Drying blanks - do you use wax emulsions?

[PAC]

Just bought a chainsaw and was considering cutting a few blanks from some fresh logs this weekend. I'll turn some green and dry them in the microwave. I would also like to try allowing some blanks to dry slowly and then turn them in a few months/years time. I was wondering what everyone uses to seal the end grain (or even the whole blank) whilst the blanks are drying. A lot of Americans seem to use a wax emulsion but it doesn't seem to be readily available over here in the UK.

Any suggestions?

 

[cornucopia]

my method is to either
1.turn green
2.rough out
or leave them in the log for a few years then cut some boards sticker them and leave them that way for a few years.

i tend to do method 1 & 2 as io havent got the space and time for air drying.
its rare for me to seal wood but if i do seal any wood i use dulux trade weathershield exterior flexible undercoat, its expensive but it works brillantly.

 

[CHJ]

Paul, I seal most of my green/wet/part dried wood with cheap candle wax(molten). If I run out of wax, old gloss paint.

I treat the ends of anything in whole or split log form, or slabs and all the periphery of rounds (as per commercial blanks) be they slabbed first or just split half logs.

If I round up a square slab that's partially dried I re-seal it straight away.

 

[PAC]

Thanks for the quick reply, Cornucopia! Do you usually just leave your green/rough turned pieces to air dry without any seal? If so, do you leave them covered, outside or in a shed/garage, wrapped in paper etc.? What kind of failure rate do you get due to splitting (if any)? Can only thin walled turnings be treated like this or does it work for chunkier table lamps etc.? Sorry for the questions...

 

[PAC]

Paul, I seal most of my green/wet/part dried wood with cheap candle wax(molten). If I run out of wax, old gloss paint.

I treat the ends of anything in whole or split log form, or slabs and all the periphery of rounds (as per commercial blanks) be they slabbed first or just split half logs.

If I round up a square slab that's partially dried I re-seal it straight away.

Hi, what about green turned pieces? If I wanted to part turn a bowl from green timber, what's the best way to dry it for a few months before re-mounting it (would you cover the whole thing in wax or just wrap it in paper and let it sit for 6 months)?

 

[PowerTool]

Chestnuts End Seal is a wax emulsion - often use it,couple of coats on the endgrain of freshly cut timber,and leave on racks for a year or two (keep it off the ground,still have air circulation,and out of direct sunlight)

Andrew

 

[PAC]

Chestnuts End Seal is a wax emulsion - often use it,couple of coats on the endgrain of freshly cut timber,and leave on racks for a year or two (keep it off the ground,still have air circulation,and out of direct sunlight)

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Is your freshly cut timber in log form or bowl blanks etc.? Do you use this on green, part turned items too?

 

[CHJ]

Hi, what about green turned pieces? If I wanted to part turn a bowl from green timber, what's the best way to dry it for a few months before re-mounting it (would you cover the whole thing in wax or just wrap it in paper and let it sit for 6 months)?

Some people just put them on a rack and forget about them for a few weeks/months, a lot depends on the humidity levels in your storage area and the associated risk (speedy drying) of splitting.

I personally find that I get them down to below 10% in about 3 weeks, any drier and they become a pain to turn (hard).

If drying quickly it is a good idea to cover the outside of the bowl with several layers of newspaper or thick brown paper to slow the outer surface drying in relation to the centre.

This is par for the course for the way I work.

But as Cornucopia indicated methods vary widely between turners, each picking one that suits their way of working and wood type preferences.

 

[PAC]

This is par for the course for the way I work.

Great, thanks for the link, Chas. Microwave drying works but is a bit of a hassle. I like the idea of wrapping the bowls and forgetting about them for while. I'll give it a go.

PS I'm really enjoying looking at your gallery, Chas! 8)

 

[cornucopia]

i store all my green wood like this

i do this partly to promote spalting but mainly to keep the wood as green as possible for as long as possible.
I get hardly any splitting in my logs, and i do not seal any of them. if i go to collect wood and have to cut it on site to be able to transport it home i cut it into over size lumps- i do seal these with undercoat aswell as covering them with blankets etc.
when i turn vessels from green wood i rarely get one split, but i have been praticing for a few years!! when i first started i had about 1/2 of my work split .
if i want a concentric bowl, i rough them out seal the end grain date them and leave them on the workshop floor for a few days, then they go in an outside store for a few weeks then into my house for a few more weeks before finally returning to the lathe to be finished.

the main thing to bear in mind with storing wood is to avoid direct sun and to reduce airflow.
the main thing when turning green wood is to avoid the pith and reduce airflow in the first few days in your home.

hope this helps
george

 

[PAC]

Thanks George. Lots of info to keep me going there. I'm going to start turning my yew supply over the next few days/weeks so I'll be making good use of your advice. Thanks again...

 

[duncanh]

I seal the ends of any logs that I leave whole and any that I split. I use the cheapest white PVA glue.
The occasional log splits but most survive.

When I wet turn I turn thin (sometimes down to 2/3mm, sometimes 5mm) to finished size and then leave for a week or so in the workshop before bringing inside. Most survive without splitting.

I've tried microwaving a couple of times without much success and I've done a little bit of part turning but I don't really have logs big enough most of the time

Duncan

 

[big soft moose]

Thanks George. Lots of info to keep me going there. I'm going to start turning my yew supply over the next few days/weeks so I'll be making good use of your advice. Thanks again...

make sure you save some time / space for the cherry - and the walnut

btw in my experience once you have ripped down the middle there is much less cracking (so long as they are left outside) as you have released a lot of the tension.

but i'm with george i largely roughout, wax all over, and leave to season , weighing each month to assess water content

 

[Derek Willis.]

Try sealing with acrylic varnish of any sort, I currently use an acrylic satin finish of which I have plenty.
Derek.