A friend brought me some green Mamosa wood from WA state. Most is limbs about 5 feet long, 6" in dia and has anchor seal on the exposed end grain. I want to dry it and turn it on my mini lathe.

 

 1. Will it dry faster and do less cracking if I cut the long pieces down to the length I will use and then seal all the end grain again?

 

2. How long do you think it will take to dry properly here in Colorado with our low humidity?

 

I am in no hurry and want to do it right. What are your thoughts?

Shorting it should help some to dry each piece a little faster.

 

Do you have a moisture meter? You could see what it is now and then check it in a few days and see what the change is.

 

What size are you going to cut the blanks. If small enough you could use DNA and I understand it doesn't take long to bring it down to a usable number. Just put it in a bucket of DNA so that all of it is covered and give it about a week or two and it should be good to go.

 

 

 

I assume that DNA is denatured alcohol? This is not possinle due to odor, its flamability and the amounts needed. The blanks will be about 10" long, the max size for my lathe. Do you have a method that I can use and get around the problems I just described?

 

I don't have a humidity meter.

 

Thanks

 

John Moody said:

Shorting it should help some to dry each piece a little faster.

 

Do you have a moisture meter? You could see what it is now and then check it in a few days and see what the change is.

 

What size are you going to cut the blanks. If small enough you could use DNA and I understand it doesn't take long to bring it down to a usable number. Just put it in a bucket of DNA so that all of it is covered and give it about a week or two and it should be good to go.

 

 

 

Not sure if you can get it into a microwave. Don't use the one in the house, it will leave a bad smell in it.

 

You can put them in there for only a few seconds at a time. Wouldn't do it for long. Wait a while and nuke it again. Keep checking the moisture content until it is down to where you can use it.