A couple of weeks ago, folks were talking on a zoom session about creating a drying box as a means of making “green” wood ready for turning sooner. The parts required were mentioned – light bulb, fan and box – but no specific dimensions or other particulars. So I went to the web and found some examples, including one using a cardboard box. I set to building one based on that information – see the attached picture. My drying box is small – 10 inches x 10 inches x 15 inches. I used a 60 watt light bulb as some of the examples had mentioned.
I turned a 9 inch x 4 inch Christmas tree from some beech that had been cut two weeks or so earlier as a test. My box was passing air thru the box and across my piece. After about 3 hours, I checked my tree only to find a big crack in it. The box was apparently drying things out but much faster than I wanted. As the web research really only provided the mechanics of the box, it’s apparent I am missing some key elements for the box to work well.
Does anyone know what temperature I should be maintaining inside the box? Can you dry out a piece, too much? What’s the target moisture content of wood that is technically considered dried? I welcome any suggestions.
