Turning Block Storage - A Tempering Room

[Lud]

I'm turning more and making a lot of blocks out of slabs from my mill.  I previously converted the old granary in my barn to a drying room with light heat , dehumidification, and air circulation.  Works pretty good but cracked a few cherry blocks that were a bit too wet when they went in. 

Besides I wanted to clear the barn floor of some piles of blocks.


There's a flip up hatch that lets me do a 2 hand set shot up into the room



The low door is open.  Come on in!



Shelves are two  4"x4"'s leveled with existing wall 4x4



Room is about 15' x15'



That's a cheap ceiling fan inside the table for up/down circulation



A few boards to go on the south wall, but you can see the R30


So this room is only going to have air circulating so I'm referring to it as a "Tempering Room" since any new blocks can rest there prior to going to the lathe.  Since I have 500 going towards a 1000, I'm thinking of peddling a few but will, of course,  keep the pick for my own turning.

What do you think?

[metalspinner]

I think you're going to be in the bowl blank biz shortly. :D

Are you sealing any of the blanks?  What about a list of species you have there?

[WDH]

That is a nice set up.  Drying thick pieces like that must be an art. 

[pigman]

What do you think?

Time to get turning!

[SwampDonkey]

I think it's just awesome Lud. Your personal wood vault.  ;D Now let me see what species will I choose today to turn. I'll call on Lud. Got any Osage on inventory?  ;D I think it's a great little setup myself. Man, a lot of work to.  Better get the lathe spinning. ;D

[tyb525]

Drying thick pieces like that must be an art. 

I doubt they would dry all the way to the middle without cracking, am I wrong?

[SwampDonkey]

Depends on the amount of heart or sapwood, the ratio I guess. And where ever that dividing line is depending on species, grain and so on. Looks like the juvenile wood was cut out. I see a lot of bark edge so probably not a lot of heart in some.

[Burlkraft]

That's a cool set up Lud  8)  8)

I wish I had the space for something like that.

I have bowl blanks everywhere.

Pasbuild came down a while ago and brought a few with him. Once he got to lookin' around he thought I really didn't need any more  :D  :D  :D

[jim king]

I spent a lot of time and money to find a way that worked for me.  I cracked, rotted , molded and ruined a lot of blanks but finally found a way that did it.  I got to where I was having less than 5% rejects.   I was not easy.  Drying turning blanks should be an olympic sport.

1: I brought in the 4 to 8 inch thicks cants and let them dry a month or two.




2: Cut the rounds when the cants felt dry to the touch




3: Let the rounds dry a month or so on stickers in front of fans  to under 20% in the center 




4: Wax the blanks all sides


         

5: Shrink wrap the blanks




6:  Ready for the crate and on the way

[Lud]

Thanks to all.  Ash, Poplar, Spalted Maple, 2 kinds of Cherry, bit of Hickory. Most all get waxed on the cut fibres.  This Tempering room is above the granary so I'm imagining that downstairs will hold heat a bit better and upstairs benefits from any heat leakage .  Trying to keep it unfrozen as that has to help drying.

Geez, Jim,  it's not like I have a staff of guys to do it...., nor is our altitude nor humidity alike but I'm glad you've figured it out for you -where you're at.  Where all are you shipping the blanks?  Whole container loads?  What species?  Selling to business or wholesalers?

And , yeah,  I turned today.  Trying the Elsworth grind on my gouges.  His new book is excellent.

[jim king]

Lud:

I experimented for a couple of years before I found the way that worked in my case.   It took me a long time because I was in a hurry and didnt have the brains to be patient.   As it all turned out the must important thing was patience.  What you are doing certainly should work if you just forget they are there drying and come back in 6 months.  Patience.

I could not ship blanks with over 20% moisture as each was shrink wrapped and if you want to see some technicolor slime just seal some green ones in plastic.  Not a way to impress a customer.  I tried kiln drying and ended up with a lot of cracks and in many cases they actually split in half.

Yes I shipped container loads of Bloodwood, Purple heart, Dalmation , Pink flame , Orange agate and some others.   I sold my business and have not produced seriosly for a while but I am thinking of producing again.  This being as I am now without the daily terror of running a business here could drive one crazy.

The turning blank market is growing and certainly will continue to do so.  The majority of the customers are over 50 and the season for my customer was by far the best from October thru March.  Turning blanks are a fun business.   You have to forget everyting you have learned in the lumber business.

Knots , bark , holes,  spalt , crotches , limbwood , freak colors and what ever is not saleable as lumber are your key to good sales.

[SwampDonkey]

Lud, I guess there's no monkeys down your way ah? ;)

I figured that's why Jim has cages on his drying fans to keep the monkeys from swinging into the blades.  :D


Sorry Jim, gotta have a little fun sometimes. ;)

[jim king]

SwampDonky:

My wife always had 35 or 40 street dogs in the factory.  I had terrible visions of dog peices flying around from the open fans , if she could have there would have been monkeys also.

[SwampDonkey]

Ah, yes I remember the dogs you folks rescued.

[Don K]

That's a nice setup, Lud.

Don

[Lud]

Thanks for sayin', Don.  SD,  No monkeys here tho our Westie is an ornery little cuss.  He is a terrierist, after all.  Re SD's earlier question, I have no Osage orange, but There's a fairly good size one partially blown over up the road at Porters.  I keep thinkin' about putting a note in Alice's mailbox and asking her if it's available. 8)