Turning blanks for box pulls

user-7658923 | Posted in Wood and Materials on September 25, 2020 09:26am

I bought some ebony turning blanks for a really low price with the intention of using them for handles on small boxes. Im assuming the wood has not been dried (still coated in wax). I’ve never really messed with green wood and I know it likes to warp and move as it dries. That said, with the pulls being a few inches long and maybe an 5/8″ thick, would I have a cause for concern, or should I wait a couple years for it to completely dry?

Replies

_mj_ | Sep 25, 2020 09:38am | #1
Ask the folks you bought them from about the MC when waxed, they may not be green, just sealed to keep them stable in storage.

How thick are the blanks? If you have a 2" thick blank and your final project will be smaller you can break down the stock at the bandsaw to accellerate the air drying. For small stuff you can even use an oven as a kiln.
fivebirdscustom | Sep 25, 2020 09:41am | #2
I've never seen ebony move much at all. Between having bought a few blocks and owned numerous guitars with ebony fretboards and bridges, etc, I've literally never even seen it crack. Now, I grew up in Virginia, which has wild swings in humidity. I've seen rosewood shrink and swell, mahogany, cherry, maple, pine, oak, all of it... But, never ebony.

With such small pieces, especially, I would think you'd be fine... But, that's just a guess.
gulfstar | Sep 25, 2020 11:27am | #3
You can microwave the blanks, I do it with bowl blanks with success. Say you have two pounds of blanks, you hit them with 2 minutes cooking cycles every hour, a dozen intervals will bring it down significantly enough in humidity to be considered dry. If you have a scale, you can follow the weight loss until it stabilizes.
john_c2 | Sep 25, 2020 05:26pm | #4
Scrape the wax off one blank and see how it behaves.

Are they all 5/8 square? If you know the length you want to chuck in the lathe, cut it to that length now. Wait and watch.