A thread further down the page only left me with more questions.
When making a wood reel seat/insert or for a grip, how dry is dry enough? How do you really tell for sure? Especially way down into the middle of the wood? What kind of time period is needed? Do you buy or cut a piece of wood, then need to leave it be for several months, etc.? Can you use the microwave a little to help dry it out? Thanks in advance, Gary

Gary,

I think if you are buying turning stock from any reputable wood supplier it should be dry enough to work as soon as you get it. If however you are cutting down the apple tree in your back yard it will definately need some drying time. And on that note I will leave it to the more experienced.

Mark

You do want the wood dry enough to be stable.
Drying time will depend on your wood and your climate. I start with locally obtained green wood and cut blanks that are approximately 8 X 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 "s then seal the ends with glue or paint. I then weigh the blanks and write that weight on each individual blank.
During cool months I keep the blanks in a heated room and weigh them daily on a digital postage scale I purchased at Staples. The blanks normally lose a few grams during the first few days and then slow down to a gram every day or two. When the wood stabilizes (usually in about three weeks for my system) ithe weight will remain constant or vary up and down occasionally given the relative humidity. You can hurry this process by using a micro wave and there is information available for that process. This isn't very scientific but it works without having to purchase a moisture meter to determine when the wood is stable enough to use.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

buy it from a reputable distributer. I've tried to dry my own and was a total waste of time. I have been using alot of balsa instead of cork as of late.

Gary - I do use wood that I cut myself. It is often for senitmental reasons (Pecan from my mother's yard, an old hickory storm damaged in my yard), I like the idea of using indigeneous wood from our Southern forrest and some people say I'm cheap. Starting with green wood is not for those who like instant gratification. Most of mine is cut, the ends sealed and stored in my shop/shed for a year or more. I usually have to rough turn a couple or three to get one that I'm confident to take on to final finishing. And, I have had a couple crack after mounting on the blank.

You can dry it in the micro-wave and here is a couple sites from wood turners with tips for how (along with some other ideas): [mgorrow.tripod.com] [www.woodturningplus.com] Please heed all the warnings.

In the sizes and amounts that most of us rob builders use, I think buying the squared (and stabalized if appropriate) stock from Andy Dear or Ray Jorgensen for example, is probably the best idea. Plus, they have species, burls, spalted, etc that are impossible to replicate for DIYers, imo.

Let me add something here. You need to also consider your climate especially the temperature and humidity in relation to where the wood came from. If it is stabilized wood it will not matter. For example if I order wood from say the east coast or the south, I know that the climate is damper there than here in Colorado. I would recommend letting the wood from those sources set for a month or so to adjust to the humidity difference. If you get it from the local lumberyard it would not hurt to ask how long it has set on his racks. JUst a little extra thing to consider to try to avoid cracking.....