Jack Guzman from Maine
One part of chairmaking that I'm still learning is the drying of certain pieces for different reasons.The legs are best turned green but the tenon needs to be dry or it will shrink after assembly. Also the spindles should be shaved while green but need drying before final tenon sizing. It was suggested that the best way to see if the wood was dry enough was to weigh it. When it stops losing weight,it's dry. My wife loaned me a scale she uses for baking,but I need one I can keep in my shop.(or she may not get hers back)Anyone have any ideas for a proper scale? Where to find one?I have a small kiln built of foil backed insulation board with high wattage light bulbs for heat.I use a thermal switch to keep the heat at about 120.Any ideas on how long in general it takes to dry a small item in a kiln such as mine?The woods are maple and red oak.---Jack