestion is more for others than for you, John. :p You can buy paper lawn & leaf/compost bags at hardware stores, often on sale. They'll hold more bowls than grocery store bags, too.
 

Bill Boehme

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Plastic works for short term use. I recently was looking for a plastic bag and saw a roll of plastic stretch wrap that I got at Lowes to wrap around lumber. This is good for overnight, but I wouldn't want to let it go too much longer than that.
 
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Newspaper

You can get blank newsprint at your local newspaper - the tail end of printing rolls. New rolls are automatically transferred at full speed, with much paper left on the predecessor - probably several hundred feet (It measures about 1/4" thick from the core). There may be a fee for the empty core - or not.
 
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Thanks to all for you replies and the info. You have answered my question! Dean, I'm so cheap, they have my picture next to the word in the dictionary!:cool:
 
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One other tip I got from Mark Supik.
Put the piece in a clear plastic bag.
Look for condensation, turn the bag inside out ( wet on the outside now ). Replace the piece in the bag.
Repeat until there is no condensation.
Be sure not to let the piece sit in moisture for long or mold will be a problem.

Good for a couple of pieces, not so much for a big production run.
I do like to use paper bags. Small paper lunch bags are still pretty easy to find.
 

Steve Worcester

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The idea is to dry the piece slower that what would happen without some container.
In a plastic bag, there is no permeable membrane like a paper bag has. Additionally, the paper wicks up some of the condensation and moisture.
the big zip locks and a sealed plastic bag will not allow it to dry, but will allow wood with a high enough moisture content and the right wood, to spalt.
i do a series of hollow forms by turning thin and green and then leaving them in huge zip locks for a long period of time to promote the mold and fungi growth. But even after a year, it will still be wet if not transferred between bags.
 
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I use brown packing paper that is used in shipping boxes it works even better than bags and it is free. (somewhat?) chuckle. I turns hundreds of bowls per year and as soon as I finish a rough turned bowl I coat it in anchor seal and wrap the bowl in paper then blue painter tape it up around the outside of the bowl only. I leave the inside of the bowl semi open to the air, then place it on the floor of my shop for about two months. After a couple of months the majority of water is now gone so I take the paper off and move them to a shelf to air dry for the months necessary. The paper is only to slow down early evaporation not stop it, it is the speed of water loss from the end grain happening faster than the face grain that usually causes the cracks. Invest in some anchor seal or some type of end grain sealer it will be worth it and will last for years.
 
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Thanks to all. However........you talk of months or years. I'm at the age where I don't buy green bananas.
Breck, I just put a bunch of brown packing paper in the recycling. :( Only have one store that has brown paper bags and you have to buy them.
 

Bill Boehme

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Thanks to all. However........you talk of months or years. I'm at the age where I don't buy green bananas.
Breck, I just put a bunch of brown packing paper in the recycling. :( Only have one store that has brown paper bags and you have to buy them.

It doesn't have to be brown paper. You can use newspaper or Anchorseal. Your blanks are small so it shouldn't take more than a couple months for them to dry. Wood that is cut in the fall or winter will have much less moisture than wood cut in the spring. Some species like mesquite can be turned green without worrying about cracking or warping.
 
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A method from Christian Burshard and Madrone: put piece in a paper bag, and put that in a plastic bag. Remove the paper bag every day and put in dry paper bag. Repeat till dry. Bags can be reused when dry. So, you could substitute brown wrapping paper, newspaper (print might rub off or soak in), or any other paper stuff. You could use dry shavings. I have even heard of using cat litter, unused of course...

robo hippy
 

Mark Hepburn

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Thanks to all. However........you talk of months or years. I'm at the age where I don't buy green bananas.
Breck, I just put a bunch of brown packing paper in the recycling. :( Only have one store that has brown paper bags and you have to buy them.

John, you can do what I do. Just buy the bananas black so they can go straight to banana bread :)
 
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Mark, great idea! Take it from the oven, slather it with butter and eat!
Got a PM from a forum member. I remembered I had a huge roll of paper that my wife's school had used for art classes. They quit using it and I got it- 48 inches wide and weighs about 50-60 lb. Surprising what you find when you clean your shop.
 
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