# Fire in the oven



## Joebobber (Sep 18, 2020)

So I bought a little ponderosa pine burl and cut it up.  I took 1 blank and turned a slimline right away out of some small leftovers.  The rest went into the oven to dry out so I could stabalize them.  I was turning a few pens when my wife came in and said it was really smoky.  I hadn't noticed because I was in the "zone".  She looked over where the oven is and screamed as flames were quite visible.   I ended up turning 1 of the burnt ones to see how they would look.  We figure the temperature control malfunctioned, as it had only been maybe 15 minutes at 150 degrees.


----------



## mark james (Sep 18, 2020)

Very nice pens...  I hope they sell well to pay for a new stove, marriage counseling, a bigger dog house      !

Oh, I've been down this road...


----------



## 1080Wayne (Sep 18, 2020)

150 degrees is plenty hot enough if some sap from the wood drips directly onto the element . Always have the wood on a metal cookie sheet or container when oven drying .


----------



## robutacion (Sep 18, 2020)

Roasted wood...! I've been there, done that...!  

Cheers
George


----------



## RicklesssS (Sep 19, 2020)

Well...."they're dry"!
Nice looks king pens.


----------



## CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI (Sep 19, 2020)

Happy to know everyone is safe.  
An alternative, but slower method is drying blanks in a food dehydrator.  Many years ago I was allowed to cut some limb wood from a surviving mature American Chestnut that was felled for a building addition.  The trunk was going to be used for some furniture in the new building.  My old and slow dehydrator did a very satisfactory job.  The only thing other than turning on the dehydrator was to rotate the blanks 1/4 turn each day in the drying process.  Also used the same process with some beautiful  green spalted apple that I was given.  The results were well worth the wait.


----------



## Dehn0045 (Sep 19, 2020)

I've used the food dehydrator method also.  It will get you down to about 3% MC (based on my measurements).  Less risk of the roasted effect, but I think that added a nice design element in your case


----------



## tomtedesco (Sep 19, 2020)

Thanks a lot!  Now I will be looking thru ash in fire pits to find more pen blanks.  ( I like what you did)


----------



## Joebobber (Sep 19, 2020)

I really like that dehydrator idea.  Thank you I think I will do that.  Thanks!


----------



## MPVic (Sep 19, 2020)

Joebobber said:


> So I bought a little ponderosa pine burl and cut it up.  I took 1 blank and turned a slimline right away out of some small leftovers.  The rest went into the oven to dry out so I could stabalize them.  I was turning a few pens when my wife came in and said it was really smoky.  I hadn't noticed because I was in the "zone".  She looked over where the oven is and screamed as flames were quite visible.   I ended up turning 1 of the burnt ones to see how they would look.  We figure the temperature control malfunctioned, as it had only been maybe 15 minutes at 150 degrees.


So, tell me Joe, who put out the fire??????  Bet you owe the missus a new stove!!!!


----------



## howsitwork (Sep 19, 2020)

So a new line in flambe pens perhaps.

Going to take a while to live that one down


----------



## Joebobber (Sep 19, 2020)

MPVic said:


> So, tell me Joe, who put out the fire??????  Bet you owe the missus a new stove!!!!


Well my wife just stood there in shock so I had to walk her through putting it out.  It's hard for me to get around and she's pretty spry yet.


----------



## Mike P (Sep 19, 2020)

I feel bad saying it but that "toasted" pen looks really good!


----------



## Joebobber (Sep 20, 2020)

Mike P said:


> I feel bad saying it but that "toasted" pen looks really good!


I think it does too!  Really brought out the color.  The black parts still show grain and are just black, not charcoal.  It's kind of neat.


----------



## MPVic (Sep 20, 2020)

Joebobber said:


> I think it does too!  Really brought out the color.  The black parts still show grain and are just black, not charcoal.  It's kind of neat.


Definitely a "Phoenix".


----------



## Gary Beasley (Sep 20, 2020)

Thermally processed wood is a product being made and sold for its bug proof and weather resistant properties. From what I can tell they are only using a few species of wood. No reason other species couldnt be done this way, you just found a diy way that needs a lot of refinement to avoid the flames.


----------



## Alchemist (Sep 24, 2020)

Happy accident!


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


----------



## TellicoTurning (Oct 14, 2020)

I don't use the oven... too far from the shop and don't have a dehydrator ...  I have an old Montgomery Wards microwave in my shop that I use to dry wood.... I now just run 3 minute cycles, let the wood cool between cycles and repeat until I reach the moisture content I want....
I can put a 12 inch bowl by about 6 inches high in the MW.

I did put some pen blanks in it when I first got it and forgot they were there and they caught fire, from the inside out.... made a mess in the MW and the wood smoke was enough to be kinda choking.... that's when I learned to reduce the cycles to 3 minutes. 

Would not recommend using the kitchen microwave.... Mama might not approve.


----------



## leehljp (Oct 14, 2020)

Heat to a certain temp is the way to "cook" sap to prevent it from dripping or weeping from pine boards. I forget what temp is needed but it seems like 120° for a short while.

Heat is a good way to get a different and good tone color on different woods; It kills bugs in the wood; And when heated or fired to black on the outside, it becomes a termite repellent!


----------

