Alcohol Drying

[rbdoby]

Just turned a small bowl out of holly. I tried the alcohol method of drying. I rough turned the blank out of fresh cut holly 5 weeks ago today. After 3 weeks in my workshop the moisture was about 16%. I brought the piece into the house to finish drying. Last night the moisture content was 6% according to my moisture meter. There was a little warping around the knot but I able to work that out.

The bowl is 2 1/2" tall and 4" wide. The walls of the rough blank were about 1/2" thick, I turned them down to about 3/16" on the finished piece. Since this was an experiment I did not spend a lot of time finishing it, just a CA finish with a coat of wax.

I was impressed with how fast the piece dried. I have a larger piece with 3/4" walls that should be ready in a couple of weeks. It was down to 16% MC in 4 weeks.

Rick Doby

 

[erasmussen]

Intersting peice I like it :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap
It came out good

 

[DaveO]

Rick, I really like the form on that piece :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap Holly is a fun turning wood, if it wasn't for that branch knot you would guess that is was old porcelain.
Dave

 

[mcoston2]

Nice work. I'm going to have to try that alcohol drying.:icon_thum

 

[NZAPP1]

:eusa_clap:eusa_clap Nice work Rick. I also like the final shape of your bowl. How was it putting a CA finish on a bid piece?

 

[rbdoby]

Thanks Nick,

The CA finish was not hard. I had to do it in sections. The inside first, then the top half of the outside. Flipped the piece in the chuck and finished the bottom.