How To Dry A Kuksa Safely Without It Cracking Or Splitting

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In this video I wanna share an alternative drying method with you which helped me to avoid any issues with kuksas cracking while drying. This method is very successful and credit goes to Thomas Rall from the channel Experience Nature - great tip he gave me there, now I am passing this on to you. :-)
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#kuksa #carving #drying

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

HERE ARE SOME ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS: Q: How long should I leave the kuksa to dry? A: As far as the exact drying time depends on your very selection of wood and the respective project as such, I cannot tell you a specific time frame you could keep in mind. But in general you can tell that all went well by touching the very toilet paper or tissue paper with your lower lip - once all the moisture has been successfully removed from the fibers AND evaporated fully from the paper box and TP, you are good to go. The TP and box need to feel absolutely dry to the bone when touching them with your lip. I personally leave projects for yet another couple of weeks once that point has been reached , just to be sure. Patience, as so often, is of the essence. Q: When closing the box, don't you provoke fungus growth? A: Theoretically yes, but I never experienced any issues with fungus/mold when using this method. It might be worth mentioning that I am usually working in intervals - let's say the rough outline is done on Monday using a hatchet, then I'd continue one or two days later with the rough knife work, just to finish the fine carving by the end of the week and having the sanding done once the drying process is done as mentioned in the answer to the first question. So in other words: By regularly opening the box to get to my projects, I am ventilating it anyway. I would recommend doing this once a day or so, just to be sure. Besides that, I store my projects in temperatures below some 20°C (i.e. some 70°F). Q: What do you use for the finish of your kuksas after they dried? A: Personally I stick to linseed oil. One might go for charring the wood, too - the process is called pyrolysis in case you want to look that up. I haven't tried that so far, but will edit this answer once I tried it. Q: Does oiling the piece prevent cracking? A: Drying and oiling a piece are two entirely different steps and should not be confused with one another. Most cracks appear during the drying process, as explained in the video. Oiling must only take place after the project has dried to the fullest extent - the reason being that oiling your project closes the pores of the wood. Now imagine oiling a moist, green wood - well as you can guess, this will result in damage over longer periods of time. Usually the wood starts to get a little frizzy on the surface after a while, cracks can then reappear. So first let the wood dry properly, then go about the finishing with some sort of oil like linseed oil or so. The oiling mainly prevents decay in terms of rotting/fungus/etc. ------ Got any other question? Just leave me a comment and I'll gladly add the info here. ------ Wanna support this channel? Then please consider becoming a patreon - just visit my Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/rathwulvenbushcraft Thank you. DO YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ON BUSHCRAFT, FORAGING AND ANYTHING RELATED TO THIS CHANNEL? Consider subscribing to the Rathwulven newsletter - all for free, no obligations and you can always opt out if you do not want to receive it. Just register here: mailchi.mp/6b4642ab28af/rathwulvenbushcraft If you have any questions, please also feel free to drop a comment.

[@scottthompson7637]

I am 73 years old and and have always used rice.. Cheep and has and worked for years for me.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Scott - yeah that might also do the trick, just like wood scrapings. :)

[@stevew585]

Fantastic information, Thank you!

[@unitytira4954]

Thank you so much Rathwulen for this informative video, it is a great resource. I will do this on my wood carving projects.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Thanks for your comment - glad it helps. Let me know how it goes, ok? :)

[@WyeExplorer]

It reminds me of putting our boots in the dryer whilst training for the British Para Reg P Company. We would stuff them with paper. Good video my friend. Something new. Mark

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Thanks Mark, appreciate the comment. We do the same thing over here with our boots - some old newspapers do the trick :) ATB Ralf

[@WyeExplorer]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft A real pleasure. They do absorb a fair bit. Have a great week.

[@FOXSCOUTSurvival]

👍👍👍 Du machst immer sehr gute Videos mit wirklichen Mehrwert 👏 danke fürs Zeigen 🙂

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Danke dir, freut mich zu hören!

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Thanks for showing us this idea. Take care.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

:) Thanks - and belated best wishes for 2021.

[@CanoehoundAdventures]

Awesome tip. I made a kuksa just over a year ago and I was so disappointed that it cracked on me a couple of days after I completed it. I'd like to make another and I will try this method for sure... Thanks for sharing... Dennis, Canoehound Adventures

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

First of all thanks for your comment and visit, Dennis. I can only relate - as mentioned in another comment, I had four or five attempts go wrong before I managed to make my first flawless kuksa. I guess it goes without saying that this is all a matter of trial and error, not to speak of patience. Learned that the hard way - but I learned it, haha. ATB Ralf

[@FelixImmler]

Danke für den tollen Tipp!! LG

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Immer gerne, danke für deinen Besuch :)

[@Woodswalker1965]

Interesting technique I've not seen it before. I'm using wood shavings and a loose paper bag. It usually works, usually not always lol! Thanks for sharing!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

I have heard of that before - but especially with birch, people complain a lot about mold issues in my area. I guess it is a trial and error type of thing, your local climate also plays a role, of course.

[@vincentroche6749]

This is very good information my friend, I will try this when I start carving my first Kuksa.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Smokey, thanks for the comment - let me know how that worked out ok? :)

[@guruofganja2906]

Spoons and stuff too

[@Alex-741]

Thank you for the advice my friend 🙏💚🌲

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

You are welcome, thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@experience_nature_bushcraft]

Sehr schön geworden!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Danke dir!

[@gnosisrisingbushcraftorgan2273]

Nice Idea thanks for sharing, I'm trying the cocooned in rice method to dry out my first Kuksa (Walnut). If it fails i'll be giving this a shot🙌

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Cool - I never tried that myself, keep me posted about the result. I am curious how it will turn out :)

[@d1rtbag35]

Thanks for the advice, giving it a try now! Had a scare today with a crack forming in an eating bowl I've been working on for days. Was able to carve out the crack, hoping it doesn't spread!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Eric - I feel you, such things just happen inevitably. How is it going so far? Any further issues?

[@d1rtbag35]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft worked out great, thanks for following up! I've since used this method on many projects and continue to forward the video to anyone who asks.

[@johnburgin7478]

Thanks for the tips

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

You are very welcome John, thanks for watching!

[@lmnatureetboisfacteurdarcs5257]

Beau travail !!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Merci! :)

[@thomwaldabenteuer]

Super Hinweis für alle Kuksabauer. Liebe Grüße Thom ✌🏼🤠

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Danke dir :)

[@EPGunman]

Haha I now have a direction to go for my second attempt my first started cracking but I continued to carve to get used to carving it and seeing what I can do with the wood!! Thank you for the information and I am about to share this with a buddy of mine.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Jerome, you are very welcome. Glad to hear that this is of help - just keep up the good work, I am counting almost up to a dozen cracked attempts right now and that is just part of woodworking. I cannot stress enough to not focus on the discouraging frustration - for every time things go wrong, there'll be a time when things work out just perfectly fine. Good luck, and let me know how it went! :)

[@EPGunman]

Rathwulven Bushcraft I am just about to where I think it’s dried enough to oil it to seal it. Then comes the test!!! Will it hold water lol!! It’s been fun either way

[@robknott1687]

paperbag and wet wood shavings from the project works really well for me. but this is a great idea also!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

I hear that quite some times, but especially with birch, people complain a lot about mold issues. I guess it is a trial and error type of thing, your local climate also plays a role, of course.

[@HarrisonNewts]

I'm drying out a 15-inch stick at the moment, I'm making the Harry Potter elder wand I'm not too sure if you're familiar with it or not. I wrapped it in 5 layers of toilet paper then the cardboard toilet tubes that you get in the middle of a roll to act as the cardboard box as I don't have one right now, then in another few layers of toilet paper then wrapped in a blanket inside my wardrobe. Hopefully, it dries out with no cracks. How long would you say it needs in the wardrobe drying out? Great video, by the way, thanks for the idea 👍

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

😊Thanks😊

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Thank you very much . I will try tissue or sawdust .

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

You're welcome - let me know how it is going :)

[@robbanb7507]

Nice and informative.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Thank you Robban!

[@AirstripBum]

Simple solution! Just mummify the piece in a box! I'm going to try this. Thanks.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Thanks for your comment - definitely worth checking out, I am sticking to this method ever since.

[@susanp.collins7834]

I have also heard that spraying your project with a 50-50 mix of alcohol and water between sessions helps.

[@mortenw.3575]

Thank you! I wonder if you could wrap/fill the work in several layers of slowly-evaporating cloth, like cotton or wool, and get a similar result?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Morten, thanks for passing by. Well, I am pretty sure that wool won't really do the trick. Why is that? I guess one cannot really compare the rather big, chunky hair-type-of fibres of wool to the rather small, woody ones of paper tissue. The cloth might work though, I have no practical experience with that. If you get some results, please feel free to share them with all folks here. I am curious about your findings, too. :)

[@Michalis_Karakostas]

If you put it in a cigar humidor with cedar wood? Cedar wood absorbs moisture. Maybe is a good option?

[@joemoskal7556]

I have just carved my first kuksa. And to be on the safe side I salt boiled it and then used this method. Going to leave it for two months to see how it goes. Thanks for your tutorial.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Joe, thanks for your comment. Glad the video helped - please let me know how your final result turned out, I am really curious about that. Fingers crossed, I wish you a crackless finish!

[@joemoskal7556]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft OK so I got inpatient! Used the paper and box method for two weeks and noticed the paper becoming dryer by the end of week two. So I took it out oiled the kuksa with tung oil, and allowed to air dry for a few days... The only small issue I got was when I was curing the inside of the bowl, using the coffee slurry technique, I had a small crack occur that I could live with. But I went ton holiday and returned tonight to find the gap has closed its self up!

[@mukhlestribe]

Joe Moskal great

[@KRISTIN520222]

despite my almost 70th I am beginer in curving, please let me know more info about salt boiled technology. Thanks a lot. Lubo from Slovakia

[@Idoitfortheskonkas]

Thanks for the video good sir. HOW long does it usually take to completely dry?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi there and thanks for your comment - this depends on the respective project. I have given some tips in the pinned comment in the comment sections. :)

[@BerserkerGang2019]

realy nice. i do viking stuff on my channelö, my kuksas always crack and i can throw them away. i will try this method next.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Awesome, let me know how it goes alright?

[@BerserkerGang2019]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft yes .definitely

[@dabberty]

Not sure if closing the box is a good idea. You might get fungus then. Here are my experiences. I've made several kuksa's and to prevent cracking I put the kuksa during the project overnight or when it is finished in a standing paper bag with the woodchips from the carving, and leave a small opening on top for the moist air to go out. Don't close it, otherwise you have a good chance on fungus. Another good way is by boiling indeed in salty water once the kuksa is finished, and if you want to darken the wood, drop in a few bags of black tea. And last suggestion that i have not tried myself yet, but is used by a few friends of mine who ate experienced wood carvers, they boil them in milk. Apparently the casein denatures, closes the pores, and thats it. Good rinse when done, and your good to go. And as oil I use Tung oil, it will seal the wood also slightly, leaving a tiny hard layer. Good luck!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Thanks for your view on this. I have to say that the salt water method causes issues, in my personal experience. As for the fungus: You got a valid point there, but I never experienced any issue of that sort for as far as I am working on the respective project in intervals. Maybe that makes all the difference, because if you do some 1 to 2 hours of carving work a day, you take out the items of course and hence ventilate the box as such. Gotta look into tung oil for sure, thanks for the tip. I usually stick to linseed oil. ATB Ralf

[@user-wk5px7rc8w]

How long in the box before it is OK?

[@Bandechecker]

Das muss ich probieren. Denn es knackte und krachte bei mir auch immer wieder. Salzwasser, Beutel, Sägemehl... diverses schon probiert... Danke!

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Bidde :-) Der Clue ist die Geduld und ein stabiles Klima im Karton. Versuch den in kalten Monaten nicht drin zu lagern, die Temperaturambivalenz ist dann zu gross. Viel Glück, lass mich wissen wie es läuft ✌️

[@arianmenmi2510]

Nice! I am going for my first carving project, and I will try this method. How long do you need to keep the item in the box/how do know when it is dry?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Thanks for your comment, Arian. I wrote some additional info on that in the pinned comment. Generally the longer you wait, the better. Let me know how it is going ok? And if you have questions, feel free to reach out.

[@arianmenmi2510]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft Awesome, thanks! I have some projects in the box right now. I have changed the TP 1-2 times because the TP got quite wet. Still drying though, 7 days in.

[@carlhicks376]

As I'm admittedly not a wood carver yet the one thought that came to mind is how long are you leaving them in the cardboard box to dry? What are your indicators that its dry enough to not worry about cracking?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Carl, I explicitly did not mention any drying time as far as this will always vary depending on the respective project, type of wood, and so on. But in general you can tell that all went well by touching the very toilet paper or tissue paper with your lower lip - once all the moisture has successfully been removed from the fibers AND the paper box and TP are dry to the bone, you are good to go. I personally leave the project for another couple of weeks then, just to be sure. Patience, as so often, is of the essence. Because there is one thing you do not want to do: Seal the pores with linseed oil or so while there is still a bit of moisture inside the wood. I learned that the hard way; it is better to just give your project another month than to just mess it up during the very final steps. Hope that helps, if you got more questions, just let me know . Thanks also for pointing that out, I will pin a comment to the top with your question and an answer.

[@scottglasgow4514]

You could also use rice. Rice absorbs moisture quite well. Those silicon packs would work too.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Scott. I am not sure if silica gel would be my go to, simply for ecosustainable reasons. For rice: I did not try that, also because I assume that rice would eventually turn moldy, wouldn't it?

[@scottglasgow4514]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft No, if you're using it for only a week....it won't get moldy. It has to be moist before that happens. Drying wood, it wouldn't absorb that much moisture out of the wood....you could use it to dry several projects. Of course, check it after a couple projects. If it smells ok, carry on. Of it smells a bit sharp, change the rice.

[@MartinTach]

Hi, have you even used thistle oil as a finish for kuksa? Or do you know anyone who used it? If yes what was the result?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Martin, thanks for your comment. I did not use thistle oil so far so I cannot share any practical experience. Yet I have one concern regarding that oil: Most thistle oil manufacturers produce their products by cold-pressing green plant parts, which results in a different type of oil as for example those extracted from seeds like linseed. The main issue with oils extracted from green plant parts is that they often are containing a lot of water/sap and hence are considered "dry" oils. Sounds a bit paradoxal, I know, but here "dry" refers to the actual "fattiness" if you know what I mean. Dry oils do more harm to your finished work than they do good. Long story short: I would not use thistle oil based on my assumption, but I'd also gladly be correceted if that assumtion shoud be wrong. :)

[@nicklee1981]

do you put it in the box before or after you carve it?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

After the work is done :)

[@clayguinard3651]

can you keep reusing the toilet paper you didn't mention that, you said you can reuse the box but can you reuse the toilet paper and how long do you leave the wood project in the box

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Sure, I will take this question into account for. th Q&A video ok? Should be uploaded by the. endof this week.

[@mikerandle5713]

Does oiling the piece prevent cracking?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Michael - thanks for your question. Drying and oiling a piece are two entirely different steps and should not be confused with one another. Most cracks appear during the drying process, as explained in the video. Oiling must only take place after the project has dried to the fullest extent - the reason being that oiling your project closes the pores of the wood. Now imagine oiling a moist, green wood - well as you can guess, this will result in damage over longer periods of time. Usually the wood starts to get a little frizzy on the surface after a while, cracks can then reappear. So first let the wood dry properly, then go about the finishing with some sort of oil like linseed oil or so. The oiling mainly prevents decay in terms of rotting/fungus/etc. Hope that answers the question. :)

[@sortofsurviving]

I wish I would have done more research before all the time I spent carving one. I carved a small cup just to try out of some fresh silver maple. I didn't let it dry properly before oiling. I used tung oil. The very next day it had a huge crack running down the back side near the handle and a crack along the underside. Still keeping it as a reminder.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Nathan - I can only relate too well to your experience, I also had to learn about the importance of patience the hard way. Hope the subsequent attempts were more successful. Thanks for your comment!

[@travissleeper4132]

What kind of ax you you showing in your video?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Travis - do you mean in the other one when making the kuksa? That would be a Gränsfors Wildlife Hatchet.

[@outdoorwilderness5299]

How many days do we need to keep it there ? How will we know the process ended ?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi there and thanks for these great questions - please read the FAQ answers in my pinned comment. :)

[@connorhart7597]

Ive heard the main reason you do the salt water boiling is to clean and disinfect it. Something about the salt water drawing out the dirt and bacteria or something i think

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi Connor - wherever that "information" is taken from: It is not true. Salt does not sterilize - if that was the case, no organisms could thrive in the seas, yet all life comes from salt water. Same goes for "cleaning" the wood pores. The funny thing is that any wooden cutlery or kitchen utensil behaves the same way: Warm/hot water opens and hence accesses the pores in the grain, cold water/air closes them. Which is one of the reasons one should not leave spatulas or spoons in a can of soup, for example but always has to remove them and wipe them clean properly. That salt water myth is a pretty tough one, probably started somewhere online and kind of established itself as a "fact". Have a good one!

[@connorhart7597]

@Rathwulven Bushcraft very interesting. Thanks for the info, that's why I brought it up, I kinda wanted your thoughts on it haha. Very good to know, have a great rest of your day

[@NoName-ye5qb]

Hey is that Nordic Viking ruin bc I memorized the whole alphabet

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Yeah they're all Scandinavian runes indeed. :)

[@justhuman3284]

how long does it usually take to dry?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey there, thanks for your comment - I wrote an FAQ in the comments and pinned it underneath the video, you'll find an answer to your (and to other questions) there. :-)

[@kimrichardson8376]

You didn’t say how long you leave the kuksa in the box, how long does it have to be in the box?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Kim - please check the pinned comment under the video, I answered all FAQs there. :)

[@tarman_zom_b7736]

How long do u leave it in there???

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hi there - I wrote a reply in the pinned posting: As far as the exact drying time depends on your very selection of wood and the respective project as such, I cannot tell you a specific time frame you could keep in mind. But in general you can tell that all went well by touching the very toilet paper or tissue paper with your lower lip - once all the moisture has been successfully removed from the fibers AND evaporated fully from the paper box and TP, you are good to go. The TP and box need to feel absolutely dry to the bone when touching them with your lip. I personally leave projects for yet another couple of weeks once that point has been reached , just to be sure. Patience, as so often, is of the essence.

[@TheDutchWanderer]

The same effect is reached using sawdust, but if you don't have that, this is a nice alternative ;-)

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Amen to that :)

[@Pr0wn1]

You mean that you pack the "bowl" of the kuksa with sawdust and you then put it in a paperbox with sawdust around it ?

[@tarman_zom_b7736]

Do you make these for people on request? If so how much does it cost??

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

I do - you can check out the "About" page of my channel and send me an email, then I can give you more details on that, ok? :)

[@nmbygodsgrace]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft Excellent tutorial! I want to start from scratch, but don’t even know where I might get a chunk of birch. Where would you suggest? Thanks, Edward in Enid, Oklahoma, USA

[@dominicm6144]

For me, I've been seeing them crack after drying and adding boiled water to it

[@rikufanboy]

Now if only I had access to birch where I live.. This tree doesn't grow here... Mostly pine, oak and olive trees... Pine is the most common.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Pine will do, too :)

[@AirstripBum]

@@RathwulvenBushcraft Really? I was wondering how to get green birch delivered here to carve. We too have mostly pine and other hardwoods that are so hard, they dull my tools very quickly. I'm new to this. I need to find a good gouge and a few other tools cheap. Those things are expensive!

[@sondrehognestad1787]

How long do you need to dry it

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Please check out the pinned comment, this question is addressed in the FAQ. Thanks!

[@marcwilborts9690]

If you take of the centre of the wood project by cutting it away you will have no problems with cracking of the wood while gradual drying... .

[@marcwilborts9690]

I see in your three phases of kuksas making that the centre (heart of the wood) is still present after cutting.

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Sorry for the late reply Marc, I missed that comment. I fear I did not fully understand your point - do you mean the pith of the wood? If so, then I'd like to point out that I did indeed split that log right along the pith, but also did substract a couple of millimeters prior to finishing the final kuksas. Never had any issue with that. But of course you are right that the pith itself is a weak spot in general. Learned that the hard way quite some years ago... Thanks for your comment.

[@Schnitzer17]

Couldn't you just do this with a bag of rice?

[@RathwulvenBushcraft]

Hey Josh - I never tried that, but I guess that rice is somewhat of a waste as it does not release the moisture just as paper towels do. Also it contains starch and sugars, so mold might become an issue.

[@suecollins3246]

You can get a water absorbant gel at nurseries and garden stockists. It's like large grained sugar and this stuff absorbs water _amazingly_ . Maybe too fast? Worth the experiment?