peppermills

[gear jammer]

I'm going to make salt and peppermills for Christmas presents. I have walnut in 4 and 5 inch logs 18 to 24 inch long. It was sealed and has been setting for a little over a year under cover in a leanto. I can see some checks but not terrible.

Can I use these or should I stay away from using the center of these logs in a peppermill. Would they be more likely to give trouble in the future with cracks and splits.

Thanks

[iclark]

The wood for peppermills needs to be dry before you start boring and turning.

The person that I got my first lathe from had made peppermills for parents out of green purpleheart. They split wide open about the time the presents were opened. The wood shrinks but the mechanisms do not. It never occurred to him that 3x3x12 turning blanks sealed in wax would still be green if Woodcraft (or anyone else) was selling them as turning blanks.

Whole logs sealed at both ends are still going to be pretty green after a year or 2.

The "Got Wood?" folks use a vacuum kiln that can handle 12/4 stock (their replacement kin after the fire a couple of years ago). They often have 3x3x12 kiln dried stock of various woods. FWIW.

[SteveS]

As long as you wait to make the presents for Christmas of 2016 you should be fine.

I would think if you bore out the pith you are less likely to have them check on you, but they would still need to be pretty dry to keep that probability low.

For the log section I have I will generally wait 2-3 years before resawing them into turning blocks or slabs, then wait another year to let them acclimate before sizing them.

[Woodshop]

for this year I suggest you glue up blocks from dry scraps. to me a 5" branch is firewood.

[SDB777]

Woodshop said:

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for this year I suggest you glue up blocks from dry scraps. to me a 5" branch is firewood.

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Like this 5" branch?





OP...
Get the piece to your lathe and rough turn it/bore it under sized. Submerge into a DNA bath, then wrap and allow to dry for about 4weeks. Then re-chuck and turn as necessary.



Scott (firewood....pfft) B

[chips ahoy]

I have done a lot of salt and peppermills. I always buy dry blanks or as was said, do a glue up. Here is a sample.



Mel

[Arlin Eastman]

Paul

If you turn it now to about 3" and let it dry for a few months it might be OK but you would have to see what the moisture content is too. You also might have a few other blanks ready just in case.

You also want to keep the pith out of it since it might crack to.

I am looking forward to seeing how you make it.

Arlin