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Winter Build Off 2022 - Get Ready

#401
IME, as they dry out, sometimes boards settle into a new position/shape and that's just what you have to work with. I live a privileged life, but I tend to put a new-to-me board in my shed for a couple of years to ensure it's well acclimated before using it. :thumbsup:

I always feel better about using well-seasoned lumber. If you can't get access to anything that's reliably dry, then it may be worth finding some old furniture you can repurpose. :)
 
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#403
Just a note from things I've learned from woodturning. If you plan on storing a board for a long period of time to let it dry or whatever, look into a product called Anchor-Seal or anything along those lines. Rockler sells a product called "Green Wood End Sealer" that is basically the same. coat your board, especially the end grain surfaces, with said product and then store it. :thumbsup:

Here's the thing about wood grain that helped me really understand the "why and how" of cracks from drying:
The reason wood cracks as it dries is because it is drying at different rates (or speeds) depending on grain direction. If you can control the rate of moisture loss and somehow equalize that rate of moisture loss in all grain directions, it will crack much less, or maybe not at all. Same goes for movement, it moves because the long grain is drying faster than the cross grain (or vice versa).

Think of the wood grain as a bunch of straws all laid in a pile, all running in the same direction. The moisture in that wood grain will leak out the ends of the fibers faster than it will out the sides. Or, in idiot terms; the liquid runs out the ends of the straw way faster than it leaks out the sides of the straw. If you cut that pile of straws in half, making two piles of shorter straws, it will leak out those new ends faster than it will the sides too. So, you want to use the end grain sealer products to "cap" the ends of the straws and thus control the rate of moisture loss.

If I get a new wood turning blank that I don't know where it came from, I will make a fresh cut on the end grain to basically open those straw ends up, then seal it with the end grain sealer so that I know it is sealed in the manner I want it to be. Or, if it is a freshly harvested tree that I just cut up, I just seal it since the end grain is freshly opened. Keeping in mind that sealing also adds length to your drying times. But you're trading time for stability, it's up to you to decide what is more important. I've got some blanks currently stacked in my garage that will probably take a couple years. It's an investment in my turning future. :)

That's probably the best contribution I can make to this thread, so take it for what it's worth. :roflmao: :cool:
 
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#404
It's a board I picked up from Rockler.
I assumed stuff those places have in stock is kiln dried. The board was large, so not perfect, but pretty straight.
I'm guessing the twisting is from laying it on the shelf, choking off one side from air and then fluctuations in humidity the few times I didn't go down and empty the dehumidifier and it was off for a the whole day. It's been really rainy here and if I don't run the dehumidifier 24/7, the basement will quicky get up to 70-80%.
I'm going to cut it down into blanks and slabs and stack on stickers in a small pile. When it comes time to use it, I'll plane it true with the router about a week before and see if it holds.
That's the plan unless a better idea pops up. Which is likely.
 
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#405
RichterScale said:
Maybe I'll make a nice green poplar diva and dedicate it to @Rôckhewer
Click to expand...
:eek:
EgJ31d2IYkg4E.gif

:p
 
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#412
About my participation: I'm still undecided.

The thing is, I want my current project to be fully playable before I tackle anything else. Not necessarily finished, but fully playable.

It's looking like I'll get there in time.

Now I'm busy making plans for the Winter Buildoff. But I'm not yet buying any materials for it because I'm afraid to jinx the current project. :eek:

Maybe I'm weird.:)
 
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#418
I was hoping to have at least half of my parts in hand and some of the wood dimensioned. All I have is strings.

If I cant get this stuff together soon, I'm just going to use those strings to restring my store-bought 5 string and call it a year....
 
#419
My parts build isn't looking great. I tried the kmise £30 neck on the budget eBay yamaha body.. It kind of fits, but it's a 34 inch scale neck, and it would put the bridge off the the of the body. So it must've been a short scale bass. So i thought maybe I'll make a neck to fit the body, then I thought well the body's not that great anyway so I might as well make a new body too....
Only problem is I've lost my renewal/ re-use theme!
 
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#420
Flying B said:
My parts build isn't looking great. I tried the kmise £30 neck on the budget eBay yamaha body.. It kind of fits, but it's a 34 inch scale neck, and it would put the bridge off the the of the body. So it must've been a short scale bass. So i thought maybe I'll make a neck to fit the body, then I thought well the body's not that great anyway so I might as well make a new body too....
Only problem is I've lost my renewal/ re-use theme!
Click to expand...

Yamaha seems to use a lot of 24 fret necks so it's possible the scale was the same but the neck/body proportions were different.

Sorry to hear your project isn't working out :(
 
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