Australian hardwoods are some of the most beautiful timbers found anywhere. Due to difficulty in drying large section blanks, the various species are usually offered as waxed green blanks. With careful handling a turner can produce a beautiful piece of work.

Some of the timbers, especially the inland species, such as supplejack and mallee, are hard and dense, requiring chisels to be kept sharp. Some species, such as ironwood take up silica and will quickly dull a chisel.

In common with most green turning timbers from anywhere else, checking and distortion can be a problem. Eucalypts are also prone to severe collapse and honey combing, if not handled correctly. These destructive elements happen, not because of a fault in the wood, but for the simple and singular reason that the wood has dried too quickly. The wax seal slows drying, and once removed, there is nothing to slow water loss.

If you live in Utah, or any other hot location, don't expect a bowl left sitting on a chuck to survive, till you have time to finish it. If you are going to leave it, cover it in a damp towel.

There are a number of green turning methods, including microwave drying, PEG (polyethylene glycol), boiling and regular kiln drying.


Green Turning

The usual and simplest method of turning will produce a finished item in about a month to six weeks.

Part turn the bowl to about one inch thick. Put the part turned item into a perforated plastic bag in a cool environment. If you have time, record the initial weight, and when no more weight loss is evident, the bowl can be assumed to be dry, relative to its environment. This can take up to six weeks. The additional thickness will allow distortion or splitting to be turned off.

Uneven wall thickness can cause dramatic distortion, due to uneven drying rate. It is up to the turners own skill to ensure even wall thickness. If you do not own callipers, a piece of wire with a twisted loop at one end to give tension, with curved inwards ends set at the desired thickness, will be a quick alternative.

Kiln Drying

Regular heat pump driers are available in hobby sizes but some local turners have made a workable kiln using an old refrigerator case as the insulator chamber.

This works by placing a low wattage light bulb (20w) into the case as a heat source. Small personal fans are used to supply air flow, and small holes drilled in the top to vent water vapour.

It takes a bit of fine tuning to get the best resultsbut dry items are produced in about two to three weeks. It will get very hot, so careful monitoring is required. Do not place items close to bulb. More sophisticated units have thermostats fitted.

There is the obvious fire risk with this method, so care and discretion are paramount.