# Salt To Dry Wood?



## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

Do you think you could dry forks in salt? It absorbs moisture and could possibly stop insect from infecting the fork and any that are in the fork I don't think will want to be in there covered in salt. So what you think?


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## Jakerock (Mar 8, 2012)

Interesting!


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

I put forks that need drying quick in a bag of sawdust, a tip Inkspot suggested to me a while back and it works. as far as bug damage, try it


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## Ry-shot (Jul 22, 2011)

just use teh microwave ! i think it would taste rather nice though , my dog would probably steal it . LOL


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## tnflipper52 (Jan 26, 2012)

That's true Ry-shot, my dog would carry it off as she does anything else found on "her" floor. Salt will help dry the wood but also impregnates the wood . It also corrodes metal, so no ferrous laminates could be used.


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## Sst der Kleine Steinschlag (Dec 5, 2011)

always remember salt is a mineral and it will be absorbed by the fork as well as it absorbs the moisture from it. next step it turns solid an thus rock hard, well at least so hard it will damage or turn any good knife dull. this effect may be neglegible when working with a rasp or dremel, but salty wood is no good for knives. good luck!


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## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

I don't mean put salt on the forks I mean put the forks around salt because it absorbs surrounding moisture


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

hmm, how bout rice ? if it can absorb moisture, such as water from your cell phone, how bout wood ?


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

i googled the question, what i could find is that it has no effect on wood whatsoever, salt does not absorb moisture? below is a link telling you how much work it would take to have any effect.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5819714_salt-water-wood-treatment.html


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

This has been discussed before. It is a pretty well-known practice in England to boil a green fork in heavily salted water for a period of 30 to 60 minutes or more, depending on size. I have done it to good effect several times. Just let it dry out for a day or two and have at it.


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## ifix (Jun 11, 2012)

Dayhiker said:


> This has been discussed before. It is a pretty well-known practice in England to boil a green fork in heavily salted water for a period of 30 to 60 minutes or more, depending on size. I have done it to good effect several times. Just let it dry out for a day or two and have at it.


this is getting salt in not water out but it works. you just get salts in the wood which is fine for slingshots. the saline solution needs to be over-saturated. letting it soak in alcohol for 12 hours also works. alcohol is also hygroscopic and it goes in the wood and takes the place of water. it then evaporates much faster than water.

just getting the moisture out of the air will not have much affect, as newconvert mentioned. salt does absorb moisture like most mineral salts but it has a limit after which it becomes saturated and will not absorb anymore. a dehumidifier will work better and a vacuum pump even more. but if you think of laundry. No one would use these methods to dry their laundry. by raising the surrounding temperature by a few degrees you also increase how much moisture the air can hold and this is much easier. heating the wood directly works even faster because here you're forcing water out at greater pressure.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Google osmosis,solute solution.


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## ifix (Jun 11, 2012)

ifix said:


> This has been discussed before. It is a pretty well-known practice in England to boil a green fork in heavily salted water for a period of 30 to 60 minutes or more, depending on size. I have done it to good effect several times. Just let it dry out for a day or two and have at it.


this is getting salt in not water out but it works. 
[/quote]

i meant it is not just getting water out it's also getting salt in.


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## WILD BILL (Jan 26, 2012)

This a great thread. Thanks Mckee.

What if One put their moist forks into a cheese cloth bag and put that bag into a plastic bag full of plain charcoal. Charcoal is a great desiccant.

I had my first try with a microwave and almost ruined a nice fork. I went for several 1 1/2 minute bursts with a cool down in between. I thought it was almost dry, and went for another minute.At about, 45 seconds I began to smell wood burning. I open the microwave and smoke was coming out of a small hole. I grabbed it and submersed it water. The fire went out and the fork became very moist again. I went ahead and finished out the fork. I came to find out that the hole led to a "Void" with in the fork. I filled every thing with CA Glue and then gave it a 24 hour pressurized oil bath. It looks great and seems to be solid.

I need more practice (patience) with the microwave method. My teacher taught me well but I must have become impatient.

Bill


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

WTBJR said:


> This a great thread. Thanks Mckee.
> 
> What if One put their moist forks into a cheese cloth bag and put that bag into a plastic bag full of plain charcoal. Charcoal is a great desiccant.
> 
> ...


30 second bursts, Let it cool.Moisture escapes while cooling.After seven rounds be more aware of dryness. A plastic bag may be useful at this point.( condensation) You can work on other things while doing this process.


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## WILD BILL (Jan 26, 2012)

treefork said:


> This a great thread. Thanks Mckee.
> 
> What if One put their moist forks into a cheese cloth bag and put that bag into a plastic bag full of plain charcoal. Charcoal is a great desiccant.
> 
> ...


30 second bursts, Let it cool.Moisture escapes while cooling.After seven rounds be more aware of dryness. A plastic bag may be useful at this point.( condensation) You can work on other things while doing this process.
[/quote]

I do remember now that my teacher said that he power of the microwave makes a difference of how long the burst are. I should have used 30 seconds

Thanks

Bill.


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## flippinout (Jul 16, 2010)

I overcooked an osage fork yesterday. Now the heartwood is extra brown and gold! Best to err on the side of being undercooked I suppose


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

I like mine medium rare, smothered in mayonnaise

sometimes i band them up and shoot em


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## ifix (Jun 11, 2012)

crispy charcoal. still smoking.


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## tnflipper52 (Jan 26, 2012)

Yep, that hot dog is a little crisp.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

When you can stick a fork in it, its done! L.O.L


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

back on topic though



mckee said:


> I don't mean put salt on the forks I mean put the forks around salt because it absorbs surrounding moisture


what might really work is those little silica bags that come in trainer boxes and other stuff, you know what i mean? if you could get your hands on a few of those and put em in a sealable bag with the fork then that might just work


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Well if sticking descants in a bag with a green forks works ... please let us know, and how long it takes to really dry the fork. On intuition, I'm thinking it isn't worth the effort if what you are doing is trying to speed up the process. I think it will speed it up, but by how much...?


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## WILD BILL (Jan 26, 2012)

akmslingshots said:


> I don't mean put salt on the forks I mean put the forks around salt because it absorbs surrounding moisture


what might really work is those little silica bags that come in trainer boxes and other stuff, you know what i mean? if you could get your hands on a few of those and put em in a sealable bag with the fork then that might just work
[/quote]

I have used full bags of charcoal in a box placed under a house to help with moisture. I suppose I could test the charcoal theory by weighing the forks, wrapping it in cheese cloth and placing into the charcoal then after a while take it out and weigh again.

It would be better Andy, if one could get a hold of a bunch of silica, desiccant bags.

BTW Andy.how is the knee doing?


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

Dayhiker said:


> Well if sticking descants in a bag with a green forks works ... please let us know, and how long it takes to really dry the fork. On intuition, I'm thinking it isn't worth the effort if what you are doing is trying to speed up the process. I think it will speed it up, but by how much...?


I reckon the only way to find out would be to spend big $$ on a moister meter


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

this all seems like a huge amount off effort











WTBJR said:


> BTW Andy.how is the knee doing?


internally bruised lol, improving though thanks Bill


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

you could also try sticking the forks in a box of dry rice.

rice is often used in tablesalt shakers in restaurants to keep the salt from clumping together.

so it stands to reason that rice should be more hygroscopic then salt.

good luck, please keep us posted on results


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Yes. I've used rice to dry out my cellphone when it was submerged in water. Placed phone in a zip lock bag of INSTANT rice for 24 hours. It worked. Drew the moisture out of the phone. I know it would take considerably longer for a green fork and would require a rice change out in between. INTERESTING!


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

maybe wrap the ends of the fork with latex strip (as if to tie on bands) and the end of the handle too, to prevent cracking.

then give it some 20-30 sec bursts in the microwave, let cool, put in a shoebox full of rice for a few days?

wadda u think guys?


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## Jim Williams (Jul 6, 2011)

Ry-shot said:


> just use teh microwave ! i think it would taste rather nice though , my dog would probably steal it . LOL


I don't recommend using a microwave to dry forks, it's very easy to blow your microwave up doing it that way. As I found out


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## funk3ymunky (May 14, 2012)

Ye that's what I'm worried about is blowing up my microwave, I might try that silicone bag thing that akm said about


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## WILD BILL (Jan 26, 2012)

Jim Williams said:


> just use teh microwave ! i think it would taste rather nice though , my dog would probably steal it . LOL


I don't recommend using a microwave to dry forks, it's very easy to blow your microwave up doing it that way. As I found out








[/quote]

Why do you suppose it messes with the microwave?

Bill


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

I've often thought about trying kitty litter to dry forks but have never got around to it, I generally use the micro, short bursts, let it cool between, done dozens that way...during the summer if I'm not in a hurry I toss them in the trunk of my car for a few weeks.


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## filipino_saltik (Oct 7, 2011)

boiling / jaming in to a microwave/ oven dryed... hmmmm how about frying i tink it can get moisture out very well and plus if the oil gets in additional protection to the wood wat u tink guys


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## ifix (Jun 11, 2012)

filipino_saltik said:


> boiling / jaming in to a microwave/ oven dryed... hmmmm how about frying i tink it can get moisture out very well and plus if the oil gets in additional protection to the wood wat u tink guys


if you dip it in tempura batter first (as a shield from the oil).... deep fried or pan fried?

it will not work buddy. test it on some wet socks.


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