Drying wood - yet another question !!

[OldWood]

I've seen a comment somewhere recently that if the pith of the timber is removed by splitting and removing it, that inhibits (or reduces?) cracking.

I get hardwood logs for the fire and some of them look interesting, particularly bits that have come from crotches, and have been split along the grain. The wood isn't really dry enough for turning, but do I need to seal the ends of such bits while allowing them to dry further?

Rob

 

[CHJ]

Yes, just seal the endgrain, leave any bark on.

Basically you are trying to encourage moisture loss at an even rate all round.

Keep the logs at least one third longer than diameter if possible, then any slight end splits that form before you can improve the seal hopefully won't encroach on the turning blank portion.

 

[OldWood]

Thanks Chas

The one third longer bit is, for these wood chunks anyway, predetermined by the fire log supplier, but it is a good guideline.

Rob

 

[Bodrighy]

Crotches don't need to be dry to turn in fact I find them easy when wet. By definition a crotch will be split along the pith usually and the wood is easy to work when wet.

This is laburnum which is notorious for splitting and was turned wet a year ago and is still stable



Pete

 

[dickm]

Just spent the morning grubbing out a biggish laburnum stump for someone (and discovering how unfit I am ). Any particular things to look out for in drying the underground bit where the roots come off? (There's about 2 feet of 12" diameter trunk still attached)

 

[mark sanger]

Hi

It is worth looking at rough turning green/unseasoned wood. You do not need to concern yourself with how seasoned or wet it is as as John Jordan says/words to the effect of "There are two types of wood seasoned and unseasoned" there is nothing in between.

Roughing out wood reduces by a huge amount the time before the item can be finished and is fully seasoned.

Nearly all logs if left too short will split in the shape of a fan with the split being around 8% of the dia of the log. Very difficult if not impossible to stop this.

Generally I leave my logs in the maximum length that I can carry. I do not bother to seal the ends as generally I process them within a few weeks of getting the wood.

Even if the log does not look cracked on the ends I still cut of 6 inches as there may be fine shakes that radiate into the wood that can not be seen,

These then later turn into cracks.



To rough out a bowl

Split the log down the centre lengthways, place the sawn face in a face plate or similar string holding method.

Turn the bowl so that the wall thickness is 10-15% of the diameter of the diameter of the bowl. This needs to be all the way down the wall and consistent into the base. You will obviously have the spigot to deal with but concave the base of this slightly to take into account the thickness of the spigot.

Season slowly in a draft free place while keeping it in a plastic back. Turn the bag inside out every two or three days until you do not feel any condensation on the inside wall of the bag., Then leave the bag open at the top for a month. After this take the bowl out and leave in a draft free place for a few months.

You can weigh it if you like and when the weight stabilises take it into your home to fully season/settle. After a week it will be fine to finish turn it.

Hope this helps.