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Stretch Wrap for temporary moisture loss prevention

Kevin Weir

Kevin Weir

Joined
May 13, 2020
Messages
239
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1,574
Location
Ontario, CA
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.IMG_2189.jpeg
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Kevin Weir said:
waiting for a new 2.5 inch bit to arrive and have 6 hard maple hollow forms in progress.
Click to expand...
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.
 
Tim Connell said:
My concern with hard maple would be the ugly gray mold that can develop and stain rather quickly depending on moisture level.
Click to expand...

hockenbery said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
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
 
When a piece seems sketchy, I wrap with stretch film while hollowing so if it comes apart nothing flies around. To save a green piece for a few days I spritz with water, put it in a plastic bag and tie the end.
Failed1.JPG
 
Thanks for all your great comments and suggestions. I agree that the Forstner bit can cause heat buildup. But that’s why I’m switching to a “slimmer” bit. It should arrive shortly, so I’ll give you an update. And I especially like the comment from Darryn about wrapping a sketchy piece to help reduce the risk of rapid disassembly.
 
Kevin Weir said:
I agree that the Forstner bit can cause heat buildup. But that’s why I’m switching to a “slimmer” bit.
Click to expand...

Just a comment on heat from Forstner bits, especially large bits.

What I came up with long ago and have done ever since: when drilling with Forstner bits I direct a constant strong stream of compressed air into the back of the hole and towards the bit. This does two things:
  1. Clears the chips, lets the bit cut easier.
  2. Keeps the bit much cooler.
I have compressed air piped throughout the shop so this is easy.

Someone without easy access to compressed air might consider one of the handheld rechargeable blowers. I have one like this, but not the same model. I measured the air speed at about 40mph a foot away from the nozzle. I didn't think to check it up close but it sure moves a lot of air.

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Also, when drilling for "rough" hollowing, I never use my good set of forstners, but go with the cheap carbide bits that do most of their cutting with two carbide points and radial carbide cutters extending to the center. The carbide don't cut nearly as clean a hole as the HSS Forstners, which won't matter for this application, but they sure do cut faster! And haven't gotten dull in decades of hard use.

JKJ
 
I tried the 2.5 inch carbide bit that arrived from Amazon today. It grabbed in the end grain of the maple vessel and broke the bit extender I was using. Conclusion: I’m going to limit the hole I drill to 1.5 inches going forward. It seems to drill just fine and I can still fit the hollowing bar in a hole that size. IMG_2210.jpeg
 
robo hippy said:
Kevin, If I was going to use a bit that size, I would drill a pilot hole first, at least one inch diameter, maybe a second one as well. That is a LOT of stress to put on a drill bit and the extension. It would have to be razor sharp too.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
Was thinking the same thing. I would drill a 1/2" pilot hole. Expand with a 1.5" bit. Finish off with the big bit.
 
robo hippy said:
Kevin, If I was going to use a bit that size, I would drill a pilot hole first, at least one inch diameter, maybe a second one as well. That is a LOT of stress to put on a drill bit and the extension. It would have to be razor sharp too.

robo hippy
Click to expand...
I agree, I was widening out a 1.5 inch hole. So it was only cutting a half inch on either side.
 
Kevin Weir said:
I tried the 2.5 inch carbide bit that arrived from Amazon today. It grabbed in the end grain of the maple vessel and broke the bit extender I was using. Conclusion: I’m going to limit the hole I drill to 1.5 inches going forward. It seems to drill just fine and I can still fit the hollowing bar in a hole that size.
Click to expand...

Zounds. I've drilled dozens of large diameter holes in both side and end grain, sometimes held in the drill press, sometimes in a #2mt collet - my bits have 3/8" shafts. I've never had one catch or fail to cut. Maybe my bits cut differently. Maybe I drilled slower or faster. Different type of wood, dry or green wood? Straight grain or angled? Diameter/quality of bit shaft? Based on my experience I'm having trouble imagining what could that to break.

I use a stout MT holder intended to hold end mills, this one for 3/8" shafts.

This also shows what my carbide bits look like - center point, two scoring points on the outside circumference, two radial horizontal carbide cutting blades. Maybe 25 years ago I bought two sets of Forstner bits, one conventional style for precise, smooth holes, the other set these more "crude" carbide bits that refuse to get dull or die. Looks this this one is 27mm. I never drill a smaller starting hole.

end_mill_holder.jpg

Constrained by the drill press I can drill anywhere, for example deep holes, off-center holes, such as these during the fidget spinner craze and the wand display stand. All these are through side grain, but as mentioned, drill end grain, deep holes. An example is of course, to remove wood for hollowing and another for drilling pepper mills. Have to use Forstner bit extensions for those. The wood didn't seem to matter - Cherry, Cocobolo, Dogwood.

Fidget_first_IMG_20170621_110223_527.jpg spinner_cocobolo_brass_IMG_6217.jpg

1757115791937.jpeg

JKJ
 
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In my climate I would expect staining with a number of woods, and especially with sugar maple, wrapped tightly in plastic for more than overnight. For that reason and to avoid checking I make hollow forms one at a time. Sugar maple is highly susceptible to blue stain and sticker stain in lumber and the same applies to turning blanks.

I generally use a 1/2" pilot hole on hollow forms. I can open up a hole that size easily enough- it doesn't have to be larger than the boring bar. You might want to look at the ProForme cutter to speed up your hollowing.
 
John K Jordan said:
Zounds. I've drilled dozens of large diameter holes in both side and end grain, sometimes held in the drill press, sometimes in a #2mt collet - my bits have 3/8" shafts. I've never had one catch or fail to cut. Maybe my bits cut differently. Maybe I drilled slower or faster. Different type of wood, dry or green wood? Straight grain or angled? Diameter/quality of bit shaft? Based on my experience I'm having trouble imagining what could that to break.

I use a stout MT holder intended to hold end mills, this one for 3/8" shafts.

This also shows what my carbide bits look like - center point, two scoring points on the outside circumference, two radial horizontal carbide cutting blades. Maybe 25 years ago I bought two sets of Forstner bits, one conventional style for precise, smooth holes, the other set these more "crude" carbide bits that refuse to get dull or die. Looks this this one is 27mm. I never drill a smaller starting hole.

View attachment 79301

Constrained by the drill press I can drill anywhere, for example deep holes, off-center holes, such as these during the fidget spinner craze and the wand display stand. All these are through side grain, but as mentioned, drill end grain, deep holes. An example is of course, to remove wood for hollowing and another for drilling pepper mills. Have to use Forstner bit extensions for those. The wood didn't seem to matter - Cherry, Cocobolo, Dogwood.

View attachment 79302 View attachment 79303

View attachment 79304

JKJ
Click to expand...
That looks like a very sturdy setup for drilling. I’ve been thinking of having a local machine shop make something similar. A 10 inch long, 1 inch diameter rod with a #3 Morse taper to fit in the tailstock. End of rod drilled out to accept a 3/8 inch bit end or maybe a 1/2 inch.
 
Kevin Weir said:
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.
Click to expand...
I have with success. however if you leave it wrapped much more than overnight you'll likely see mold start forming.
 
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