Microwave trick!

[Canuck]

This little trick can come in handy if you've glued a block in the wrong way or if a puzzle ends up too tight or loose, a quick zap in the microwave will loosen the glue and repositioning is easily accomplished...keep in mind that you can easily burn wood as well so best to keep the times under 5 second intervals just to be safe

[STP]

Some engineered wood factories use microwave curing for their products too - which is a counter example of what John suggested.

I have used the microwave trick on the Pennyhedron puzzles, and it works great.  The microwave excites the water molecules in the glue and the moisture in the wood and creates a pretty strong bond.  It also loosens up the glue joint for a bit, so under even pressure from all around it lets the pieces all find their "home" for a really tight fit.

Microwaving time is a trick - all I can say is experiment and see what works for the size object you are gluing.  Start with short times and work your way up until you get good results (snug fitting, not cooked wood).  Oh, and if you use a gluing jig to hold the pieces together while microwaving, just make sure you don't use any metal fasteners in the jig (does that sound like experience speaking?  nah...)

Let us know what other uses a microwave has too - curious to hear what you woodturners might use one for (besides warming up day-old coffee, I do that too)!

Good topic, thanks John!

[Canuck]

Way to open the topic for the 'turners', I frequently hear some mention drying wood in the microwave...but maybe someone will chime in, I've never done it, anyone???

[VisExp]

a quick zap in the microwave will loosen the glue and repositioning is easily accomplished...

Are you talking about wood glue John, like Titebond II?

[Canuck]

Yeah, sorry about that Keith, I should have clarified that, Yellow carpenters glue is pretty much the only glue we use for puzzles, only in special circumstances will we use anything else...

[Chinnomotto]

zzzz  Hi Scott, I have used the microwave at work, ofcourse,  for drying wood

I have an old Cypress tree in front of the house, and had this freshly cut 8 inch diameter stem.( Cypress has a habit of multicracking and splitting length wise when you naturally air dry it for 8 months)

Decides to make 2 saturn sphere boxes with  rings. I half turn both halves,making the thickness about 6 to 8  mm, including the ring Weight it, then microwave about 1 minute intervals till it gets hot and smelly ,let it cool for 2 hours and cook again. It took 3 days  and 10 cooks to get it to 1/2 weight, which it stabilises. Glass of water inside for safety, Then I finish the turnings

That was 2 years ago, Checked them tonight and the fit is still good and the rings are still visually level 3.5 mm thick.
No cracks anywhere except where the natural incursions  were already there during the turnings initially

Surprisingly big cracks are still turnable, fast speed, dead set sharp tools, running the bevel, and lastly lots of praying helps.
Most times you fluke them

 Enjoy the pics, Dang!, I'll let John post the pics

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[Canuck]

Okay, let me clarify one thing here, when chinny mentions at work....he's talking about his DENTAL OFFICE !!!!!!!!!!
I'm not kidding! He sent me a pic of a thickness sander he keeps in the store room of his Dental practice