Do I need Kiln Dried Wood or Can I Use Green Wood for Turning

jdub176 · Post by **jdub176** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:12 pm

I am wanting to learn to use the lathe on my 510. Should I use dried wood or can I use green wood? I have a pretty good amount of green wood to use, that I plan on learning this method with. Is there something I can put on the green wood to keep it from splitting and cracking as it dries out?
Thanks for the help,
Josh

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:24 pm

SURE you can use greenwood to learn to turn. To seal the ends, something like this will do it. http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2080619/29483/Anchorseal-2-Green-Wood-Sealer-Quart.aspx
Greenwood is easier turning too.

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:10 pm

Many folks that turn green wood do a partial turning first, leaving the wood thick, put it aside to dry, and then complete the turning. You can turn a bowl oversize, put it into a paper bag packed in wood shavings, and set it aside to dry. In about six months you can finish the turning.

There's plenty of information available in books, videos and here on the internet. Try a Google search on "turning green wood" and you'll come up with tons of information including some videos on You Tube that will get you started.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:19 pm

pennview wrote:4You can turn a bowl oversize, put it into a paper bag packed in wood shavings, and set it aside to dry. In about six months you can finish the turning.You still might want to seal the end

There's plenty of information available in books, videos and here on the internet. Try a Google search on "turning green wood" and you'll come up with tons of information including some videos on You Tube that will get you started.

Here's one on about turning green wood.
http://www.customwooddesign.com/turninggreenwood-1.html

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:05 pm

I prefer to rough out bowl blanks when the wood is green.
For smaller turnings (like pens) or segmented turnings, the wood should be dry.
There are numerous methods for drying wood.

jdub176 · Post by **jdub176** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:15 am

Thanks for the help. I some researching to do.
Josh

curtis george · Post by **curtis george** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:59 pm

Hello
No matter what kind of turning that you do, I have an attage,
Green Wood is FUN!
Dried wood is WORK. ;-)

Green wood cuts easer, it is not as hard on the tools, and it by far the best meteral to play around with. (its free! most of the time.) So pratice on it all that you want. If you make something that you want to save, you can coat the turning,or bowl with PEG. or... anything that will slow down the dring of the wood,as a general rule of thumb, the slower the wood dries out the more stable it will be.
There are a number of differant way to dry wood, some bowl turners that I know just put the rough turning, in two paper bags and seal them,so that the air can not dry out the wood as quickly.
There are as many different tricks to turn wood as there are people who turn.
Play all that you can, Enjoy your time. and Have a Merry Christmas.
C.A.G.