Drying wood?

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Feb 28, 2021
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I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. I moved it over from the general discussion forum.
I’ve been lurking around here for a little while, and I’ve searched the forums for an answer to this question, but I haven’t found anything specific, so I thought I’d ask myself. You all seem to have a wealth of knowledge and experience, so maybe someone has some advice for a newbie like me.
Little back story, I am brand new to knife making. I’ve collected knives for years and just recently decided to try my hand at making them. I started with a cheap, Amazon-special kit knife and thoroughly enjoyed it so I began ordering various scale materials and blade blanks online. I’m only doing some basic scale stock removal and shaping, mostly with a set of files and sandpaper (though I do have a cheap 1x30 belt sander on the way to get my feet wet.) Maybe one day I’ll try my hand at forging, but that’s years away. Two jobs and a toddler mean very little free time for hobbies.
Anyway, about two years ago we felled a huge water oak that my grandfather planted just before being drafted to WWII. It had grown to about 10 feet in diameter and was just too big and too close to the house. I salvaged a couple logs with the intentions of having them milled and make some type of furniture out of them. That free time is elusive, though, and the logs have been sitting in the yard since. Recently I thought, how great would some handmade knives be for family for Christmas presents made from Pop’s old tree? I know water oak is not typically a go-to for knife scales. But the sentimental value here far outweighs the aesthetics. Although, this giant 80 year old oak does have some pretty interesting grain patterns. They would be camp knives, kitchen knives, and possibly a fillet knife or two. Likely wouldn’t get much use as they would be keepsakes. But who knows?
I cut the end off one of the logs yesterday and the meat is good. It looks healthy-as healthy as a tree that’s been on the ground for two years can be.
My question is, am I wasting my time thinking I could get this wood dried out enough to start making some handles by the end of the summer? Has anyone had any luck with drying wood out fairly quickly and what did you do? I’ve seen the oven and microwave discussions, but this wood isn’t completely green. It’s been sitting for two years, though it’s been out in the elements.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
John
 
General rule of thumb for air drying is 1 year for each inch of wood thickness. I'm no expert in this though. I think the best thing to do is saw your wood into whatever thickness you want (leaving extra for shrinkage) then get it somewhere out of the weather so it can dry properly.
 
I know there are bowl turners that will use a microwave to dry green wood. I have never tried doing something like this so it could be an avenue for research.
 
Hey John
Watch this video, it will help you out-
Good luck & have fun!
 
How large are the logs you saved? You could cut out some scales and check with a moisture meter. If it has set for two years it may be dry enough.
Wood turning sites use all kinds of methods to dry wood. Microwave, boiling, putting in a plastic bag with wood shavings, coating with a wax emulsion, soaking in soap water, soak in antifreeze, put in a container with a light bulb and fan, etc.
The best I have found is to cut the wood oversize, coat with a wax emulsion and leave for a year or two. Where I live the humidity is low so wood dries faster than if I lived in a high humidity area.
Wood tries to crack at the pith, so if you can cut the pith out you have a better chance of the piece not cracking.
I would be interested in seeing a picture of your wood.
 
Beware of using information from wood turning sites for knife scales/handles. Wood turners consider wood dry at far higher moisture than a knifemaker does.
They want water or some other liquid in the wood to make the wood soft so the turning tool will cut out clean slices across that grain. Dry wood would split. One common popular treatment is soaking on PEG for a month or so. The becomes saturated with the PEG and drives out all the water. Wood turners call that dry. It is far from dry in the knife world. They also boil wood in water and other things to make it soft for bowl turning. Once it is evenly thin after turning, it hopefully dries fast and easily in all directions. If it cracks, that is OK with turners. They say it gives the turning character.

Knife wood needs to be less than 10% moisture content to avoid cracking. If being stabilized, 7% is better.
 
Stacy, I'm sorry to disagree, but I have been a wood turner for over 50 years. Wood turners do not want liquid in the finished product and dry wood will NOT split. And cracked wood is NOT OK with wood turners.
I once used PEG and it leached the color out of the wood.
 
These bowls were turned as dry as I could get them. They average about 10% moisture content. None split. If a sharp bowl gouge is used and held at the correct angle the wood cuts cleanly no matter how dry it is. Much moisture in the wood causes the finished product to warp.

https://i.imgur.com/ZiqomWo.jpg

ZiqomWo.jpg
 
How large are the logs you saved? You could cut out some scales and check with a moisture meter. If it has set for two years it may be dry enough.
Wood turning sites use all kinds of methods to dry wood. Microwave, boiling, putting in a plastic bag with wood shavings, coating with a wax emulsion, soaking in soap water, soak in antifreeze, put in a container with a light bulb and fan, etc.
The best I have found is to cut the wood oversize, coat with a wax emulsion and leave for a year or two. Where I live the humidity is low so wood dries faster than if I lived in a high humidity area.
Wood tries to crack at the pith, so if you can cut the pith out you have a better chance of the piece not cracking.
I would be interested in seeing a picture of your wood.


The larger of the two logs is about 6 feet long and a little larger in diameter than my 16” chainsaw bar...probably 20-22 inches. I rough cut a couple of larger blocks, ripped one down square-ish on a table saw, then cut some oversized scales about 6” x 3” x 1/2”. I bought a cheap harbor freight moisture meter. The larger intact block is measuring as much as 21%. The scales are between 12-14% as of the day before yesterday. I am encouraged that the smaller pieces have dried out that much just sitting in my garage. I’m planning to give them another few days and check again. Then I think I will experiment some with the oven and see what I come up with.
I actually have a larger slab (about 36” in diameter) from the same tree that I had been saving to make a live edge table with. We recently moved, and it was dropped and broke in two. I considered using it as it has been sitting and drying indoors and measured about 10%. But it’s only about 3-4 inches thick, and any scales cut from it would likely be cross grain. I’m not sure how that would look.
I will try to upload a picture of it soon. It’s not a particularly unique grain pattern or anything. And unfortunately I didn’t salvage any crotch pieces. But again, I’m confident that the sentimental value will outweigh the plain look.
 
Beware of using information from wood turning sites for knife scales/handles. Wood turners consider wood dry at far higher moisture than a knifemaker does.
They want water or some other liquid in the wood to make the wood soft so the turning tool will cut out clean slices across that grain. Dry wood would split. One common popular treatment is soaking on PEG for a month or so. The becomes saturated with the PEG and drives out all the water. Wood turners call that dry. It is far from dry in the knife world. They also boil wood in water and other things to make it soft for bowl turning. Once it is evenly thin after turning, it hopefully dries fast and easily in all directions. If it cracks, that is OK with turners. They say it gives the turning character.

Knife wood needs to be less than 10% moisture content to avoid cracking. If being stabilized, 7% is better.

If I can get it down to <10%, should I also have it stabilized?
 
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How soft is the wood? Can you make a mark with your fingernail in the wood? I am not familiar with "Water Oak" so it's hard for me to say.
Soft wood needs stabilizing. hard wood not so much.
You might speak with K&G about stabilizing "Water Oak". They will dry the wood for you if it needs it.
 
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