# drying time for wood blanks?



## screaminskullcalls (Jun 4, 2013)

Just curious what the air drying time would be for 2x2x12 inch turning
blanks?


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## West River WoodWorks (Jun 4, 2013)

screaminskullcalls said:


> Just curious what the air drying time would be for 2x2x12 inch turning
> blanks?



It will depend on the type of wood it is, if its sealed in wax or anchor seal and where you will store it to dry.

I store my wet turning wood on a shelf near my shop ceiling all winter. This helps the blanks dry quicker then anywhere else in the shop. 
I seal all my turning wood in anchor seal to slow down the drying process and Hopefully prevent cracking/warping.
You could also build a small lightbulb kiln to speed up drying time.
Good luck with your drying process!
Tom


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Jun 5, 2013)

screaminskullcalls said:


> Just curious what the air drying time would be for 2x2x12 inch turning
> blanks?



Many turners will turn their blanks wet because it is easier to turn them that way in addition the rough turned blanks will dry faster than a whole block of wood. As west river said you can put them up higher in the shop or build a light bulb kiln out of an old fridge/freezer to dry them faster. If you decide to rought turn the blanks leave them about thick (about 1/10 of the diameter) so a 10" bowl should be left 1" thick when rough turned. A 12" bowl should be 1.2" thick and so on. After rough turning you can seal the blank or put in into a paper bag with some of the shavings that came from the bowl. 


If you are looking to sell your blocks to wood turners seal them with anchorseal or other wax based sealer and start advertising them as sealed green. Almost all turners will expect the blanks they buy to be green or partly green and very few will want a completly dry blank.


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## screaminskullcalls (Jun 6, 2013)

Thanks for the info. I have a few fresh cut cherry logs about 12" diameter x 15" long. I sealed the ends about 4 hours after cutting, but planned on having them cut 2" thick slabs to help drying time. I may look into that light bulb kiln.


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