Drying time for cookies

BLJ · July 17, 2019, 05:46:50 PM

A friend of mine approached me recently about sawing some decorative cookies for his wedding. It's in October. Would I be better off to saw them the week before to limit cracking or saw them now and take a chance. I'm thinking the week before to limit the possibility of cracking but I'm looking for other opinions . Thanks

barbender · July 17, 2019, 06:43:07 PM

I've did a couple of those, I sawed them shortly before.

doc henderson · July 17, 2019, 07:19:36 PM

what kind of wood. rough sawn or sanded and finished? what diameter, for each table or head table to sign?

Stephen1 · July 17, 2019, 10:56:00 PM

I used to saw them 1-2 days before .Now with the IDRY kiln I saw thm by the hundreds and dry them in 4-5 days. I only loose about 10% to cracking. Now they can be sanded and finnished.

YellowHammer · July 17, 2019, 11:40:55 PM

I saw mine the week before and prefer to use relatively low crack prone wood.
Eastern red cedar, soft maple, pine, and box elder work great.

BLJ · July 19, 2019, 09:36:51 PM

Wood options would be red oak, EWP, hard maple, yellow poplar, wild black cherry, hickory, and possibly black walnut. I have no access to a kiln. They will probably be sanded some to knock the edges down. No signatures that I know of.

doc henderson · July 19, 2019, 09:46:32 PM

oak tends to split long term, walnut is better. larger diameters also have more stress due to the shrinkage. 12 inch walnut is good, soaking in alcohol decreases splits. but short term will be ok if you want to throw them out after. I soak mine, dry in a box, sand on a drum sander, and finish with Danish oil. I have about 50 stored.

doc henderson · July 19, 2019, 09:48:59 PM

some are using them for the head table for people to sign like a guest book. some are putting a cookie on each table with decorations like a mason jar with flowers and or led lights.

BLJ · July 20, 2019, 07:28:09 AM

Speaking briefly with the groom, I gt the impression that this will be a one time deal and thrown out afterward.

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · July 20, 2019, 10:06:59 PM

For our 50th anniversary, our daughter ordered disks from Walnut Hollow in Dodgeville, wi and they worked perfectly. This might be a painless way to handle this.

I did visit them and they were drying disks with over 97% success rate. They had a hot air kiln. Do not know how they did it so well.

Southside · July 20, 2019, 11:33:08 PM

375° for 16 minutes, butter the sheet, leaves a gooey center with melted chips and a crispy outside. You don't want them dry, much better this way. :D