Chas--Meths drying

[Paul.J]

Having read the article on Meths drying I'm thinking about giving it a go,but am unclear as what to do.
Do you just soak the piece in meths for a couple of hours or do you boil it in the Meths :?: :?:
If you boil it will it give off any strong smells or fumes,as this will have to be done in the kitchen,wife allowing :roll:
Paul.J.

 

[CHJ]

Having read the article on Meths drying I'm thinking about giving it a go,but am unclear as what to do.
Do you just soak the piece in meths for a couple of hours or do you boil it in the Meths :?: :?:
If you boil it will it give off any strong smells or fumes,as this will have to be done in the kitchen,wife allowing :roll:
Paul.J.

Just soak it COLD for a couple of hours in meths.

The alternate is to boil the piece in soft (rain) water for an hour (or 20mins in pressure cooker.)

Some light coloured woods with varying moisture content throughout can show 'patches' when dried after soak in meths, don't know if leaving in meths longer would clear this. Hence the reason I choose to boil some pieces.

 

[Russell]

do not under any circumstances try to boil meths

 

[Paul.J]

Thanks Chas/Russel.
Chas i was going to try this method on the Ash that i recently acquired.
As this is a light coloured wood,would it be best done in the rain water,to keep it's natural colour.
Have you tried this method with Ash :?: Was there much discolouration with the meths method. :?:
Paul.J.

 

[CHJ]

Thanks Chas/Russel.
Chas i was going to try this method on the Ash that i recently acquired.
As this is a light coloured wood,would it be best done in the rain water,to keep it's natural colour.
Have you tried this method with Ash :?: Was there much discolouration with the meths method. :?:
Paul.J.

Paul, Ash should be fine with Meths, it is Birch and pale Sycamore that show 'water marks' sometimes, for want of a better description.
SEE THIS POST

The Meths does not impart any noticeable colour to pale wood, it's just that you get a shading which I think is due to differing water content throughout the wood. But you see this sometimes anyway with naturally dried wood.

Boiling appears to even this out, a bit like the blending effect you get with commercially steamed beech.

 

[Paul.J]

I have now got all that i need to have a go at the meths drying :shock:
Chas have you tried soaking a split log without turning first.
Just wondering if it would have the same effect. :roll:
Paul.J.

 

[CHJ]

I have now got all that i need to have a go at the meths drying :shock:
Chas have you tried soaking a split log without turning first.
Just wondering if it would have the same effect. :roll:
Paul.J.

I doubt that you would see any benefit, remember that the meths has to soak through the wood and combine with the retained water to be effective.

To soak a split log would take a very long time and be costly on meths, (you would be drying waste wood) also timescales in drying would reflect the thickness.

I aim at about 4 times the finished thickness to take into account of out of round distortion that will occur.

 

[Paul.J]

O.K Thanks Chas.
Makes sense
Have you had many spolt still after the process :?:
Paul.J.

 

[Paul.J]

Have you had many spolt still after the process
Should say split

 

[CHJ]

Have you had many split still after the process

Very few that are from sound wood in the first place, out of the current batch of 35+ I have had 2 from new cherry (core splitting but recoverable) and 6 with widening splits but these are all existing flaws such as bark/decay inclusions and existing cracks in yew etc. just opening up, and all these are recoverable before finish turning.


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