Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Alcohol Fatality?
Ron in Drums PA
>I had a small box of cherry soaking for about 24 hours. The wood was spindle orientation with a glue block on each end which was affixed with 5 min expoy. The first thing I noticed was the blocks fell off. Then I noticed that the lid was in two pieces, cracked along a growth ring that had allot of sap. The walls where about 3/8"+ thick.
It was a clean break, I should be able to glue it back on.
The three other "spindles" I've soaked are ok.
Re: Alcohol Fatality?
Mike Schwing from Md.
>I've noticed that the things I soak are very, very dry, almost totally without any of the oils that are normally associated with dry wood. I'm wondering if you found a sap pocket that was dissolved in the alcohol? I figure thats why the soakings wind up with that dry, almost chalky feel - everything but the wood dissolves.
On the intial thread about soaking I mentioned that 5 minute epoxy is dissolved by alcohol soaking. I could have saved you!
I never promised you a rose garden.
Dave Smith, Longview, WA
>Hi Ron,
Yes epoxy will dissolve in alcohol. I corresponded with Roger Dunn about glue blocks. My experience is that super glue will not fail in an over night soaking. I also believe that polyurethane glue will with stand a soaking in alcohol. Roger has since told me that he soaked some bowls in alcohol over night with blocks held on with Gorilla glue and there were no failures. He also used CA glue on some bowls soaked for 5 hours with no problems. I am sure he will let me know the results when he final turns the bowls.
I have not tried to dry very many boxes. I have done several whole limb vases with good results. In my initial publishing I stuck to what I knew worked from what I had already tested. And since I was not publishing in a scientific peer reviewed periodical I didn't feel detailed documentation was necessary. I am still collecting results from those who want to send them to me.
Dave Smith
Got 27 more chess pieces to turn in Longview, WA.
Re: I never promised you a rose garden.
Kevin Gerstenecker
>Dave, I will compile my results and email it to you. I currently have 2 more species drying and when I finish turn them, I will let you know the details on what I have done, and the results I have had. So far, so good! Thanks again for everything Dave............I'm crankin' 'em out as they get dry!
Kevin
Re: I never promised you a rose garden.
Gil
>Beware Gorrilla Glue will disolve with a two day soaking!!
-GIl
I rarely use glue blocks.
Dave Smith, Longview, WA
>Hi Gil,
Since I rarely use glue blocks I didn't include the effect on them in the study. It is amazing how many things that could be included in a test. My intent was to test the effects of using alcohol to speed up the bowl drying process. If you find a glue that does hold up under alcohol soaking please let me know. It may be that alcohol soaking of bowls with glue blocks will need to be limited to X number of hours or the glue block will need to be reattached.
Dave Smith
Only 24 chess pieces to go in Longview, WA.
Re: I rarely use glue blocks.
James L. Seigal
>Dave, I rough turned five Holly bowls about 4.5"-5", 1.75'-2"deep, 1/2" thick. All were from the same log, cut about a year ago and stored in my outside, covered rack. Bowls were turned face grain. I soaked them in Isopropyl (70%)alchohol for about 18 hrs. Wraped them in brown paper bags with the center exposed and set on racks to dry. Four days later, all five looked like a grapefruit rind you just squeezed the last drop of juice out of and all five cracked. HA!!! Oh, and they were a sick gray color. I did some Red Leaf Maple at the same time and they were OK. Go figure. Was Holly prone to this in tour research? Jim S.
Fresher is better.
Dave Smith, Longview, WA
>Hi Jim,
Sorry to hear about the holly. I have found that small logs in any type wood are more prone to distortion. Most of the holly I have obtained has been under 6" in diameter. That may have been part of the problem but I am only speculating. I have found that with fruit wood the sooner the wood is roughed and soaked the better. Holly is porn to cracking if left too long before turning. The gray color should only be on the surface of the wood. I only tried isopropyl for a very small sample of bowls early on in my testing. Since the maple appears to be drying OK it is likely the problem is with the year old holly and not the isopropyl alcohol being used. Small consolation to you I am sure. I have a lot of holly that has been in my storage shed since last spring that I am pretty sure is fire wood now.
Thank you for trying the alcohol drying process. I hope you have enough success with the maple for you to try some more wood before making a final judgment on the process.
Dave Smith
Maybe some alcohol fumes would help my head cold in Longview, WA.
Re: I never promised you a rose garden.
Ron in Drums PA
>As of last night I added two more turnings to the seven I posted earlier. So, out of nine, one failure, and as Mike mentioned, I also think it may have been that the sap was devolved and weaken the wood.
In case I'm reading you wrong, I'm not criticizing your technique, but just passing on information to you and others who may be interested. Would you like me to pass information to you privately instead?
One good thing, I learned is how to devolve expoy, may come in handy one day. I'll have to experiment with different glues to see which works best in alcohol.
Again Dave, I'm excited about this technique and like to experiment around, thanks for letting us in on your secret.
Thanks for your input Ron.
Dave Smith, Longview, WA
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