How to shrink wood?

[ianab]

Another vote for the "put it in a dry place and wait" option.

If it's gained moisture from the air and moved (which is certainly possible), then allowing it to loose that moisture again should move it back to the original size.

Wood will always gain or loose moisture to be in equilibrium with humidity of the air around it. The only thing you can change about that is how fast it happens. Now temperature, airflow, finishes and thickness of the wood affect how fast it changes. But it will still end up in the same place.

The suggestions of a warm oven / box and hair dryer are going to speed the process because warmth and air flow speed up the process. But you risk damaging something else with uneven drying. So unless your car keys or heart medicine are stuck in there, I'd go with the patience approach and give it a couple of weeks in a warm dry spot.

[Steve N]

Freeze it, if you want it quick. A freeze will remove moisture quickly, it's why they get all iced up, and also why your ice cubes turn to nothing if you don't use them quick enough. Dehydration, and cold together will have the drawer out pretty fast. Wood can freeze and thaw without destruction, happens all the time in nature.

Don't need it quick, put it back where you made it, it will return to it's "norm" it may take several months, keep in mind we are moving to warmer weather, much of the country becomes more humid now, this time of year wood expands. Winter it contracts, ohhh there is that darn freezer again

[JSpill]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. The box shall be banished to the basement until the basement warms up when winter ends. It should see the light of day by July 4th.

[toolmiser]

Make sure your basement is really drier than where you have it tough.

[ianab]

toolmiser said:

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Make sure your basement is really drier than where you have it tough.

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An Attic space is often the warmest and driest place in a house, so that may be a good option too.

[MichaelMouse]

Steve N said:

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Freeze it, if you want it quick. A freeze will remove moisture quickly, it's why they get all iced up, and also why your ice cubes turn to nothing if you don't use them quick enough. Dehydration, and cold together will have the drawer out pretty fast. Wood can freeze and thaw without destruction, happens all the time in nature.

Don't need it quick, put it back where you made it, it will return to it's "norm" it may take several months, keep in mind we are moving to warmer weather, much of the country becomes more humid now, this time of year wood expands. Winter it contracts, ohhh there is that darn freezer again

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Cold air has higher relative humidity than warmer air with the same absolute humidity. Wood responds to relative humidity, so those who advise lowering it by warming are correct.

Your freezer warms air periodically to lower the RH, and by exhausting the warmer, AH. That's how it stays frost-free.

Wood doesn't freeze. Unbound water in the lumens may. Where trees are exposed to alternate sun warming and freezing on the south side, the cambium may die and shed their bark. Extremely common hardwood malady up here.

[ianab]

While ice cubes will sublimate and "vanish", it's a slow process.

Which disappears faster?
Ice cubes in the freezer or Ice cubes set out in the sun on a warm breezy day?

The warm / air flow ones will be gone by lunch time.

Either way things have reached equilibrium, just how long it took is different.

[Steve N]

MichaelMouse said:

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[blockquote]Steve N said:

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Freeze it, if you want it quick. A freeze will remove moisture quickly, it's why they get all iced up, and also why your ice cubes turn to nothing if you don't use them quick enough. Dehydration, and cold together will have the drawer out pretty fast. Wood can freeze and thaw without destruction, happens all the time in nature.

Don't need it quick, put it back where you made it, it will return to it's "norm" it may take several months, keep in mind we are moving to warmer weather, much of the country becomes more humid now, this time of year wood expands. Winter it contracts, ohhh there is that darn freezer again

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Cold air has higher relative humidity than warmer air with the same absolute humidity. Wood responds to relative humidity, so those who advise lowering it by warming are correct.

Your freezer warms air periodically to lower the RH, and by exhausting the warmer, AH. That's how it stays frost-free.

Wood doesn't freeze. Unbound water in the lumens may. Where trees are exposed to alternate sun warming and freezing on the south side, the cambium may die and shed their bark. Extremely common hardwood malady up here.

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[/blockquote]


MM said blah blah blah. If he tried it, he would almost immediately report the drawer open, and no damage done. Save your science talk for someone who hasn't already been to this rodeo. I don't GARA if it shouldn't work, it does, and that is all I was passing along.

[Pink Floyd]

Steve N said:

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I don't GARA if it shouldn't work, it does, and that is all I was passing along.

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Perhaps it's contraction from being in the freezer. It's certainly worth a try and beats waiting weeks for the wood to acclimate to a dryer environment. The only issue might be re-inserting the drawer until the wood dries some more.

[Steve N]

A guy a lot smarter than I said it pulled the water from the woods cells. Less water, skinnier wood. First time I did it was on a Japanese box Mom got from a Doctor she worked with. Summer and it just would not open. My Uncle told me to throw it in the freezer for a few hours to see what happened. It ended up being overnight, but the next morning the drawer slid right out, I was able to plane it down a bit, and all was good. I have since had occasion to use it on other pieces. It has always worked.