Drying live wood

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Gabericks

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I have a client who wants me to make a pen out of a small evergreen limb from a tree on her property. I'm doing the defrost microwave method. This thing is starting to feel like a thick cracker. Does anyone know if there is any stabilization I should do before turning?
 
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If the piece is very light weight and I can carve it with my thumbnail , I stabilize it . It is possible to handle that kind of piece with multiple applications of thin CA , turning down the thin layer of hardened material after each application , but the wreck rate will be larger unless you are extremely careful .

Pieces which are easily thumbnail dented but not carveable can usually be successfully turned with sharp tools . Sharp defined as being able to shave hair off the back of your hand with it .

You may also encounter pieces which are basically hard , but have small areas of thumbnail carveable or dentable material . Those I harden with thin CA .

That is my approach , but I sometimes punish myself with challenges . Others don`t want the challenge so they stabilize everything that can be scratched , or they stabilize because they feel that the end user shouldn`t have to worry about the pen getting scratched in use .

You have to decide which approach you want to take . The main thing is to have fun , and treat the inevitable failures as learning experiences . Someone will always be available here to try to help .
 
Not an expert but I'll tell you criteria. I stabilize wood that is punky, or "soft". I've also stabilized wood that I've had problems with in the past "splitting apart" while I'm turning them. One is Rocky Mountain Maple, it comes off in sheets so stabilizing is the only way to hold it together. I also stabilize soft woods life Redwood and the like. Like I said, I'm not expert but hope this helps a bit.
 
Gabericks said:
I have a client who wants me to make a pen out of a small evergreen limb from a tree on her property. I'm doing the defrost microwave method. This thing is starting to feel like a thick cracker. Does anyone know if there is any stabilization I should do before turning?
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G'day Gabe,

From your own honesty in admitting that you don't much about these woods things, allow me to make a few corrections on the "terminology" commonly used in the wood world, I'm referring to your naming of "live" wood that you were asked to make a pen from, a piece of wood is only live while still attached to the tree from the moment is cut or broken down from the wind, etc., it becomes either green wood or dry wood if has been long enough since it was separate from the tree.

If green or not sufficiently dry (above 15% moisture content depending on types of wood) that wood has to be dried by one of the various methods that you seem to be aware of. Microwave drying works well but you need to follow the main rule which is short bursts and cool down in between (not completely but to warm on touch).

If the wood after dried is firm you don't need to stabilise it particularly for turning a pen, if was to make a knife handle it would be a different thing as knife handles get wet/exposed to all sorts of liquids and stabilised wood becomes water/liquid repellent.

If anything, I would suggest that whatever the method you use to dry that wood, DO NOT turn it straight away, let the wood "stabilise" to the new ambient fat least for a few days, fewer chances to have the wood do strange things to you.

Some pics always help.

Cheers
George
 
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