Stretch Wrap for temporary moisture loss prevention

[Kevin Weir]

I’m waiting for a new 2.5 inch bit to arrive and have 6 hard maple hollow forms in progress. I decided to try wrapping the wet pieces with stretch wrap as I had some on hand. Has anyone used stretch wrap for this purpose? I don’t expect the pieces to be wrapped for more than a week or so. Wondering how effective it is.

 

[Dean Center]

It works great. We prepped some large spindle blanks for a visiting expert workshop and the ones that didn't get used were still somewhat moist, and crack free, a year later. They were also green with mold, which is not easy to grow in our arid climate.

 

[John Redding]

I’ve done that multiple times, including when something is green, on the lathe, and I have to step away for a couple days. It works well.

 

[David Wyke]

It works great to hold in the moisture. I have wrapped HF for 3 days while on the lathe. If they are starting to dry out I’ll mist them with water before wrapping. I have also wrapped bowl blanks ina trash bag for a couple weeks before turning.

 

[Tim Connell]

My concern with hard maple would be the ugly gray mold that can develop and stain rather quickly depending on moisture level.

 

[Roger Wiegand]

Great to keep the moisture in, also great for supporting the growth of fungi. A plus if you're looking to create spalted wood, otherwise not so good, especially in wood like maple with a high sugar content. For a couple days it's perfect.

 

[hockenbery]

If you have room in a freezer - they will keep years.
And you need something like the shrink wrap to keep the anti frost from free drying the turning

The shrink wrap will promote mold a week is probably ok.

 

[Richard Coers]

A plastic grocery sack is free and works just as well as shrink wrap. By the time you get the bit, you could have both of those hollowed out. I’m not a big fan of drilling out a huge hole with a Forstner bit. Lots of heat for the wood and the bit.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I use a trash bag or box store platic “grocery”bag for temporary storage of a wet blank, but I do use stretch wrap for the OD of a HF while hollowing to keep it from drying out, and to seal the ends of fresh cut logs (way less messy than using a “paint on” sealer).

I like to use auger bits to drill initial clearance/depth holes for hf’s, up to 1-1/8” (clearance for the swivel tool holder on the hollowing system). Augers clear the chips and dont have to be reversed to clear them. Better than using air behind a forstner bit as well. I use a straight hand held bar to clear out the middle 1/3 or so. If the finished hole will be large, I’ll just use the hollowing tool or gouge to widen it.

 

[hockenbery]

waiting for a new 2.5 inch bit to arrive and have 6 hard maple hollow forms in progress.

I drill my starter holes with long 3/8” or 1/2” bits. My 1/2” I mounted in a wooden handle
The 3/8 I clamp with I vice grip. Drilling I push in an inch or so then pull out to clear the shavings.
I put a masking tape on the bit for a depth stop.

Like @Richard Coers I don’t recommend drilling with a big bit. Not worth the effort.
Hollowing is faster than the set up.

One exception is I use a 3/4” forstener to drill Christmas ornament balls. But that hole is sized for the lower finial and I’m only Dillinger 2.5-3” deep. The flat bottom lets me gauge hollowing depth.

 

[John K Jordan]

My concern with hard maple would be the ugly gray mold that can develop and stain rather quickly depending on moisture level.

If you have room in a freezer - they will keep years.
And you need something like the shrink wrap to keep the anti frost from free drying the turning

The shrink wrap will promote mold a week is probably ok.

I was about to mention the freezer method then I saw this. I bought a second chest freezer at a scratch&dent outlet of a local appliance store, quite cheap, got it primarily to store honey supers from the beehives.

Works well for wood. For a test I froze some blocks of wet wood wrapped in plastic wrap, like fresh-cut when thawed years later.
Another way is "ponding", simple submersion in clean water for extended preservation.

A short time with just the plastic has worked fine for me - if left overnight I would first spritz with water then wrap or simply cover with a plastic bag. If left a few days in warm weather a 50% solution of bleach in water can kill mold spores on the surface.

Much may depend on the environment. I've processed a LOT of white wood (holly, maple, etc) simply by cutting, sealing the ends, and putting on the shelf to dry for months or years. It doesn't get the grey stain but my shop is air conditioned, kept about 78 to 80 in the summer.

I HAVE gotten terribly ugly grey stain in logs cut and left outside in the summer or worse, sawn into boards and air dried in the summer. Late fall, winter, no problem.

JKJ

 

[robo hippy]

As others have said, the stretch film will let it mold, and maple, especially because of all the sugar in it will mold more quickly than many other woods. I don't use it on maple. I don't turn much maple, and most of what I get out here is big leaf maple. It is difficult to get it to cut clean. I have put pieces in big garbage cans with the lids, and that works fine. Some times I use 55 gallon trash bags which I keep around for shavings. I have not tried the freezer method. I do have one freezer dedicated just for blueberries....

robo hippy