Drying Bowls - Weight Gain...?

[howlingbaboon]

Hi Guys,
I think I know the answer but thought I'd check anyway in case i'm going mad. Several of my drying bowls (approaching dry) have shown a small gain in weight over the last couple of weeks. I'm guessing it's to do with all this wet weather so they are taking on moisture from the air. Either that or I'm growing some big old mushrooms in those brown bags and will have a surprise when I open them up!

They are bagged with shavings in the rafters of my garage which receives a little airflow as there is a vent at the front and back at the same height.
Is this a common occurrence?

I'm going to have to finish one at some point as they are stacking up!
Dave

[seventhdevil]

yes it's normal.

with the more humid air settling in for the past month or so it's to be expected and simply means that your bowls are dry enough. in early summer i measured some walnut and beech bowls that are all roughly 12" x5" and i weighed them again last week and they have gained 10 grams or so proving to me that they are ready to complete for the customer.

the ones that are dry i would store in the driest place in your house to lose as many extra grams as possible and then finish them.

[Paul Hannaby]

You didn't leave them too close to the chocolates did you? 

[howlingbaboon]

Ok that's good. I've a stack of them now in my living room as that is the warmest place. I take it I don't need to leave them in the shed until they get back to their lowest weight again...?

This cruel patch of ill health is most frustrating as all I can do wait until I'm well enough to start finishing them. I've tried doing away with the lathe and finishing them with my mind by staring at them but it doesn't seem to work, so much for mind over matter! I reckon I've willed some of the red colour back into that first Alder bowl though! Could be onto a new finishing technique here! 

[bodrighywood]

I is surprising just how much difference there is in the atmosphere from one place to another. When I moved from Cornwall to Wiltshire some of the pieces I took with me dried out and split due to the difference.

Pete

[seventhdevil]

Ok that's good. I've a stack of them now in my living room as that is the warmest place. I take it I don't need to leave them in the shed until they get back to their lowest weight again...?

i would not put them back in the shed again as they will immediately start to gain weight.

once my rough turned bowls are semi dry they come into the house and once as dry as they can be they stay somewhere in the house until i get round to finishing them.