mdlbldrmatt135

Kinda a Wierd Queston......... I had a couple people aproach me about making some "Natural" bases for thier models.... meanign small stumps and "tree sections" Up to about 4-6" in Diameter........ any ideas on how to dry the branches & Stumps to minimize checking & splitting?
I Dont' hava a Kiln and that White stuff is starting to fly....

Is taking the stuff into the basement an Option?? the dehumidifire isn't running all that much and there's heat down there as I Use it for building my Models.

Thoughts?

cabinetman

Four to six inches doesn't sound like much, but it takes a while to acclimate to where ever you take it. It could take several weeks to months, depending on the species.

I've had a 18" Eucalyptus stump inside for over 10 months and it ain't done yet.

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Daren

Are you talking thinner cross section cookies ? Or whole big chunks of limb intact? How big would they be overall (small enough to fit in a microwave for example ?, there is a reason for that question )

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mdlbldrmatt135

In the end they'd only be 2-6" tall i'm thinking of taking the limbs inside and storing them on the "crawlspace" side of my basement.. that'd be Ok for "long term" storage.... and keeping them out of my Precious Garage loft space........ the basement stays around 60-70 most of the yeah and the dehumidifier runs as needed........


But if i need them short term... i could cut them a little long........

I do have a few that are needed pretty quick......... Oven... Microwave???? (I just don't want the house to stink)

Gerry KIERNAN

I just recently purchased a Timber Check moisture meter from Lee Valley tools, because I was curious as to what the moisture content of my lumber was. I did some checks on the logs, which make up the living room portion of our house, and came up with 6%. I then checked some hemlock boards, which I had planed and sized for bookcases, and brought into the house about three months back. They also checked out at 6%. I then checked out my lumber, cedar, alder, hemlock, and fir that I have stored in my workshop [dry, but unheated] The range of moisture content was from 11% to 14%. My conclusion from this is that if you have boards stored in a dry area for several months, and then bring them into the heated area of your home to acclimatise, they should be ready to use in about three to four additional months. I am sure this will not apply to all types of wood, and I am also sure that the thicker the lumber, the longer it will take. Most of the stuff I was checking is rough sawn to about one inch.
What I have gathered, also, from reading other people's input, is that air drying, over a longer period of time, is less damaging to lumber than kiln drying. Makes sense to me. Cutting your limbs a little longer than needed will definitely be quicker than leaving them as branches.

Gerry

mdlbldrmatt135

Darren,

What are we thinking??? I don't know if SWMBO would let me use the microwave for drying lumber...........

Daren

The key is to do it when she is not home , that's what I do....Well did, till she caught me (never dry cypress in the house microwave in the winter, that stinks BAD) . I went to a garage sale and bought one for $5 to keep in the shop.

You can dry small pieces of wood in the microwave, I do it all the time. 90% of wood species have little smell at all, some are downright pleasant, just not 100 year old "sinker" cypress.

If you search "microwave" here there are a couple discussions. Pretty simple throw them in for 30-45 seconds, take them out for 4-5 minutes...repeat several times. You will know when they are dry, they will quit steaming.
Wood can be boiled dry too (in a big pot of water), it sounds illogical but it works.

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mdlbldrmatt135

Will do..... haven't had all that much time..LOL go figure....... time fer another meetin.... UGh (posting from work)

WonderMonkey

This threw my brain into fits when I thought I read this. Yes it seems I did read it. Do you have a link on why this would work? Should I also do it to the wife's cat when it gets outside and is wet? Please say yes.

mdlbldrmatt135

Boiling / freezing / microwaving Ruptires the individual cells letting the moisture escape easier....... (run down after reading several things on line)

http://usasearch.gov/search?input-fo...=fpl.fs.fed.us

Gerry KIERNAN

Wonder Monkey

I don't recommend drying the wife's cat in the nuker. I've heard they tend to explode. I expect that would get you into all kinds of deep crappola with the love of your life.

1 You have to replace the cat.
2 You have to replace the nuker.
3 I have a hunch you might be looking for a new wife too.

Let us know how it turns out. Should be good for a whole new thread, I'm thinking.

Gerry

PS: Daren; I didn't know you could dry wood in a nuker. Thanks for the input. Now I just gotta find one that takes twelve foot boards.

Gerry

Daren

Link ? Trust me.
As far as cats, the microwave is for sure the best method of drying, they cannot jump out. (I did not just say that , I am an animal lover, even cats).

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Daren

Simple Gerry, just cut it in 12" lengths .

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jodiemeglio

Reading those last couple of posts made my night. I dried a cool piece of driftwood out in the microwave once. I started in the oven but it was taking too long. Did I ever get in serious trouble for that one, it smelled for days!

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mdlbldrmatt135

Looks like a little Stump Hunting......... people seem to be gravitating to the couple of "natural edge" bases I made........... Hopefully I can find enough stumps to keep them happy..... LOL

Gerry KIERNAN

Duh!
Now why didn't I think of that. It's pretty obvious to me why you're getting paid the big bucks.

Gerry

PS: I got a real chuckle out of that response.

Gerry

Al Killian

I would first seal the ends so it is less likely to split. Then air dry it for a few month.

mdlbldrmatt135

Not an issue if i had the time... (which I do except for the first couple)