What happens when you bake wood cookies wrapped in foil?

These two pieces of wood are going into the oven for several hours because I was curious what would happen, and now you're probably wondering too. I'm using white oak for this experiment, freshly cut from a dead tree. White oak has a closed-grain structure, unlike red oak which has more open pores. The closed pores make white oak more durable for outdoor projects, and for indoor projects where it might get wet, like cutting boards.

Freshly cut wood generally needs one year to air dry for every inch of thickness. Baking in the oven is not a good way to dry wood faster because it will dry the surface too quickly and crack, but I was curious how quickly the wood would dry despite the cracking. End grain tends to move moisture at a much faster rate than edge grain, so I was expecting for the unwrapped piece of wood to dry out more than it did.

If you want to learn more about baking wood in the oven, or sawing your own lumber, check out these two playlists:

Mill your own lumber to save money and build more awesome stuff
   • Mill Your Own Lumber  

Thermally modified wood for woodworking:
   • Thermally modified wood  

If you're looking for a moisture meter, this is the one I use in the video:
General pinless moisture meter: https://amzn.to/3hnlYvC

This video is not sponsored. I paid for everything and used my own time. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission if you use the Amazon links to make a purchase.