How to Dry Woodturning Blanks Faster with Desiccant

Dave Hout explains his new product for drying turned bowls, how to use it and how it works to draw the moisture from woodturning blanks. Dessicant beads let you dry out green, wet wood up to 1'' thick in just 12 to 48 hours, with little to no checking or cracking. It's a fast, hassle-free method for drying items like pen turning blanks, handle blanks, and rough-turned bowls and platters.
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[@victorm7vic619]

Fantastic! How this isn't common knowledge for woodturners is beyond me. I've been using the microwave drying method that's a royal PITA but works, this however looks real promising. Can't wait to try. Thanks for the info and video ☺

[@nickkropat8857]

I had no idea that stuff could be re-used. Very interesting idea!

[@tykellerman6384]

Necessity is the mother of invention, great idea

[@monopinion8799]

Very informative and interesting. Great presentation.Thank you very much.

[@coachingangels]

Great video - thanks for sharing. Has anyone ever tried doing the same thing but with rice ?

[@petereaton9795]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@geralddixon2830]

Hi...I tried out the product with a 12" x 4" walnut bowl blank and I experienced some small checking on the endgrain. One small crack went all the way through on one end and I am puzzled at how that happened. I turned down to about an inch in thickness. Also, it took more that 48 hours and I am wondering if that is due to the size of the blank. I used 25lbs of product. I would love to share my images to understand what happened.. I only lost 18% of the weight after 48 hours and 23% after 90 hours. The beads didn't seem to be fully pink in any measure. Thanks

[@bullfrogpondshop3179]

Is it possible to over dry the bowl in the desiccant if you leave it in too long?

[@carypower3737]

You should read the SDS on this product, you need to use breathing and hand protection when using it, and the Cobalt Chloride is a known carcinogen and the blue desiccant is banned in Europe ! I'll give it a try with the Orange version.

[@1Igster1]

Do a search on "Drierite", a common laboratory dessicant. No cobalt there.

[@CoolRiffz]

@@1Igster1 An ingredient in Drierite is classified Group 1carginogen secure.drierite.com/RegularDrieriteSDS.pdf

[@CoolRiffz]

Thanks for this. Looks like this orange one is safe. cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1195/0130/files/SDS_for_Orange_Indicating_Silica_Gel_bcdd42a4-5a72-4ff5-908f-fc4e51882886.pdf?4

[@maxcarney1061]

Have you tried drying a rough cut bowl blank before rough turning even

[@CoolRiffz]

Life changing

[@BarefootBushcraft]

New supporter here! You have some very cool content on your channel my friend! Keep the awesome videos coming! :)

[@glen3257]

I am new to this and thank you for your video. I have watched lots of stuff about turning wet stuff and as I do not even know where to get my logs or wood from yet I know I need to dry them. I understand the concept of weighing them; however need more information on how I know they are dry when I wight them. How much less should they weigh?

[@xxjcxx1625]

jeff smith I am on the same boat as you. Any update of drying your pieces?

[@johnnymccann5607]

I don’t have a wood lathe yet . I make band saw bowls, dough bowls, all kinds of bowls and cutting boards, butcher blocks. I am also a very good wood carver. iam going to try some of my raised and recess techniques to make flowers, vines leaves grapes, animals with scenery. they will be pricey and if they don’t sell they will make wonderful gifts for those who are near and dear to me . this week I have been looking up different wood drying techniques , and I certainly charish youth information. iam retirees now any looking for a quality wood lathe. thank you sir . nana and papa aka the hunter.

[@wadepatton2433]

BUILD a spring-pole lathe. That's what I think I'll do. Turn unplugged! All the cool old-skool kids are doing it.

[@thefish5861]

I have a bucket of this stuff arriving today, but wonder how you can dry it all for reuse, if you have to spread it thin in the oven for a couple hours. Won’t this take many many trays of the stuff?

[@HardCoreBpost]

Same question here, did u figure it out yet ? haha

[@Ttalos]

That’s exactly how you dry it. Spread it out as much as possible on a cookie sheet. There is also an “indicating desiccant”. It turns one color when full of water and another when dry. Makes it very easy for new users. Chemists FTW!

[@mountainviewturning5319]

Nice video

[@diydarkmatter]

hmm thats a great idea good on you brother .

[@yt650]

Very I formative. Very good idea. Where to buy?

[@seaotter52]

YT Check the expanded description of the title, it lists Rockler. Hope that helps

[@DrJWR1]

Has your group of experimenters tried kitty litter, either clumping or non-clumping for this? It would cut the overhead, and would probably be reusable because the clay could be dried the same way as silica gel.

[@NillWill]

James Randolph there is a silica based cat litter with sand , and actually, water. ExquisiCat Crystals. Trying it out now!

[@wadepatton2433]

kitty kitty!

[@chrisspelhaug37]

@@NillWill How well did it work?

[@NillWill]

@@chrisspelhaug37 I don’t have a moisture meter, But it seems like it works. The blanks I made were much dryer when I pulled em out .I just am not sure how to remove moisture from used beeds. Could probably bake the crystals, but I’m a little hesitant to use the home stove.

[@Ozzyjunky]

That's great! Thanks

[@thorstenkirchberger1552]

In chemistry, it is a common process to dry chemical substances with silica gel, but to accelerate the process even further, it is carried out in a vacuum desiccator. Did you also try to further accellerate the drying process by vacuum?

[@eddiestipe2009]

Being a pen turner I am quite interested in this. Where can I buy the material.

[@hokiepokie333_CicadaMykHyn]

It's called kitty litter...

[@sodders_the_woodcrafter]

How about using a dehydrator to rejuvenate the beads?

[@wadepatton2433]

250F? then yes. I think "critical temp" means you won't get moisture out of them at any less heat level.

[@xXSniperXx308]

Anybody found this yet? Rockler doesn't seem to have it now. Also, what kitty litter are ppl using that has worked for them? Thanks!

[@lisajohnful]

Etsy

[@Wheresthesoul]

Will that remove the strong smell of fresh wood so it's not imparting an order when using it for food.

[@wadepatton2433]

try a pure beeswax for a food safe finish and yes dry wood will "stink" less. The harder the beeswax the better. Melt it on, wipe off excess, buff with canvas and then with a finer cloth for the finish I've used on gunstocks and chopping blocks. Nothing is faster or easier to repair and food safe.

[@Wheresthesoul]

@@wadepatton2433 cheers, thanks

[@billy19461]

THANKS!!!

[@kimallen4746]

What is a source for the desiccant?

[@martkt10]

How much in weight was in the box ?

[@wadepatton2433]

Yeah, how much pounds do I buy? Five or twenty?

[@xXSniperXx308]

@@wadepatton2433 I just got 15# and it looks nowhere near what he has.

[@wadepatton2433]

@@xXSniperXx308 Yeah, I can't afford that stuff--but I may try the catbox filler. Thanks for the reference point just the same.

[@michealg1487]

My question is does this method stop it from being food safe? I make salad bowls and I would like to try this. Some of my neighbors are cutting down some walnut trees.

[@wadepatton2433]

You're not adding dessicant to the wood, you're extracting moisture--and THEN re-turning/finishing the bowl. Should have zero impact on food safety as I see it. But I'm no expert witness.

[@petrovich5258]

Доброе время суток ))) С Ув Петрович ))👍

[@AffordBindEquipment]

how is this different than a fan blowing over the wood? desiccant does not extract ( draw out) the moisture, just absorbs it quickly after it naturally comes out of the wood, the same as moving air takes away the moisture when it blows over the bowl. Am I missing something? Plus, I have about 15 bowls drying right now. It would take a 55 gallon drum to do all of them.... I have been using a MW on plate-warmer setting (10 minutes each period) and have had good results. This only turns on the MW for about 4 seconds for every 12 seconds off. Without weighing the bowl before and after any drying process, one can not know if all the internal moisture is gone. I turned some walnut burl I thought was dry, and after a few days, my nice smooth shiny waxed surface had spots of ripply surface from shrinkage from drying. Very disappointing... So making sure all the moisture is gone can only be done by weighing. I dry to the point that the next day, it weighs more than the day before. that way I know it is now absorbing moisture from the air and is now dry and will change very little.

[@CoolRiffz]

The rate of diffusion is a function of the difference in concentration. If the air surrounding the bowl is extremely dry, you are maximizing the difference in water concentration between the wood and the air, drawing water out faster

[@almagill]

Well, I'll be.... Guess I'm off to order some silica gel :)

[@hokiepokie333_CicadaMykHyn]

Hope you bought kitty litter!

[@michealg1487]

Did this work Ok?

[@welshnutterz]

I wonder if rice could be used for this, then dry it after? Silica gel in that quantity is very pricey.

[@WastedTalent-]

Kitty litter. There are pure silica cat litters out there for fairly cheap.

[@michealg1487]

Has any one tried This?

[@wadepatton2433]

Time is money. that's the "joy" of this type of drying.

[@xXSniperXx308]

How many pounds is in that bag?

[@slonejc]

dont do that with plum wood because it will crak :) i we tried some other spieces and it works great :)