Drying wood

Last winter I posted an entry about cutting some quarter sawn Sycamore. Sycamore is a very common timber that generally isn't very pretty unless you cut it on the quarter. Today I took the rough boards and cut the wax off the ends and put them in a rough dimension to make some dinner plates and platters. Then I will age these pieces for a couple more months in my warm shop. The next step will be to round them on the bandsaw and then bring them into the house for another month until I am confident they will be dry to finish. Here are some pictures of this "plain" wood.

Drying process

Today I am removing the wax on the canisters I roughed out this last winter. Then I will bring them into the house to give them some more drying time. By bringing them inside it will give them a more natural state as to where they will be staying once they have been finished. This helps the lids and base fit better over time. Being as large as these are there is more dimensional instability. Drying these properly will be a major part of their longevity.