What to do with really new wood..

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jimpenna

jimpenna

Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
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18
Location
Montclair, NJ
Hi All,
I am very new to pen turning and this group. While out on a walk the other day, I came across a downed beech tree that was cut up and put to the side of the path. I have a piece that I was able to carry and from what I can tell it is a piece of the trunk. By the color of the cuts, it it very newly cut down after having been snapped by a larger tree fall. My question is how long should I keep it before cutting it up into blanks? Should I strip the bark? Should I cut it up now?

I do not want to get into stabilizing and more than happy to let it sit in the garage for however long it needs to. It's a really nice looking grain.

Any help would be appreciated!

John
 
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Assuming this is a fairly large chunk of wood (I'm not sure how much you can carry -- do you compete in strong-man competitions?), it will take forever to dry if you do nothing. Fair warning -- I am by no means an expert. I would cut the log into 1 inch thick boards, then use paint to seal both ends. Wood will dry much faster from the end grain, which can cause cracking and bowing. Stack with 1/2 inch spacers, in the warmest and most dry location you have. Will take at least a few months, maybe closer to a year before it is dry. Weigh the boards and record the weight every month, when the weight stops dropping, they're dry.

There are plenty of microwave drying techniques that you could use if you are in a hurry. People also dry using their ovens, solar kilns, among others. Be sure to research these in detail for specific safety (fire) hazards.

Also, cutting wet or partially dried wood can be dangerous (specifically on the table saw) due to stresses, take appropriate precautions.

Good luck!
 
If you cut it now, it will dry faster. You must cut it oversize though, because you will have some shrinking and warping. A rough estimate for air drying is 1 year for every inch of thickness. Sealing the ends of fresh cut wood helps keep the amount of checking small. You can use paint, wax, or a dedicated product such as anchorseal.
 
For something as small as pen blanks on found wood, I cut immediately and then pop then in a 150 oven for 24 hours. Stabilize immediately thereafter (well, wait a couple of minutes for it to cool) if I'm going to, otherwise I set it aside for a day to let the moisture come back up to the environment.

For bigger pieces I also cut right away and then set it aside to dry. I don't usually coat the ends with anything (like latex paint) to prevent splitting, but keep telling myself I need to do that to try and minimize the splitting. I have oven dried bigger pieces as well, but usually not until they've been sitting for awhile on their own.
 
Normal procedure would be to cut it into 1" thick boards and then slice them also at 1". Depending on the log length, if around 1' long I would keep them that long and when all sliced, pile them up like a "tower" with some thin bits of wood as spacers when done strap the bundle with anything you have that tight the blanks together to prevent too much warping and also will allow you to move that pile from one spot to another, if necessary.

Keep them in a well-ventilated place away from the weather.

Good luck,

Cheers
George
 
Thanks for the advice! Don't have access to a mill so I'll probably use a handsaw to cut up the logs. I sectioned them with my chain saw and just don't "feel" good about trying to square them up on the table saw.
 
jimpenna said:
Thanks for the advice! Don't have access to a mill so I'll probably use a handsaw to cut up the logs. I sectioned them with my chain saw and just don't "feel" good about trying to square them up on the table saw.
Click to expand...

You're right - a table saw is not a good tool for that. This is where a full size (at least 12"-14") band saw comes in handy. If you don't have one and don't want to buy a new one, keep an eye out for a decent used on Craigslist. Or, if you have a friend with a band saw, see if he will help you cut these up.
 
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