Rough turned bowl storage for drying

[Sam Fleisher]

To the people that put the cling stretch film from a handle on their bowls after rough turning, are you putting anchorseal or equivalent on the bowl too?

 

[Brian Gustin]

I tried cling wrap, few weeks later blank was all moldy, so I don't use cling wrap.
As others may or should mention, drying your roughed out bowls tends to be a preference based on a number of factors such as where you store them, whether you store them in climate controlled environment, your typical relative humidity for your climate, among other factors.

What works for me may not work as well for you.... I tried anchor seal end grain of the bowl , and have so far had success with that, BUT it is quite a bit more work than my current method of just stuffing the roughed bowl in a brown paper bag, wrap it up snug, and then stuff it in a second bag, and stick it in a lidded cardboard box (File storage boxes) with as many other roughed out bowls as I can pack in. Then I'll just forget about them for a few months while I do other stuff (such as finishing some dried bowls, working on flatwork projects, etc) The brown paper bagged bowls DID dry a bit more quickly compared to the anchorsealed ones (difference of about 2 to 3 months, in my limited test run)

I also tried combinations of methods (all discussed in these forums - people that boil, soak in dish detergent solution, stuff in a bag of desiccant beads, etc, etc) but so far the above 2 brown paper bags method works very well for me, I have had very little loss of roughed blanks due to cracking (Ash, Maple, Walnut, Black Cherry, Apple- which was the most prone to cracking and highest rate of loss - , and probably a few other local hardwoods I forgot about - Oh yeah, Hornbeam for another...)

 

[Doug Freeman]

I’m a “double bagger” as well, storing them on wire frame shelving in the house (not in a box). Even thinner 1 turns go in double bagging for a few days just to slow down drying.

I use the stretch wrap mainly for hollow forms after completing the outside. Spray some water on the OD, wrap it, then hollow. Keeps it from drying out - hollowing can take a while.

 

[hockenbery]

I use stretch wrap for temp storage of wet blanks so they don’t dry out before I turn them.
it can work for about a week then the mold comes.

for twice turned bowls I want to control the drying not stop it.
i use paper bags.

 

[Karl Best]

I've not tried cling wrap. For a while I tried putting the roughed out bowls in a bag of shavings, but I ended up getting moldy bowls. Now I just seal the outside and put the bowl on a shelf in the garage for a year.

I'm experimenting with the microwave, but end up cracking bowls if I try to get down to 10%. Getting the moisture down about half way just to get a head start on air drying seems to help, but I'm still not comfortable or happy with this method.

 

[robo hippy]

I tried the stretch film on maple, and it molded under the film almost instantly. Too much sugar in the wood. I use it on my once turned madrone bowls, and consider it essential for them. Round over all edges. I have kept some blanks crack free for 6 or so months by doing this. For my logs, I am not painting old PVA glue on the end grain. Works better than anchor seal.

robo hippy

 

[Michael Anderson]

I will use plastic wrap only if it’s a situation where I’ve shaped the outside of a bowl/vessel, but can’t get to the interior right away.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

Never did the plastic wrap. I have settled on 2 methods depending on the wood. If its a nice piece of wood like burl, spalted or just hard to find i anchor seal the whole bowl and expect it to take a long time to dry. If its a common wood for a utility type bowl or carving project i stack them in heavy paper leaf bags. When i get new bowls roughed out i rotate them into the bag so the newest ones are in the bottom until i have the bag packed. After the bag is packed and drying for a month or so i open the bag up a little until they are dry.

 

[Marc Banka]

My rough turned bowls are always coated in anchorseal, the whole thing, not just endgrain areas. Then put on a wire rack shelving, in stacks with sticks keeping them separate and allow proper airflow. The shelves are in the shop slowly adjusting to average ambient moisture. The Oak, and some of the Hickory gets an additional coat of anchorseal at the rim. I coat the bow, then add strips of blue paper towel to the rim (and/or other crack prone areas) and soak the towels with the anchorseal.

Slow is the name of the game. Slow drying yields a stronger and more stable piece.

When I get fresh wood, I immediately put in plastic bags, cut the logs into turning blanks, then back into plastic. Then I rough turn….until it’s all roughed, anchorsealed and put on shelves. I absolutely DO NOT allow the moisture content to change until I’m ready. I don’t worry about some of it growing mold etc. It won’t be on your finished piece.

For a good outcome, one needs to take control of moisture/drying as soon as possible. Nature and physics begin doing its thing from the instant the saw cut though the tree. That’s when we as woodworkers need to get in the game. Control it, or it will ruin your day, every time.

Marc

 

[Randy Anderson]

Every time I left something long term in plastic wrap, or chips, I got mold so I quit long ago. For me: twice turned - anchor seal all over then put up on a shelf and wait. Once turned (natural edge and hollow forms) - plastic wrap while hollowing if a large form and will take me a long time then unwrap, put anchor seal on the bottom on the end grain and on top rim on the end grain and into a sealed paper bag. Check regularly.

 

[Greg Joseph]

I like the double bag method. I keep the bagged bowls in a closet or small room with no air flow for a few months. Then move the bagged bowls to a shelf in my shop for several months. If I have some mold, I spray the bowl with lysol toilet bowl cleaner.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

I have tried the brown bag method and lost too many to cracks. For the last 1.5 years I have been putting anchor seal on them and setting them on a shelf. That has worked well for me and haven’t lost any that way.

 

[Tim Hunter]

I use two brown paper bags, and stuff the blank in the first bag with fresh cut shavings. I seal both bags with masking tape.

Tim

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I got to where I would only turn Bradford pear and only hf and only once turned. After finishing turning just put it wooden drawer in chest to stop air flow and leave for 5-6 days then hand sand. I learned that method from John Jordan Sunday morning 1st rotation in st Paul.

 

[dbonertz]

Sam,
There has been good advice thus far for you. It is true that what works for one may not work for you. However there are two methods that work well under most folks situation, bagging or anchor sealing the entire blank. More information on your situation will greatly increase the chances of us helping youth achieve success.
1) How many bowls are you intending to rough and dry? If you are roughing under 10 then bagging may be the easiest, provided you have enough bags. Over 10 then anchor sealing may be easiest. When bagging you need plenty of bags and storing them can take up more space which in a small shop is a premium. When anchor sealing you can put 3 to 4 sticks evenly spaced in a bowl and stack another inside and so on until you feel it won't fall over.
2) Where are you intending to dry them shop, garage, storage shed or basement (near a furnace?) If in your shop do you have a shelf or corner or floor to dry them? How big of area is your drying place, 2 x2 x2 or 10 x 8 x2 (Width height depth) This can make a big difference on your approach. If you are drying in your garage on a shelf, for example, and the door opens and closes often then you may want to drape the drying shelf in a large shower curtain (not plastic the decorative cloth) or cheap cloth curtain (not the double thick just plain old single thick). You can get them cheap at a good will.This will help stop/slow major air flow rushing over the blanks. Drape them for two to three months and then crack the curtain a bit to let more air move around for a couple of months and then remove the curtain and finish drying them.
3) How humid is the area you live and plan to dry the blanks? What I described as an example in #2 may not be necessary if you climate is humid enough to not warrant it. I live in Colorado and we have a dry climate, makes a difference.
4) What types of wood are you drying? Standard maple, ash, locust and etc. then bagging or sealing work great. If you are drying fruit woods then bagging and sealing work however extra steps and precautions are needed.

I am not trying to overwhelm you but this type of information is critical for us to help you be successful rather than you trying our suggestions and becoming frustrated. There is a science to drying wood and the above questions are a big part of that science.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

1. Over ten I guess because I rough turn a wet one and then I finish turn a dry one. Sometimes in the same day sometimes not. So far I just give them away until I decide if the ones I'm making might be good enough to peddle on the scenic drive. (knox county scenic drive, spoon river scenic drive is the local flea market/junk sale in Oct.)
2. In the shop, on shelves in the corner.
3. Central Illinois. Weather channel says it's 40 degrees right now with 80% humidity. And it's moving into the humid season.
4. Standard area for me mostly hardwoods. Walnut, mulberry, cherry, box elder and hackberry thrown in. A cousin has an old oak that blew down and I'm going to go take a look at it someday.

 

[dbonertz]

1 and 4) If you're doing one a day then I'd lean toward anchor sealing. If you're doing one a week then bagging would be feasible if you have enough bags or shop enough to get paper bags and your shelf has the room. The woods that are a bit more finicky like the walnut, mulberry, oak and cherry you may want to put a plastic grocery bag over it first, not tied tight, and then into the double paper bag method for awhile (two to four months) to really slow down the drying. Look at them for the first few weeks, once a week, to ensure they are not getting moldy, if so remove the plastic bag. You could also anchor seal the finicky woods on the outside and the rim and then put into a double paper bag method. If you choose anchor seal method only I'd seal the outside and the rim and put onto your shelf, stack them with sticks if you have the room and loosely cover them to restrict air flow for finicky woods. Woods like hackberry, maple, ash, box elder and such are much easier to dry, at least in my climate, so the normal bagging and or anchor sealing will work.

2 and 3) With your humidity level I don't think that you would need a loose cover over them if your anchors sealing them, unless finicky woods. If your corner is where there is a lot of air moving like near a door, window or other source like fan you may want to put a loose cover over them for the first two to three months. Again watch for mold and adjust accordingly. Note if no molding is showing then leaving the cover over them won't hurt at all, it just may take a month or two longer for them to dry to equalibrium. BTW equilibrium, if you're using a meter, may be 12% or more with your average humidity level.

Finicky woods will dry better if you really slow down air movement around them. Draw back is slow too much and they will get a bit moldy. Note the light hairy mold won't hurt a thing. The black mold is what you want to avoid.

Just as a caveat double bagging for me means put blank into a bag and slide another over it from the open end. So now both ends showing have the bottom of the bag showing.

Others who are in your area or climate may have more information for you. I hope they chime in especially if I missed a step or point.

 

[Marc Banka]

If you rough turn three then finish turn one, the problem of waiting evaporates.

I store my drying bowls in my shop, where it rarely freezes. I don’t know how freezing effects things.

Anchorseal only, all over. Simple, the most reliable, and likely the slowest. Slow = strong

 

[Doug Freeman]

Freezing wood - I think think this came from Steve Sinner, and perhaps other sources, that freezing wet wood damages the cells, allowing bound moisture to evaporate more quickly, and reducing cracking/warping. I have frozen some wet roughed pieces. It was more or less inconclusive, as I did not do a proper controlled test. I did not observe any negative aspects.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I weigh my bowls. In paper bag with chips 2 weeks and open bag while in shop every 3-4 days. If bag is soaked change it. Dump chips at 2 weeks and back in bag. I weigh and note every 2-3 days. When weight is same for 2 weighing is at EMC and ready to return.

 

[Marc Banka]

Freezing wood - I think think this came from Steve Sinner, and perhaps other sources, that freezing wet wood damages the cells, allowing bound moisture to evaporate more quickly, and reducing cracking/warping. I have frozen some wet roughed pieces. It was more or less inconclusive, as I did not do a proper controlled test. I did not observe any negative aspects.

Interesting. Perhaps the same idea as boiling? Although boiling seems to have a reasonable following, so most be effective?

My mention of freezing temps, is that the wood wouldn’t be drying much during those times, would extend the time on the shelf.