Alcohol Trials

Re: Alcohol Trials

Ron in Drums PA

>I've done a few so far

1 - 11" cherry bowl

2 - 4" cherry boxes - spindle - from the same wood as the cherry bowl

2 - 8" spalted birch bowls

1 - 8" maple bowl

1 - 4" hollow form - spindle - from the same wood as the maple bowl

For what it's worth. I took a reading from a moisture meter after I finished turning the wood.

The cherry started at 20%, after 7 days it reads 14%.

The maple started at 18%, after 6 days it is now 12%.

Looking good!

Re: Alcohol Trials

Mike Schwing from Md.

>I'm wondering if Homeland Security is wondering why the sales of denatured alcohol have suddenly shot through the roof nationally.

I've been soaking large bowl and vase box elder roughs this week, 15" tall and up to 12" wide. I soak'm for 24 hours as they're pretty thick roughs. Will report.

Alcohol Disposal

Dave MacLuskie

>On a somewhat related How do you dispose of the de-natured alcohol when you're done with it? Is it a pour-down-the-sink kinda thing? Leave the bucket open and let it evaporate?

Re: Alcohol Disposal

Stuart Johnson

>Around here just about everyone has a "burn pile" consisting of brush and limbs. When I do my burn I take care on the non-toxic stuff at the sametime. At least I don't think I'm creating any harmful effects with burning used alcohol, paint thinner, used peanut oil from fryed turkey.

Re: Alcohol Trials

Andrew Hilton

>Thank you very much for your report! Please retain your results somewhere and keep doing what you're doing. There's going to be a formalized and structured study going on soon and the more preliminary results obtained, such as yours and others, the better it will be. Also, as people get more comfortable working with the Alcohol Drying Method and gathering data, the better.

Re: Alcohol Disposal

Darryl Hansen

>I use a pellet stove in the winter. I have always started the pellets with alcohol. I plan on using my used stuff that way.I tried the soaking mehtod as soon as I heard about it. To date two 13" cherry bowls very green and wet and one 13" cherry platter. Its been about two weeks now and no noticable warping and no checking. This stuff might just work. By the by I buy my alcohol at Giant food store. It runs about .99 a quart for rubbing alcohol at 90%.

Re: Alcohol Disposal

Ron in Drums PA

>I don't think I would want to use rubbing alcohol, its 30% water.

Re: Alcohol Trials

Mark Kauder

>Andrew,

There has already been a somewhat formal study done by Dave Smith. It was his article in More Woodturning, and reported on WC that prompted the discussion in the chatroom.

Mark

Re: Alcohol Trials

Andrew Hilton

>This has been discussed and argued over in the past week or so, Mark. All I know, from what I was personally told by David, is that there was no data saved beyond his own very initial investigations into the Method around 3 years ago.

There was also no controlled, formal, open study conducted from what I understand with my limited discussions with him either. The terms "controlled, formal, open" are certainly up to debate (which some of us is more than willing to do openly) and interpretation. From what I and others have been able to ascertain, a different study *might* be in order to gain more insight into the Alcohol Drying Method and when, where and how that Method is most useful.

By the same token, others, including Dave (he can certainly speak for himself if he so chooses) see no reason for further study.

NOT that that is a "bad thing" either. Nor has it ever been my, or the other questioners' of the Method intentions that have been discussing this privately, to suggest so either. It has, apparently, been interpreted that way, sadly. Not doing the kind of study that some consider "better" is no indication of blame, scorn or a demeaning of what has been (from all indications being done in good faith) done before. A great deal of work had, apparently, been done to arrive at their conclusions and they are as entitled to their opinions as others are to theirs, in my opinion. It is simply a different approach and should be considered as such ... nothing more or less.

All I can go on is what I was told from the apparent point-person on this topic at this time, Dave. I'll not try to interpret or infer anything else from those discussions as that is not fair to anyone.

So, to sum it up ..... There are those that feel another study *might* be in order and are investigating that route right now. The entire community will certainly be completely involved from the planning up through the data interpretation stages, I would imagine. Myself, I am only marginally involved in that at this point.

Hopefully, this message will be seen as it was written ... directly, honestly, educationally and without poor feelings or intentions.

Re: Alcohol Trials

Mark Kauder. Phenix City, AL

>No offense taken - hope none was taken from my posting. Somehow your initial posting made me think that you had been brought in to the discussion w/o knowledge of Dave's original thread.

I for one am happy with the results I am getting (I was part of the original test group), but see no harm in finding out the scientific basis behind it, and when it is conta-indicated.

Thanks

Mark

Re: Alcohol Trials

Andrew Hilton

>No, no offense taken at all. Given the number of messages here, it's not easy to figure out who has seen what.

I don't know about what might be involved with a new study on the Alcohol Drying Method at this point but, personally, I'm not as interested (well, mildly and just as a curiosity)) in the internal mechanisms of why it works but more along the lines of when and in what situations it does/doesn't. What are the pitfalls and best practices to be used for different woods (if that does, indeed, matter) or thicknesses, and so on and so forth.

I have no problem with people wanting to know and exploring the mechanisms. I hope they find them. But, it doesn't interest me nearly as much as getting work done and giving those that I teach and those that ask me about it, the best information that I possibly can.