My Experiment.......whats my chances.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I just put a Walnut Cookie in the oven.  :D   Well I did!  :

Its about 2 inches thick. I have the temp on 250°. I plan on letting it bake for 30 minutes and take it out until it cools and bake it again.....the repeat my cycle.

Will it dry without cracking?


 

[terrifictimbersllc]

No. You have no chance it is hopeless .

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

No. You have no chance it is hopeless .

Then I'll have it for supper. 

[Jeff]

No. You have no chance it is hopeless .

I agree

[beenthere]

Dave
Why did you think it might work? Must have been some thought about the walnut not shrinking when it lost moisture in your oven treatment.  Just curious...

[tyb525]

If anything 250 is wayyy too high. I would go with a much lower temp if you want to try to avoid cracking (which you can't)...

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Dave
Why did you think it might work? Must have been some thought about the walnut not shrinking when it lost moisture in your oven treatment.  Just curious...

Nah Brother Been.....I got to thinking about all them bone dry roast my wife cooks sometime and she tells me she left it in there to long.
So I thought I would turn the temp down and try to slowly dry this piece of Walnut for a foot stool. I have had it in the oven twice this morning at 250° for 30 minutes and I take it out and let it completely cool. Its now it the shop with the fan on it until I get more time tonight to bake again.
I believe ya'll when you tell me it's hopeless....but man.............I just gotta try.  I'm hard headed, I guess.

And yep.....TYB......I'll turn the temp down this evening. 

[Fla._Deadheader]

Poston, Do you have another of those walnut cookies ??

If so, find a container that it will just fit into, laying flat. Something like a barrel or bucket.

Get enough denatured alcohol to keep the wood covered as it absorbs the alcohol.

A previous member of this forum, was having trouble drying large cookies of flamed box elder. I put him on a link to a guy that dries bowls using this method.

Since then, this X member has been selling the cookies in several countries, and, as far as I know, he still is. He has/had ??, many acres of these trees, so, I imagine he is still doing it. We haven't been in contact for about a year now.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

I think you can...matter of fact, I know you can...

Hi Dave,

If you don't mind being a guine pig, I would love for you to do a few of different species?  You can be part of a "not so sicentific control for me."  I have, as many here knows, been the "odd ball on the side,"  because all the esoteric stuff I have in my brain that does not seem to turn off when I do manage to go to sleep.

Floyd, one of the "old timers" that taught me the "languages wood," had all kinds of tricks and concepts that his 97 years did not get to see come to complete understanding by me, but I do persevere.  One is different drying methods, and trying to understand the "inner mysteries" of wood as it tries to dry.

Below are two photos of a very reactive piece of Elm that became a beam for above a door in a timber frame.  I wanted to apply some of want I learned from Floyd one afternoon to see if I could learn a little more from him.  The photo is the result of a very similar experiment that you are performing. The piece of wood is about 200mm x 15mm (~8" x 1/2"...

[Jeff]

Try it with that elm at 2" thick. a 1/2" thick is a whole different animal.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

I forgot to add...

No chemicals of any type was used, other than water.

I did use a kitchen oven.

I would like to leave it at that for now...

I just noticed that Jeff posted something...

O.K.  I wish I had the time now, we can all come back to this latter perhaps. I would love to know what Dave discovers on his own.  I have done this with black walnut, white pine, butternut, spruce, cypress, red oak and one successful mapel to date in sizes up to 75mm (~3") thick  but no larger than 800 mm (~30") across.

[Jeff]

When did we convert to the metric system in this country?  ??? ;)

[Jeff]

I'd like to suggest, since you claim it is possible, that you post exactly how rather then act like this is some sort of mystical masters secret of the universe. Pictures of uncracked wood simply do not impress me. I can do the exact same thing.

[Warbird]

Poston, I think you can make it work if between oven treatments, you dunk the cookie in a tub of water.  That'll keep it from crackin'.  Of course, your end result wouldn't net you any dryness but I'm thinking it'd be about as fruitful.  ;)  Seriously, good luck.

[beenthere]

My thoughts as well, what Jeff says.

I have a guy that keeps sending me (for a good 20+ years) wood in the form of cross sections, turned solid pieces of near every species, without a crack. Some have been around for 20 years.
The guy claims it is a secret and he wants money in exchange for his secret. Says he cannot patent his idea, as it is so simple. Claims it is an old indian trick, but that all the materials can be found in the grocery store. Says no chemicals are used. I can say, whatever he does - works.

In all this time, he has had no takers and as far as I know he still is the only one that knows his secret.

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hello Jeff,

I'm not trying to make anyone upset  :embarassed: Jeff by not giving details, I just don't want to front load Dave, as I would like to learn, if he does not mind, what other methods there may be for achieving the same results.  Several folks already have made great suggestions, and one is related to what my theories on the matter are.  I have only been successful about 70% to 80% of the time and I am still "figuring it all out."  I will after we have all had some fun  ;D with this give all the info I have up and everything that I have learned thus far...deal ???

P.S.

In 1959 the United States adopted the Metric system for all government (military), medicine, science and many other sectors, only some business-commercial-corporate entities are still using the imperial system agreed to at the International yard and pound agreement meeting.  I try to always go back and add it if I have forgotten and I am writing to someone in the states like Dave.  I went back and added the imperial measurements. ;) ;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Hey Brother Been, you asked me what made me think about this. When Jeff brought up Elm.....I have taken 4-5 inch elm cookies and microwaved them and made coasters for drinks. The coasters were 1/2" thick. They actually turned out pretty good with no cracks in 75% of them.
But my Walnut cookie would not go into the microwave. So I'm trying the oven.

I think I will try Warbirds idea and put it in the tub with water in between baking it.

But I can honestly say this.....at least I'm having fun trying something. 

[beenthere]

C'mon, spill it Jay. 

[drobertson]

David, it is more than possible, waiting on a phone call now from a dryer of walnut, they use the oven dry for test pieces, then weigh, and calculate the MC, not sure the temp, can't remember, but I also know that the microwave works as well with bowl turnings,  just a thought, bout all I can say is the same for a good rack of ribs, low and slow 8)  david

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

  just a thought, bout all I can say is the same for a good rack of ribs, low and slow 8)  david

:D I like that.  From time to time I get a bunch of these cookies after a job.
Gotta try something.....and I think it's interesting play for a Saturday afternoon.

At least Julie came in the kitchen and said, "Emmm...something smells good."  :D

It was the Walnut! I was laughing my bass off.  :D :D :D

[tyb525]

Gimme gimme gimme Jay ;)

A topic where this has already been discussed:

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=30634.0

I think FDH may have already shared (one of the) secrets, soaking in denat alcohol. Also used to dry turning blanks without cracking.

From http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/education_safety/education/plt/activity_sheets/treeCookie.pdf

"Some cookie-makers soak freshly-cut
cookies in a solution of two pounds of
sugar for every gallon of water for at
least two days. Use a non-metal
container and hold the wood down with
rocks to submerge. Cookies bigger than
three inches in diameter and one-quarter
inch thick will need more time. Stir the
solution daily. After soaking, put in a
well-ventilated place to dry (one week).
Finally, you can get a similar result if you
soak fresh-cut cookies in polyethylene glycol
(PEG) when the wood is still green. PEG
draws the water out and replaces it with the
PEG, which is a waxy material. It takes a Minnesota Project Learning Tree, www.mndnr.gov/plt
few days to dry and the wood becomes a
little heavier. PEG looks and feels like
paraffin wax. You dissolve it in an equal
amount of hot water, then soak the wood in it
for about a month, making sure the wood is
totally submerged. PEG is sold over the
counter under the name of "MiraLAX" (it's
used for constipation)."

[ancjr]

How'd you get it into the oven without it cracking?   

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

How'd you get it into the oven without it cracking?   

It was green.  ;D

[SAWMILL BUDDY]

David, I'd try 120 degrees. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

David, I'd try 120 degrees. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I have it in there right now at 175. I'll drop it. But I just can't go no lower.  :D