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Soaking wet wood. (Read 463 times)
 
james bowman
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Soaking wet wood.
Dec 31st, 2023 at 6:17pm
 
Just picked up two branches that the wind took down in a local arboretum. The tree is IDed as Sugar Maple. I cut it into 18in pieces, mostly 3 to 3 1/2 inch diameter.
It is soaking wet, and covered with mud, moss, and lichen. I have wirebrushed all the muck and mud, and set the pieces on a shelf.

What should my next steps be to prep and get it ready for turning?
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Don Stephan
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Re: Soaking wet wood.
Reply #1 - Dec 31st, 2023 at 8:30pm
 
My first step always is to thoroughly coat the exposed end grain with a sealer (I use Anchorseal) to minimize end cracking.  If you want to dry smaller cross section spindle blanks, you can split or rip saw the 18" section into smaller diameter blanks.  Splitting is ideal, because the splits will follow the grain, while sawing may not.  Blanks you wish to dry should be stacked with air able to reach all surfaces.  I like to label spindle blanks with the wood, in your case sugar maple, and the date either the whole pieces were obtained or when blanks were split or sawn.  If you wish to use dry blanks, a kitchen scale that measures to the nearest gram is sufficiently accurate.  Weigh a few blanks weekly and record the weight.  When the weight does not change, the blanks are "air dried" to about 10-12% moisture content.
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james bowman
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Re: Soaking wet wood.
Reply #2 - Dec 31st, 2023 at 9:02pm
 
Thanks, should I wait tio coat the ends for a few days? It is really soaking.
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Ron Sardo
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Re: Soaking wet wood.
Reply #3 - Jan 1st, 2024 at 9:03am
 
james bowman wrote on Dec 31st, 2023 at 9:02pm:
Thanks, should I wait tio coat the ends for a few days? It is really soaking.


The sooner the better
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Todd Senterfitt
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Re: Soaking wet wood.
Reply #4 - Jan 9th, 2024 at 6:37pm
 
It's going to dry no matter what you do to it.  Coating the ends as soon as possible is always the best idea.  You can also rough turn it before drying.
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Don Stephan
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Re: Soaking wet wood.
Reply #5 - Jan 13th, 2024 at 8:44pm
 
After coating the ends with Anchorseal, I leave the wood outside as I think it will lose moisture more quickly in a heated environment.  Nonetheless I try to cut turning blanks, and turn, within a few days as the wood will lose moisture through the bark, eventually developing shrinkage cracks under the bark.  In the hot summer I may cover with shavings, but for more than a few days because mold/fungus grows quickly.
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Glenn Jacobs
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Re: Soaking wet wood.
Reply #6 - Jan 18th, 2024 at 12:49pm
 
Rock Maple (Sugar Maple) is good hard  wood. That diameter will give you pith in most items turned, so be aware of warpage and cracking. Keep end grain coated until ready to use.

Glenn J.
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