after searching, it seems that ideas vary on what constiutes dry wood for turning. is there a generally accepted moisture level or a safe level to turn at so there are no side affects after the seat is made?

i also bought some walnut pieces which I really think were too dry. THe blanks seemed so light weight compared to other ones and seemed to turn dusty with poor finish. Can dry wood be impoved?

thanks,

John
God bless the troops and USA

13% to 15% moisture content is what I consider "dry." Someone that does more woodowork than I do can probably give you a better answer.

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I'm a wood turner. Kiln dried wood will vary depending on where you live. Most kilns take it down to 7 - 8.5%. It would be my recommendation to let it adjust itself to your climate by leaving it in the garage for a little while (week or so) to gain some moisture. This is not to help with the finishing but rather to let adjust a little since it will pick up moisture from fishing. Your comment about the poor finish and it turning dusty, possibly punky wood. By punky I'm talking deteriorating or rotting. This is common in spalted wood, but, the wood will still take a good finish with proper turning and sanding technique. It should have very little to do with the final outcome. It may take more work to get it there is all. Also, if it seems very light, it could be from new growth wood. Old growth (old trees) have very dense ring structure and will weigh considerably more than new growth.

Hey
It seems to me that 6 - 10% moisture content is perfect. The wood I send off for stabilization is at 10% tops.
If you bore and turn a piece of wood that is too wet (maybe 12+% moisture content) the problem won't be checking as much as it will be warping. You might loose your good fit with reel seat components, etc. if the cells in the wood contract as they dry.
Its best to get them in this 6 to 10% range before you do anything.
Get yourself a reasonable moisture meter. I would recommend the "pin type" for better accuracy.
Wow I can't imagine walnut getting dusty! It seems too oily a wood for this to be possible. Some kind of dry rot maybe? I can't explain it.
I've never bought a piece of turning stock but I would guess that they probably (should) sell it in the 6 - 10 % range.
Best,


Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

I agree with Gary..Kiln dried you can get it down to 7 %. Generally the more dry the wood the stronger it will be structurally (won't make much diference on a reelseat). You can turn wet wood...mostly what you worry about with any wood is changing the moisture content. This is what causes wood to change shape..twisting,checking, splitting etc. That is why stabilized wood is becoming so popular....once impregnated the water doesn't affect the wood.

Just to clarify...I don't recommend turning wet wood for reelseats....but as far as the turning goes you can do it .

I have read where pin type meters don't work well on wood as it is tough to get enough penetration for an accurate reading. I would like to get a moisture meter but am clueless and confused as what type, brand etc to get. I don't want to break the bank, but would like to get something adequate for my needs. I have been cutting some maple, oak and other burls and would really like to get a moisture reading.

Any and all recommendations would be appreciated. I am also goint to post this as a separate question.

Thanks,

Herb Knowlton

I agree on that walnut. If it's already "dusty," it's probably spalting (woodworker talk for rotting). But, you can still turn it, and spalting wood often looks great. Just soak it in superglue, let it dry, turn it down a little, then soak it again, let it dry, etc. It takes awhile, but can be well worth the effort.

There is one other possibility. I have gotten ahold of some burl walnut that had a real chalky consistency in spots. I think it mainly came from the open, twisted grain. This can be annoyingly difficult to turn, but the results can be phenomenal. You can do the "superglue stabilization" on it, but you still end up with a lot of open grain to fill before finishing. Andy Dear has a Tru-Oil slurry technique that is very useful in this type of situation. I'd be glad to e-mail you the specifics, if you're interested.