moisture testing and storing B&W ebony

[Meleagris gallopavo]

So I've heard how big a pain it is drying black & white ebony.  I've recently acquired a blank that the seller didn't guarantee was dry.  It's sealed in wax.  Will it dry while sealed in a thin layer of wax?  I keep my blanks inside and I have a humidity monitor that indicates that my RH stays between 35 and 40.  I'm a little concerned that the low RH may promote rapid drying that leads to cracking but I'm not sure.  My plan is to weigh the blank every 2 weeks or a month until the weight stops dropping before I use it.  I normally buy blanks from folks that I trust on a wood's moisture level but this time I didn't.  Thanks!


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[mastevt]

When I stabilize wood, I have an oven to dry the wood, and I monitor the wieght as I dry it.  When it stops loosing wieght, I bake it an additional 24 hours to dry any sap.  That said, air drying will not get you dry enough to the point needed for stabilizing,  but it will dry down to your respective RH, provided that the whole blank is not sealed.  If your sides are sealed in wax, you may want to boil the blank in water to remove the wax, and reseal just the ends.  You can also use a fan to blow on them to help.  Hope this helps.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

When I stabilize wood, I have an oven to dry the wood, and I monitor the wieght as I dry it.  When it stops loosing wieght, I bake it an additional 24 hours to dry any sap.  That said, air drying will not get you dry enough to the point needed for stabilizing,  but it will dry down to your respective RH, provided that the whole blank is not sealed.  If your sides are sealed in wax, you may want to boil the blank in water to remove the wax, and reseal just the ends.  You can also use a fan to blow on them to help.  Hope this helps.

Thanks.  I thought about removing the wax from the sides and not the ends.  Didn't know I had to boil it though.  I was just planning on scraping it off.


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[mastevt]

When I stabilize wood, I have an oven to dry the wood, and I monitor the wieght as I dry it.  When it stops loosing wieght, I bake it an additional 24 hours to dry any sap.  That said, air drying will not get you dry enough to the point needed for stabilizing,  but it will dry down to your respective RH, provided that the whole blank is not sealed.  If your sides are sealed in wax, you may want to boil the blank in water to remove the wax, and reseal just the ends.  You can also use a fan to blow on them to help.  Hope this helps.

Thanks.  I thought about removing the wax from the sides and not the ends.  Didn't know I had to boil it though.  I was just planning on scraping it off.


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Scrape off what you can, then boil it.  I know it sounds weird, but it's what the experts say to do in the the stabilizing community.

[mmclain]

It's best to just let it sit for a few years.   Buy enough you don't have to rush to turn it.   

[M,Yingling]

i buy 8x8 x 3 in blocks of b w ebony when i get mine its covered in wax i like to just take a razor and scrape the wax from the middle or paint scraper will work  leave the ends plus an 1in  i check them every day for hair line cracks if they are present i will take thin ca and put some in cracks every week i take little more wax of and keep checking i will after a month break them down into the blanks i want and keep checking them and filling any hair line cracks with ca if their wet give it time dont rush it they will crack and their going to want crack 

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Evidently I need to get some CA...


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[gergg]

Evidently I need to get some CA...


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Haha....yeah, can't live without CA. I am always very patient with B&W Ebony, stuff will not behave otherwise.

[Tarheel]

I'm late to the party, but I still wanted to make a comment.  Over 20 years ago, I purchased a blank of B&W ebony sealed in wax. It's been on the shelf in my wood loft over my garage with temperatures in the summer staying in the high 90s to 100 degrees. Any wood I've had in my wood loft for 4-5 years, I considered dry when I decided to use it.  Recently, I sent that blank of B&W ebony to another callmaker to use to make a trumpet call.  To my surprise, when the callmaker checked the moisture content of the B&W ebony blank it registered 11% moisture content.  I can only assume the wax will make a difference holding moisture. 

[M,Yingling]

any piece with wax  is not going to dry or very slow years unlikely ,,, and no matter how dry a piece of wood is it can be kiln dried as soon as u take it out it begin take Relative ambient humidity of where your at