Drying Spindle Blanks on a Budget (Shed Setup & Airflow Tips)

Drying wood properly is one of those parts of woodturning that doesn’t get talked about enough, yet it can make or break your finished piece.

You can put a lot of effort into selecting good timber, cutting it well and preparing your blanks, only to have it crack, warp or move because it hasn’t dried correctly.

I've already covered the process of preparing logs in another post, but drying is a separate challenge altogether. Most hobby turners don’t have access to a kiln, and to be honest, you don’t always need one.

What you do need is a bit of patience, decent airflow, and a simple system that works. Good storage and airflow will get you most of the way there, but you still need to know when the wood is actually ready to use. I’ve outlined how I judge that in How to Tell If Wood Is Dry Enough for Turning.

This is how I dry my spindle blanks using a basic shed setup without spending a fortune.

Air drying spindle blanks in a simple shed setup, good airflow and patience are key to getting stable wood.

Why Drying Matters

If wood is too wet, it will move as it dries.

That movement shows up as:

● Cracks

● Warping

● Distortion during turning

● Finished pieces going out of shape later

In practical terms, bowls may distort and rock on their foot, while flat pieces like serving boards can lose their stability.

But even before that happens, wet wood is far more prone to tearing. The fibres don’t cut cleanly, they tend to lift and pull, especially if your tool isn’t perfectly sharp or your technique is slightly off.

Spindle work is often more forgiving than bowls, but you still want your blanks reasonably stable before you start. For items like boxes or pepper mills, lower moisture content becomes much more important.

Good drying isn’t about rushing, it’s about control.

My Shed Setup (Simple but Effective)

I use a basic Barna shed setup to get the drying process started.

Nothing fancy:

● Covered space

● Protection from rain

● Insulation to keep temperature stable

● Shelves that allow air to circulate

● Natural airflow at floor level via oscillating fan

● Air intake and outflow

● Fixed fan at top level

● Optional dehumidifier for day use only

The key thing is that the wood is kept out of direct weather while still being exposed to moving air. A completely sealed space is no good, the wood needs to breathe and moisture needs to escape naturally.

I stack the blanks so that air can get around them easily. Tight stacks slow everything down and can lead to mould or uneven drying.

To help things along, I have a fixed fan positioned in front of a large intake vent above the shed door. This pushes fresh air into the shed roof and across the dead space overhead, where it moves towards smaller vents at the rear.

As the warmer, moist air rises, it’s gradually pushed out through those rear vents, helping to lower the overall moisture level inside the shed.

If the air feels particularly damp a few weeks in, I’ll sometimes prop the door open slightly. This can help move things along, especially when drying wetter species like Beech.

That said, it’s something to be careful with. Beech in particular has a tendency to check if it dries too quickly so I don't leave the door open for too long during the day.

This setup works very well for the initial drying phase, roughly the first three months or so depending on species. If you want to speed up the next stage, I’ve covered that in more detail in my post on building a simple DIY wood drying kiln.

Running Costs & Electricity Use

From a running cost point of view, this setup is very light on electricity.

I keep a small fan running at higher level overnight, and during the day I’ll use an oscillating fan at floor level to keep air moving through the stack. The two are staggered so the motors aren’t running constantly.

After a few weeks, once the initial moisture has started to come out of the wood, I’ll occasionally use a household dehumidifier during the day but only if I feel the relative humidity is very high inside the shed. Even then, it’s only in very short bursts, as dropping the moisture content too quickly can cause problems.

I did try using a dehumidifier in my early testing stage, but found the fans were doing enough on their own with a little bit of patience. Even something as simple as wedging the shed door open slightly can help move moisture out without forcing the process.

Most of the time, the fans on their own are more than enough.

Airflow Is Everything

If there’s one thing that makes a difference, it’s airflow, but it needs to be controlled.

I make sure:

● Blanks aren’t packed tightly together

● There are small gaps between pieces

● Air can move freely around the stack

● The environment inside changes gradually

● The fan isn’t continuously blowing on the same pieces

Even in a damp Irish climate, moving air does a lot of the work for you. I’ll often change the position of the oscillating fan, sometimes at ground level towards the rear, sometimes pointing from the rear towards the front, and occasionally raised on a stool so it reaches different areas of the stack.

Early on, I made the mistake of stacking wood too tightly, around 5mm spacing. It looked neat, but it slowed drying and caused problems later on. Leaving roughly 10mm or more between blanks allows air to circulate properly around each piece.

Now I prioritise airflow over neatness every time, but everything is done slowly and in a controlled way. Opening the door fully for a length ot time, for example, can cause the moisture level in the shed to drop too quickly, which increases the risk of end checking.

Simple timber shelving supports used for stacking spindle blanks and allowing airflow during drying.

What I Use (Keeping It Low Cost)

You don’t need expensive racks or drying systems.

Simple works:

● Insulation Sheets on all internal surfaces

● Shelving with basic supports

● Old timber or pallets will do

● Anything that keeps the blanks off the ground

My setup uses 25mm Xtratherm insulation sheets fixed to the walls and roof using washers and screws. They cost roughly €25 per sheet, and I used about five sheets for my shed.

The shelving is built from rough sawn 2" x 1½" timber, costing around €100 in total, and supported at two points in the middle or each run with vertical members.

It’s nothing complicated, but it’s solid for just drying wood and does the job well. Overall, it’s a fairly inexpensive setup, especially if you already have a Barna shed at home that you don't use. The photos in this post will give you a good idea of how it’s put together.

This is very much a “use what you have” setup rather than buying specialised equipment.

Shelf Width Sizing

I normally cut my spindle blanks in a range of sizes, but they’re often around 18 inches long, coming straight from chainsaw cuts when preparing bowl blanks. Bowl blanks with issues/defects are often repurposed into spindle blanks rather than being wasted.

What I always do is seal the end grain with watered down builders grade glue before going on the shelves. Wood loses moisture much faster through the ends than through the sides, and if left untreated, this can lead to cracks forming very quickly. In fact, moisture can escape up to 10–12 times faster through end grain than side grain.

To help prevent that, I glue or seal the ends to slow down moisture loss and keep the drying more even.

I made my shelves about 9 inches wide so that the sealed ends never sit on the shelf as the glue sets, they overhang slightly. That way they don’t stick, and air can still move freely around them. You can see the glue marks on the blanks in the pictures in this post.

What I Learned the Hard Way

Like most things in woodturning, a lot of this comes from mistakes.

A few things I learned early:

● Poor airflow leads to mould or mildew and slow drying

● End grain will crack if you rush the process

● Moving wood too early can cause distortion

● Damp, stagnant air is your enemy

●  Turn the blanks occasionally so the shelf-facing side can dry evenly

Using this method, you will lose the odd piece to cracking, but that’s all part of the process. In most cases, it’s only the ends that are affected, and once the wood is fully dry, those cracks can be cut away with very little waste.

In reality, the number of blanks that crack is quite low in each shed load, and in my experience, it’s certainly less than what I’ve seen with faster drying methods like kilns.

An added benefit is that the wood keeps its natural colour. It doesn’t darken in the same way it can when exposed to higher temperatures in a kiln.

Once you get the basics right, things become far more predictable.

From Shed to Stable: The Second Drying Stage

After a few months in the shed, I’ll often move spindle blanks to a second location to continue drying.

It’s important not to rush this stage. Wood needs to dry from the inside out, and moving it too soon can lead to case-hardening. That’s where the outer surface dries too quickly while the core remains wet, which can cause the wood to move later when you’re finishing your pieces.

This could be:

● A workshop

● A dry garage

● Or even a room in the house

These spaces tend to have slightly warmer and more stable conditions. That small increase in ambient heat, along with lower humidity, helps the drying process continue at a steadier pace.

Before bringing any wood indoors, it’s always worth checking for insects or signs of infestation. A quick inspection is usually enough, but it’s not something to skip.

I usually give each piece a quick brush over as well. It removes any remaining fine bandsaw dust and makes it easier to spot anything that shouldn’t be there.

In this second stage, I still use stickers (thin strips of wood) to maintain an air gap around each piece so drying continues evenly.

Depending on the species, I’ll sometimes slow things down slightly for the first week or two by loosely covering the wood. I use old garden marquee side panels for this, the frame is long gone, but the polyester material works well for gently controlling the airflow.

The picture below shows one of my dry shelves once the blanks have stabilised. At that point, there’s no need for stickers anymore. Tidy, isn’t it 🙂 It didn’t always look like this though, it was neatly packed at one stage, but as pieces were taken out for turning, things became a bit more mixed.

Spindle blanks moved to a second drying stage in a more stable indoor environment.

Getting to a Usable Moisture Level

If you’re aiming for very dry wood, you can take things a step further.

Once the blanks are down around 10% moisture content or lower, I’ll often cut the wood to slightly above the final size and leave those pieces to sit for another few weeks.

That final stage helps relieve any remaining internal stresses before the finished turning.

Sometimes I’ll go a step further and rough the blank into a round the day before finishing, adding a dovetail for the chuck to grip. If there’s any movement left in the wood, it will show at this stage, which removes any doubt before committing to the final cut.

You’ll notice the difference when turning, the wood behaves better, cuts cleaner, and is far less likely to move afterwards.

At this stage, the wood is already fairly stable; you’re just bringing it closer to where you want it for turning.

How Long Does It Take?

This is the part most people don’t want to hear. It takes time.

In Ireland, with our climate, you’re not going to rush this. A few months in the shed followed by additional time in a drier environment works well for me, but patience is key.

Trying to force the process usually leads to problems.

In my own setup, blanks are typically house dry in around 6 to 8 months. After that, they often sit on the shelves for a while longer. I tend to keep a good stock built up, and cutting them down from full length to slightly above final size helps the drying even further.

That said, drying times will always vary depending on species and conditions. As a rough guide, you might expect blanks to be ready in around 8 to 10 months for something like Ash, and closer to 12 months for Beech. Oak will take much longer again and needs a slower approach at each stage.

Pros and Cons of This Method

Pros:

● Very low cost

● No specialised equipment needed

● Works reliably once you’re patient

Cons:

● Requires a bit of lifting and moving

● Slower than kiln drying

● Depends on your environment

Storing Dried Blanks Ready for Use

I used to store my dried blanks on purpose-built veneered chipboard shelving units on wheels, with hundreds of pieces stacked and ready to finish.

The problem was simple, I couldn’t see beyond the first row or two.

In the end, I switched to Euro container boxes and sorted the blanks into separate boxes, each marked with coloured stickers so I know exactly what’s inside.

The boxes sit on furniture movers I picked up in Lidl, which means I can wheel them wherever I need them. It also makes it easy to move everything occasionally and clear out the dust that inevitably builds up underneath.

While I still can’t see every piece at a glance, it’s far more practical. I can just lift off a couple of boxes, bring them into the workshop, and I’m straight into production.

Dried spindle blanks cut to size and ready to be selected for turning projects.

When to Cut Your Wood

One thing that makes a noticeable difference is when you cut your wood in the first place.

I’ve found that cutting during the winter months, December through to February, works best. The trees are dormant, moisture movement is slower, and you’re starting the process at a more controlled point.

By the time March and April arrive, conditions begin to improve. You get slightly warmer temperatures and, more importantly, better drying breezes. That combination helps move moisture out of the wood naturally without forcing the process.

Starting in winter and letting the wood move into spring drying conditions has worked very well for me over the years.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a high-tech system, but it works.

From drying blanks in a simple shed, to moving them into a more stable environment, and finally storing them ready for use, it’s a straightforward process built around patience rather than equipment.

If you give the wood time, allow for proper airflow and avoid rushing things, you can produce stable, usable spindle blanks without spending money on kilns or complicated setups.

It’s also worth remembering that this part of the process, cutting, preparing and drying the wood, takes months before a piece ever reaches the lathe. That time is often overlooked, but it’s a big part of what goes into handmade work.

I’ve touched on that more in my post on why handmade crafts can seem expensive, and how much time and effort is involved long before the finished piece appears.

I’ve been using this drying approach for quite a while now, and the results have been consistent.

Like most things in woodturning, patience pays off.

Thanks for Reading,

David

About the Author

I’m David Condon, a woodturner and small business owner based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. I’ve been working with wood for most of my life at this stage — 11 years as a carpenter and over a decade running my own woodturning business.

Over the years, I’ve learned that woodturning is as much about patience and problem-solving as it is about tools and technique. I work mainly with Irish hardwoods, teach woodturning full-time, and spend most days learning something new in the workshop myself. On this site, I share the same practical knowledge I pass on to my students, shaped by experience, mistakes, and time spent at the lathe. If you’re interested in learning in person, I offer woodturning lessons in Tralee, with details available on my Woodturning Tuition page.

© David Condon Woodcraft – All Rights Reserved.

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