Working on green wood?

[Wade Lippman]

I took a turning course about 10 years ago. We had a hunk of fresh ash. Rough turned it and then kept it in a plastic bag. Turned the bag inside out a couple times a day, and in a week it was dry enough to finish. The bag was really wet each time.
That was my last green wood; though I have turned about 75 bowls since then.

Two weeks ago I cut down 9" diameter lilac bush and the wood looked interesting. I am using the same technique as last time, but am not getting the same results. After 2 weeks the moisture has gone from 24% to 20%. The bag never has any moisture on it. I have even tried leaving it out of the bag for an hour here and there, but it is just not drying. (I posted a question on a gardening site about what had killed my lilac. One response was from a turner who cautioned me to dry carefully as lilac splits easily.)

Obviously I am doing something wrong. Any advice here?

[Olaf Vogel]

I took a turning course about 10 years ago. We had a hunk of fresh ash. Rough turned it and then kept it in a plastic bag. Turned the bag inside out a couple times a day, and in a week it was dry enough to finish. The bag was really wet each time.
That was my last green wood; though I have turned about 75 bowls since then.

Two weeks ago I cut down 9" diameter lilac bush and the wood looked interesting. I am using the same technique as last time, but am not getting the same results. After 2 weeks the moisture has gone from 24% to 20%. The bag never has any moisture on it. I have even tried leaving it out of the bag for an hour here and there, but it is just not drying. (I posted a question on a gardening site about what had killed my lilac. One response was from a turner who cautioned me to dry carefully as lilac splits easily.)

Obviously I am doing something wrong. Any advice here?

I've not worked with Lilac, so can't comment on it.
But have done tons of green turnings. Normally I let them dry very slowly, sometime over months, depending and size and thickness. So just keep doing what you are doing. Normally, drying slowly reduces the chances of cracking. The wood will move as it wants to.

The other option, for small pieces like that, is to put it in the microwave for a few minutes.
Take it out, let the wetness dry off and repeat for a few rounds. The combination of intense heat and drying in cycles will reduce internal tension and prevent cracking.

[Lloyd Butler]

The grain structure of lilac is very fine compared to Ash, so will dry much slower. It also has more stresses than Ash, so left as whole log lengths will like slip.

As mentioned above, do not rush it. Once they are dry, the purples and pinks generally in the heart wood of lilac as well worth the wait.

[Wade Lippman]

Months?! Okay, I will be patient, but I am not sure about starting any more green wood.
Thanks.

[Brice Rogers]

Wade, something that I do to know when the wood has reached an equilibrium moisture content (dry) is to weigh it periodically (every month). When it gets to the point that it is no longer losing weight between two consecutive measurements I assume that it is dry.

I also follow the advice of Robo Hippy and Mike Mahoney: wrap stretchy plastic wrap around the lip of the bowl as that is where it will probably crack from (if it does) and when rough turning, keep the edge of the bowl rounded because a sharp edge is were a crack will develop. I also sometimes wax seal the end grain after I've rough turned it.

If your rough turned bowl is 1" thick, it very well could take over 6 months to dry.

[Chris Gunsolley]

I took a turning course about 10 years ago. We had a hunk of fresh ash. Rough turned it and then kept it in a plastic bag. Turned the bag inside out a couple times a day, and in a week it was dry enough to finish. The bag was really wet each time.
That was my last green wood; though I have turned about 75 bowls since then.

Two weeks ago I cut down 9" diameter lilac bush and the wood looked interesting. I am using the same technique as last time, but am not getting the same results. After 2 weeks the moisture has gone from 24% to 20%. The bag never has any moisture on it. I have even tried leaving it out of the bag for an hour here and there, but it is just not drying. (I posted a question on a gardening site about what had killed my lilac. One response was from a turner who cautioned me to dry carefully as lilac splits easily.)

Obviously I am doing something wrong. Any advice here?

I'm surprised that hunk of fresh ash was dry in just one week using that method. I use that method too, but typically as a short-term way to minimize the rate at which a piece of wood dries out. If I want to keep something from drying out over night or for a couple of days, for example, I'll spray it with water, wrap it in a plastic bag, then tape it shut. I haven't had a piece crack so far doing that, and I've let some of them sit for days. About how large was that chunk of ash in diameter?

Lilac is gorgeous wood and I'd like to see what you make of it.

[Wade Lippman]

Wade, something that I do to know when the wood has reached an equilibrium moisture content (dry) is to weigh it periodically (every month). When it gets to the point that it is no longer losing weight between two consecutive measurements I assume that it is dry.

I also follow the advice of Robo Hippy and Mike Mahoney: wrap stretchy plastic wrap around the lip of the bowl as that is where it will probably crack from (if it does) and when rough turning, keep the edge of the bowl rounded because a sharp edge is were a crack will develop. I also sometimes wax seal the end grain after I've rough turned it.

If your rough turned bowl is 1" thick, it very well could take over 6 months to dry.

The bowl is only 6" wide, so I figured 3/4" would be adequate.
The edges are sharp. To late really to turn them round, but it would be easy enough to sand the edge off. Should I do that?

[robert baccus]

Buy a gallon of endseal such as Artisan brand from craft supplies and do the standard double turn method. No guessing or timing or worring.

[Wade Lippman]

Lilac is gorgeous wood and I'd like to see what you make of it.

After 2 months I called it dry. The result was disappointing.

cup.jpg

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have turned Lilac, and all Lilacs are not the same or equal.

The Purple colored Lilac wood has Purple within the wood, not solid purple, Lilacs like the White Japanese Lilac has no purple, but still can be very nice if finished nicely.

Here are a couple of pictures of both Purple and Japanese Lilac.

You can see the Purple rings in the Lilac and yes it splits if left solid, I used the Purple Lilac on Birdhouse ornaments, but for the large pith in Lilac used it only for the walls.
Shrub Lilac wood.jpg Lilac body of Birdhouse.jpg

The Japanese Lilac is nice enough wood and it was a very nice wood after it had some spalting in it.
Japanese Lilac bowl.jpg Spalted Japanese lilac bowl.jpg

[Olaf Vogel]

After 2 months I called it dry. The result was disappointing.

cup.jpg

With green wood, you are forced to use what you’ve got. Sometimes its pretty, sometimes plain.
Overall thats not bad looking wood.


I find its a challenge to maximize the impact. So grain orientation and design become more important than just pretty colours or patterns.
Of course when its really boring, I reach for the dye.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

With green wood, you are forced to use what you’ve got. Sometimes its pretty, sometimes plain.
Overall thats not bad looking wood.


I find its a challenge to maximize the impact. So grain orientation and design become more important than just pretty colours or patterns.
Of course when its really boring, I reach for the dye.

I agree that the design/shape is the most important in a turning, as in the long run grain and color will subdue and any dog dish shape will just look that, as the flashy color and grain aren’t there anymore