I don’t was given several small cherry logs that had so many cracks that the only thing I will be able to use them for are small boxes. Most are about 3 by 5 inches. Do I need to seal the end grain considering I will not be turning them soon?
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Seal or not
- Thread starter Barry Holman
- Start date
Barry,
That may depend on how old the log sections are. If not completely dry, sealing the end grain may minimize further cracking. (Large diameter log sections can take years to dry, at which point they are probably useless for turning.)
Log sections of certain cherry trees will sometimes start checking before I get it back to the shop from the other end of the farm. I usually cut up the log into shorter pieces and seal each one immediately with anchor seal, then haul to the shop. I try to cut it up into useful blanks within a few days, seal the end grain, and let the wood dry. (I recently posted a video of how I do this in the tutorials/tips sub-forum.) I don’t turn much wet wood. If you plan to turn it wet, the best advice I’ve heard is don’t take more wood than you can turn in a few days.
Cherry is one that splits easy, but most short logs of almost any species will turn to firewood fairly quickly since the the wood dries more quickly near the end grain and the uneven shrinkage (tangential vs radial) will cause . Keeping it wet will prolong the usefulness. Working in the winter is better.
One way to keep small logs good indefinitely is keep them submerged in water, changing it as needed to keep it clean. This is called “ponding”. Another way is to freeze the wood. (I once did a test with frozen wet blanks and they were still fine after 5 years or so.)
The late great John Jordan said he only turned green wood. He had the whole log delivered and never sealed the end grain. When ready to turn something, he cut 6” off the end, cut his blank, and turned it immediately.
JKJ
That may depend on how old the log sections are. If not completely dry, sealing the end grain may minimize further cracking. (Large diameter log sections can take years to dry, at which point they are probably useless for turning.)
Log sections of certain cherry trees will sometimes start checking before I get it back to the shop from the other end of the farm. I usually cut up the log into shorter pieces and seal each one immediately with anchor seal, then haul to the shop. I try to cut it up into useful blanks within a few days, seal the end grain, and let the wood dry. (I recently posted a video of how I do this in the tutorials/tips sub-forum.) I don’t turn much wet wood. If you plan to turn it wet, the best advice I’ve heard is don’t take more wood than you can turn in a few days.
Cherry is one that splits easy, but most short logs of almost any species will turn to firewood fairly quickly since the the wood dries more quickly near the end grain and the uneven shrinkage (tangential vs radial) will cause . Keeping it wet will prolong the usefulness. Working in the winter is better.
One way to keep small logs good indefinitely is keep them submerged in water, changing it as needed to keep it clean. This is called “ponding”. Another way is to freeze the wood. (I once did a test with frozen wet blanks and they were still fine after 5 years or so.)
The late great John Jordan said he only turned green wood. He had the whole log delivered and never sealed the end grain. When ready to turn something, he cut 6” off the end, cut his blank, and turned it immediately.
JKJ
For boxes, rough turn them ASAP! Tape the lid and base together after rough hollowing. Otherwise, the cracks will run all through the log. This is one I learned from Richard Raffen. I would not bother sealing the log.
robo hippy
robo hippy