Does anyone know how dry a stock blank should be before it is inletted and finished?

Is drier always better, or could a blank be too dry?

You need a good moisture meter. We are curing to 8 percent. They will rehydrate a certain amount when exposed to our soggy Washington State NW coastal humidity, up to about 11-13 percent. Ideal would be to live in Nevada! Green woods are up to 50 percent or more, depends on the wood, where it is from, where and how it is stored, and ambient humidity. Left too long without being properly cured, the wood will check badly. Some blanks we have measured (from others) run from about 9 to 14 percent.

[This message has been edited by John Ricks (edited 08-10-2001).]

500grains,
Here in Utah, walnut will come to an equalibrium content of about 6-7 persent. If I buy a blank from the west coast I like to let it get close to this before I start cutting on it. If the differents is to to great you will not only get shrinkage but probably checks and cracks. Keep the end grain sealed (including crouch figure, etc until the wood has nornalized.

A follow up question, since I happen to have a couple of walnut trees in my garden, that may outgrow their allotted space any time now :-) : How long should you let a piece of wood mature, before you start working on it?

Balou,
Were you referring to the stock blank, or the tree ?

Balou,
Keep in mind that a mature walnut tree from Europe should bring in the vicinity of $60 to $75,000 US if properly harvested....you might want to seek some professional assistence...

In southern Idaho I wait for 6 or 7 percent. Actually most of my wood has been around here for 20 years or I buy it that old to start with....If you turn wood you should turn it half way, wait 3 months and then finish turning it...

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com