Official Luthiers Forum!

Since there is a somewhat related thread open, let's see the detail about one particular scenario.

A while ago I received a set of rosewood which was really wet. Almost dribbling. In the 40-50% of my shop it was really losing water fast. Could literally see it curling across the grain even if the end were well sealed in wax. If I would put the ear on it I could clearly hear it "crackling" continuously. I got a bit scared that it might really crack so I painted it in some shellac and stickered it separated from my other sets.
In about 1 week it lost some 8% of weight. It then felt normal to the touch, gained a nice taptone. No cracks just a very slight rippling across the grain, nothing a couple plane sweeps can't take care of. No potato chipping. Great.

I liked this wood a lot so I ordered another set which came today, of course soaked.
I hear the continuous crackling sound again so I am wondering f it wouldn't be safer to heavily paint it with shellac all over to really slow down the water release. Just trying to make sure it will not crack, it is fabulous wood. For the moment I just wrapped it in some bubble wrap. It is not air tight but definitively not "in the open" either - it has not curled up at all.

S how do you handle green sets?

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Build log

I have gotten a couple sets like that. They may not be wet from being Green as much as being wet from outdoor storage in someplace wet.

I am extremely hesitant to wrap them in anything -- I don't want to see Mold or mildew.... A month in a plastic bag = mildew.

My usual strategy is just to sticker them up and let them dry out in my house on their own. I think they probably need to be fairly free to move as the wood shrinks-- so weighting them with super heavy weights or under a big pile probably isn't a good idea... I really don't want them to split because the wood can't move when it shrinks...

As you said, they come in and they have a tap tone like wet cardboard... Let them dry out a couple months and they tap like plate glass. Amazing.

Thanks

John

Alexadru.
Weight
Sticker
Wait
Time flies, Wood Sings.
DO NOT RUSH.
Coe Franklin

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Exactly, I am actually interested in slowing down the drying process, I really don't want this set to crack or warp, it is magnificent.

I currently stickered it and covered with newspapers.

The funny thing is that the drying noise records quite well. I have a pair of good condensers, placed them touching the wood and I cranked up the gain. You can hear it fine with headphones. In real you can't hear this without putting the ear close to the wood.

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Build log

Just found a relevant page on Allied's website. They recommend some weighing on the pile, and wrapping in a bag for a week.
http://www.alliedlutherie.com/dryingwood.htm

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Build log

Alexandru,
I would get that wood to some place not as dry as your shop. Slow the drying down. The wood sounds too wet to take right into the shop.
I have 3 stages of wood drying places. Outside covered....... inside unheated.........shop. Of course it depends on your climate etc. but that is the general idea. Do you have a place that is a little less dry than the 40% to 50% RH of your shop ?
If not you could paint the ends and sandwich the sides and back pieces respectively between some plywood. Clamp or weigh down. Take out once in a while and rotate. This would slow the water loss and keep things flat. A few months of this might be in order.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.