# turning green burl?



## brown down

i have some large very very green red maple burl and want to turn a bowl out of it. should i wait for it to dry or turn it green. i know turning bowls is better turned green but do not want to destroy this timber, it is beautiful


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## BangleGuy

brown down said:


> i have some large very very green red maple burl and want to turn a bowl out of it. should i wait for it to dry or turn it green. i know turning bowls is better turned green but do not want to destroy this timber, it is beautiful



I have had some small successes stabilizing green wood, which takes the blank from wet to dry and hard in a few hours. I'm sure it all depends on species, size and how wet is wet. The pieces I did were at 15%-18%MC when I started. (This will probably only work on thin-walled sections.)


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## brown down

BangleGuy said:


> brown down said:
> 
> 
> 
> i have some large very very green red maple burl and want to turn a bowl out of it. should i wait for it to dry or turn it green. i know turning bowls is better turned green but do not want to destroy this timber, it is beautiful
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have had some small successes stabilizing green wood, which takes the blank from wet to dry and hard in a few hours. I'm sure it all depends on species, size and how wet is wet. The pieces I did were at 15%-18%MC when I started. (This will probably only work on thin-walled sections.)
Click to expand...


what did you use. when i say wet, i just harvested it about 2 months ago and maxes out my moisture meter at 50 percent. i want to rough turn them, just don't know if i should be safe and anchor seal them again, or go through that stabilization process. this wood is super pretty and can't afford to loose any of it.


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## BangleGuy

Now that is wet! I have read/heard about using denatured alcohol to speed up the drying time, but I have never tried it. I am sure there are some pro-woodturners that will weigh in on this topic this evening. In general, I think they will say "you can't rush mother nature" but I'm sure they will have some good advice. Good Luck


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## brown down

rbaccus said:


> BangleGuy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Now that is wet! I have read/heard about using denatured alcohol to speed up the drying time, but I have never tried it. I am sure there are some pro-woodturners that will weigh in on this topic this evening. In general, I think they will say "you can't rush mother nature" but I'm sure they will have some good advice. Good Luck
> 
> 
> 
> I wish i had your problem. i've tried and watched friends soak in DNA and it seems to me to have varied and unpredictable results. burls are crazy anyhow. if i have a piece of GOOD wood i wax them after roughing out. i lose maybe 1 in 12. lots of these guys probably have more experience with burls than l i.:dance::timeout:
Click to expand...


this particular one doesn't have any eye, but very green and blue coloring, harvested in a swamp where i hunt, i just don't want to have a disaster!!!!! if i rough turn it and than seal it again i should be fine, no????


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## DKMD

I've turned a fair bit of maple burl, and I haven't had much trouble drying it… In most cases, I have better luck with burls than straight grained woods. I think your plan to rough turn and seal is what I would do.


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## brown down

DKMD said:


> I've turned a fair bit of maple burl, and I haven't had much trouble drying it… In most cases, I have better luck with burls than straight grained woods. I think your plan to rough turn and seal is what I would do.



thanks will give it a go tomorrow and post some pics. hopefully all turns out ok, the only thing i have to loose is the piece of wood and my time


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## Barbara Gill

I have had good luck with turning the burl bowl to completion and then putting it in a paper bag to slowly dry. When the surface dries some I go through all of the standings and then leave it in my shop (the house is too dry). The burl will continue to dry leaving a smooth but textured surface which is really neat.


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## dean jordan

Hi again.Turning burls is slightly different than regular grain wood. A true burl is composed of mostly random grain with multiple growth buds(eyes)
This not only gives them character but spreads the stresses of drying. You can turn them green or double turn them. If you rough one out you need to leave 10 percent thickness. A 12in bowl would be 1in thick. Since the grain is so random stress is spread out but they can still crack. Wax,endsealer or a paper sack can slow drying. If you are in a hurry you can microwave it 4 min at a time untill it quits loseing weight
I usually cant wait that long so I turn them complete green. Thickness 1/8 to 1/4 in. Place them in a paper sack for 1 week then sand and finish.They will move some depending on the burl(look at Christian Buchards work) maple burl is very stable and shoudnt give you any trouble


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## DKMD

dean jordan said:


> ...If you are in a hurry you can microwave it 4 min at a time untill it quits loseing weight...



I'd be careful using four minute cycles… The wood can actually catch fire. I'm certainly no expert on microwave drying, but I'd suggest starting with a shorter time per cycle in the microwave… I've used 30-60 second cycles with some success. I know of a turner who had a piece actually catch on fire after it was removed from the microwave, so I'd encourage anyone to use a little extra caution when using this method. 

BTW, it's great for madrone turned thin, and Dean's suggestion to check out Buchard's work is a great one.


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## Vern Tator

I've turned a lot of Madrone green to finish, and I have tried twice turning it also. I like the look of green to finish better. It is more organic and the shape shifting seems to fit with the burl pattern better. That said, I really don't like turning green to finish, because it's messy. Wet sanding on the lathe and having to clean it all up afterwards. I keep a close eye on the bagged finished pieces. When the bag feels damp, I change to a dry one and hang the damp one to dry. There is nothing worse than a moldy finished bowl. DAMHIKT


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## dean jordan

you are right you need to keep an eye on your microwave the wood should not get to hot to touch. I use an old lower power microwave from goodwill each microwave will be different. plus your wife will not like the smells left in a oven that got the wood to hot


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## woodtickgreg

Here is a micro method that has worked well for me and is safe if you watch it carefully as you should when micro drying. rough turn bowl to very close final size but leave a little thick for a return as the wood may move after drying. place object in a ziplock bag and squeese out excess air and seal. place in micro, set timer for 5 min on high, do not run for full 5 min but watch for the bag to blow up, not go bang, but inflate from the steam escaping the wood. When the bag is inflated stop the micro and take note of how long it took. remove item from the bag, be carefull it may be hot, place on counter to cool for ten minutes, turn bag inside out and wipe the moisture off with a paper towel, turn bag right side out and continue to wait the 10 min for cooling. when 10 min is up place item back in bag and repeat for the time that was noted in the first cycle to inflate the bag. Repeat as many times as needed until bag no longer inflates, at this point the majority of the water will have been steamed out. I like to let the bowl sit in my shop for at least a week to acclimate and reach an equalibrium before returning and finishing. I have had good success with this method, except for cherry which is always a crapshoot.


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## davidgiul

woodtickgreg said:


> Here is a micro method that has worked well for me and is safe if you watch it carefully as you should when micro drying. rough turn bowl to very close final size but leave a little thick for a return as the wood may move after drying. place object in a ziplock bag and squeese out excess air and seal. place in micro, set timer for 5 min on high, do not run for full 5 min but watch for the bag to blow up, not go bang, but inflate from the steam escaping the wood. When the bag is inflated stop the micro and take note of how long it took. remove item from the bag, be carefull it may be hot, place on counter to cool for ten minutes, turn bag inside out and wipe the moisture off with a paper towel, turn bag right side out and continue to wait the 10 min for cooling. when 10 min is up place item back in bag and repeat for the time that was noted in the first cycle to inflate the bag. Repea as many times as needed until bag no longer inflates, at this point the majority of the water will have been steamed out. I like to let the bowl sit in my shop for at least a week to acclimate and reach an equalibrium before returning and finishing. I have had good success with this method, except for cherry which is always a crapshoot.


Fascinating(no sarcasm intended) new way of using my wife's micro. When she comes after with me a pine knot, I will tell her I learned this trick from woodtickgreg.
On another note, how does a finished bowl behave going from a humid climate say MI to a dry climate like AZ or visa versa?


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## Mike1950

David first, do you have a doghouse or a waterproof sleeping bag cause if I remember right you have a very nice kitchen. I know what would happen to me If I got caught nukeing wood in her kitchen- Wheweee It could get ugly...... Good question on wood transport from climate to climate. I know I can "get away" with breaking some rules here that I could not in more humid climate. Everyone talks about air dry not being dry enough but that is all that I use. I would think some of those hollow forms might self destruct but do not know.


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## davidgiul

Mike1950 said:


> David first, do you have a doghouse or a waterproof sleeping bag cause if I remember right you have a very nice kitchen. I know what would happen to me If I got caught nukeing wood in her kitchen- Wheweee It could get ugly...... Good question on wood transport from climate to climate. I know I can "get away" with breaking some rules here that I could not in more humid climate. Everyone talks about air dry not being dry enough but that is all that I use. I would think some of those hollow forms might self destruct but do not know.


Speaking of doghouses, the Cat has been quiet lately. Must be licking his wounds from the beating that he took from Mrs. Cat and her pine knot club. Now back to the present thread.:wasntme:


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## dean jordan

I have sent finished pieces from oregon to ariz, texas and new mexico.I always warn the buyer to keep the piece in a cooler part of the house for a couple of weeks,and to never place them in full sunlight(the only one that was returned to me)
I feel that with a good finish, oil or lac. it slows the moisture exchange to not be much of a problem.All that said Always warn them of the possibility.
Dean


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## davidgiul

dean jordan said:


> I have sent finished pieces from oregon to ariz, texas and new mexico.I always warn the buyer to keep the piece in a cooler part of the house for a couple of weeks,and to never place them in full sunlight(the only one that was returned to me)
> I feel that with a good finish, oil or lac. it slows the moisture exchange to not be much of a problem.All that said Always warn them of the possibility.
> Dean


Thanks for the heads up.


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