Wood too dry

Canopener · #1 02-01-2006, 12:42 PM

I recently carved a piece of butternut that was a center cut and a couple of the rings had some rot, but still a good piece of wood. I figured the rot and general open grain would make a good cat. I knew there would be problems carving the rot so I kept the wood moist in a plastic bag , and used a 50/50 water and alcohol mix in appropriate places, and of course, kept tools well stropped.
My problem is that as the wood got wet then dry, especially when using alcohol; it got splintery and worse to carve. The natural oils were sucked right out. I should mention that this winter has been cold and very dry, even for Arizona, and the wood seems to react just like skin, dry and flaky. And I still have a 4x4x8 block to carve.
Anybody have any ideas on how to keep, or get some moisture back in? Maybe pentacryl. Is this normal for butternut, or did I get a bad core chunk. Or is it time to open a can of alcohol mix, turn on the Olympics, and see how butternut works in the woodstove.
Jim

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #2 02-01-2006, 03:15 PM

Hi Jim....been having some problems with my wood here in Kingman too.......not sure, maybe we ought to just soak them in water for a little while lol...........

Plain_Ol_Ed · #3 02-01-2006, 03:57 PM

This is gonna sound weird, but it works. WD-40. Read about it someplace a long time ago. First reaction was staining. Nope after a couple days it disappears. Only problem is the smell (gosh I wonder if Hoppe's #9 would work, I like that smell).

Smokey · #4 02-01-2006, 05:58 PM

I have carved a lot of both Black Walnut and Butternut and found that they both will easily loose thier essiential oils and resins. Butternut is by nature "Brittle" and chips easily. It is my opinion to leave the water/alcohol out of the picture. It is possible to replace the oils if you go to most grocery stores- you can usually find in the baking area-"Walnut oil" sometimes found near the peanut oil, canola, corn oil. If you put about an inch in a shallow dish and stand the wood on end---it will absorb the oil. Dont bother it until you see the oil has reached the top. When you are done with the carving---it will dry out in a few days.

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #5 02-01-2006, 07:49 PM

I was wondering if you could put the basswood on a plastic tub and sit it in an ice chest with water in it, so the basswood could absorb a bit of the moisture we are losing here in the desert?

Mryooper · #6 02-01-2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi_Ho_Sliver

I was wondering if you could put the basswood on a plastic tub and sit it in an ice chest with water in it, so the basswood could absorb a bit of the moisture we are losing here in the desert?

have you thought about a humidifier?
put the wood in a large cooler as you said and then put a small humidifier in it and let it take the moisture in slow.

Mryooper · #7 02-01-2006, 10:11 PM

I found this ona site and this might give you a idea in how to solve your dry wood problem.

Since green basswood weighs forty two pounds per cubic foot, a board four inches thick, twelve inches wide and eight feet long weighs roughly one hundred twenty pounds. After sawing, the boards are loaded into the truck and brought home to be stacked for drying. Three quarter inch slats are used between each layer so that air can circulate throughout the pile. The ends are coated with roofing pitch so that they don't dry too fast and split. In about a year, the moisture content drops down to around fifteen percent. It is then taken indoors and stacked in an unheated room where the moisture level drops another five percent within a month or so. It is now ready to use.

My suggestion would be to order your basswood green. The wood I get is usually kiln dried to 16 % to 12 %....so by the time it gets to summer and its is my garage it is around 8%

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #8 02-02-2006, 09:05 AM

Hummm....if we got it after it came out of the kiln at 16 or 12 percent, would probably be about right for here....that is unless we stored it! lol

Mryooper · #9 02-02-2006, 09:19 AM

The wood I sent you was probable around 12% in 2004 and has sat in a garage that was dry. So I would say the wood you have is possibly around 8% or less. I got a e-aml from a person who said just to cover the wood up and let nature provide the moisture needed lol in your case Hi-ho you have no humidity. Maybe the sauna thing I said would help. I was also told linseed oil works good and drys out pretty fast.

Canopener · #10 02-02-2006, 09:59 AM

Thanks for the feedback.
I cut the block into smaller pieces, so I think I'll try the walnut oil on the piece I am working on, and store the rest in a cooler to try and re-hydrate it some. I found that if I soaked the butternut in water, it would just tear instead of splinter. Years ago I kept a piece of basswood in a bucket of water to soften it up, and it worked OK, but split like crazy when it dried out. Lots of Danish oil kind of fixed it.
I know Janel soaked his alder wood in water, wonder what his trick was.
Ed may also be on to something with the Hoppe's #9. Maybe I should oil up the old .22 LR speed gouge, back up about 25 paces, and do some detail work.
Dave, at least we figured out it is the weather.
I'll let you all know what works. Thanks again.
Jim