Need your opinion on drying wood for scales.

[Dmitry.M]

About three month ago I purchased the 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" X 24" Cocobolo piece from Exoticwoodgroup. It was sold as "kiln dried, wax sealed". It was sealed OK...
So I made scales, vacuum treated them(penetrated throughout) and after a week of "drying" mounted on the knife. After a month or two the sclaes SHRUNK. Not much. But enough to expose sharp steel edge. It was a full tang knife and the sharp edge appeared at all perimeter of the handle. I did not expect that Cocobolo will shrink at all. I thought it has too much natural resins. Especially the "kiln dried" piece. Yet it happend.

So... I need your opinion on how long should I dry new set of scales before I mount them? If the Cocobolo piece came raw(wich I suspect) it might take month or years.
Can I simply put it in the kitchen stove? The scales are about 3/8".

 

[Danbo]

ALL natural materials will shrink/move, etc...

Even stabilized, you'll find some shrinkage and moving. Just part of the game, I'm afraid.

 

[Bill Hoffman]

About the only quick way is to use a moisture level
tester and test the scales in several different places.
You can purchase these at Woodcraft Supply.

I've used an analytical balance to determine the decreasing
"weight" of the wood as it dries. This will tell you if the
wood has lost as much moisture as it can given the ambient humidity.
If it stops losing weight for a week or so, it's dried as much
as its going to in that relative humidity.

Be warned that it the ambient relative humidity changes, the
wood is going to move as it gains or loses moisture.

Even if the wood is dead, it's still alive!

Bill

 

[quint]

Yeah I would be leary of what they call kiln dried and what not. Ive gotten several pieces (larger about 6x6x12 or so) and they all come wax sealed. I read the description when buying them and they state ready to use but what they mean is ready to turn if you want to turn bowls and such where you do it still pretty moist. Atleast thats my take on it.

I bought one of the testers and found that the kiln dried stuff that I had gotten is all about 26 to 27% when first cut. I am in WA state so it probably wont ever get much below 16% or so but at 27% its still drying. No way near ready to use.