dry time?

[hurley0816]

just got a peice of fresh cut redwood burl that is 1" x 2" x 5". was curious approximiatly how long it would take for a peice this size to dry?

 

[stephanfowler]

just got a peice of fresh cut redwood burl that is 1" x 2" x 5". was curious approximiatly how long it would take for a peice this size to dry?

you want it to take as LONG as possible with a piece that size (I'm talking like 2 years if possible)

seal the end grain well, I usually use wax but that's on larger pieces

with a thin cross section the slower it dries the less cracking and warping you'll have to deal with.

 

[hurley0816]

i was told by the supplier to leave the wax on and split it in half to let it dry, does this sound right?

 

[cdent]

Before making it any smaller, I'd decide what it might be used for. There's not a whole lot of wood there for trimming and truing up.

Good luck with it, Craig

 

[Larry D. Davis]

i was told by the supplier to leave the wax on and split it in half to let it dry, does this sound right?

No! Both sides must dry equal or you'll have a banana. The wax surface is impervious to moisture loss and will warp because moisture loss is not equal. Best to remove the wax, cut into scales if you want and it should be dry enough to have stabilized in a couple weeks or less if you keep it inside the warm house. It's OK to leave wax on the ends. If you have a good small scale, weigh the wood and when it no longer gains or looses weight it's dry as it will be for that ambient condition.