# Drying wood - microwave vs convection oven



## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I'm trying to dry a turning blank. I've been nuking it in the microwave a minute at a time, but I wondered about doing it in the regular oven. I have an electric convection oven that can be set to 125 degrees. The convection makes for very even heat and air circulation. Seems leaving the blank in the convection oven for a few hours (or all day?) might be better than nuking it. I mean, isn't that what a kiln does? Any thoughts on that?


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## DonAlexander (Apr 12, 2012)

Quickstep, Try it and let us know how it works. A proper kiln both heats the wood and circulates air to take humidity away. There's also time and temperature cycles that the wood goes through and if I recall correctly, sometimes they ADD humidity. Moisture is wood is a complicated subject. My only question, not necessarily a concern, but in a convection oven is the air circulated or recirculated? I the heat drives the moisture out and the moist air is recirculated you may find the process is a tad slower than you'd expect. Also, in a kiln there's a time-temperature relationship that kills insects and if this is part of your intent you might research that aspect a bit.

Don


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

My understanding of kiln drying is they regulate moisture in the air, keeping it high at first and slowly reducing it over time. The idea is to allow the moisture in wood time to redistribute throughout the wood as it dries slowly from the outside in. 
I think a convection oven would cause quick cracking unless you put the blank in a roasting bag or some other container that would allow you to let moisture out periodically. Just my guess. Let us know.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

A microwave oven 'heats' by exciting water molecules, so once the moisture is driven from the blank you run the risk of damaging your microwave because there's very little left in there to absorb what the magnetron is putting out. Place a cup of water in there with the blank so the microwaves can be absorbed just to be certain. That might actually help by not drying the blank out too quickly.


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