How to Season A slice from a Beech Stump?

[user 34822]

Good morning all,

I have had a mature Beech tree felled this week and have stunning slice from the stump that I would like to season to stop it cracking if possible:

It is 1.6m x1.2m.

Any advice on preserving its integrity while drying out would be appreciated - I have never had much luck with Beech, even waxing the end grain on decent sixed blocks did not work well for me.

Many thanks!

Dave

 

[thetyreman]

with respect you're not going to stop wood from cracking, I haven't been able to stop it, I use cheap aldi chalk paint on the end grain, so either that or parrafin wax is all you can do, I'm not sure it's possible to completely eliminate the shakes and cracks.

 

[Droogs]

I would put it in the shade in an open bin bag and just check once a month and flip the bag inside out to help prevent mould. You will definitely get radial splits but wouldn't worry. If turning into a table I would be prepared to do some fret saw work in the splits to get it back together when ready to work it. Should make a beautiful top

 

[D_W]

Only cutting the center out would stop the radial checking.

 

[Mike Jordan]

This question of drying slices comes up frequently, I think it's very tricky to get the desired result. The shrinkage along the growth rings in most species is much greater than that across the rings, so tapered cracks normally appear radially with the wider end at the outside. I have seen it suggested that sealing with paint or varnish to slow moisture loss and taking the drying very slowly will prevent the cracking. I'm wondering if a cut across the piece from about 7 o'clock to 1 o'clock and sealing would ease the stresses and prevent cracking with the halves glued back together after drying and straightening the joining edges. If you can dry it successfully it would look spectacular !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's going to crack, so put a "crack" where you think it'll look best. Just one cut from somewhere on the outside into the pith and you shouldn't get multiple shakes. You could infil the crack when seasoned with a contrasting colour. It's not a flaw, it's a design opportunity.

 

[user 34822]

Many thanks everyone, kind of what I expected, but worth asking in case someone had found a magic solution for splitting.

I have a log store that allows the wind through, but minimises rain entry, so will put it in there for now, possibly with cut logs stacked on either side to slow the drying process and see how it looks in the spring. I also like Mikes suggestion of cutting it to release the stresses in the wood - that makes good sense. I suspect it will need to dry quite a bit before I could paint anything on to seal it as the wood is seriously wet with sap this time of year. I actually have three of these slices, this one being the most impressive shape, but it gives me the opportunity to try a few different seasoning methods.

Once again, many thanks for taking the time to post your advice, I will report back next year!!

Dave

 

[Sheffield Tony]

A slice that thin I would expect to have started to crack already by the time you read the answers.

Those sort of slices are almost useless IMHO. The short grain has little strength, unless you have a very thick top-heavy table. There is a reason you don't see furniture made from cross-grain slices. It isn't that no-one has thought of it yet !

 

[user 34822]

Those sort of slices are almost useless IMHO. The short grain has little strength, unless you have a very thick top-heavy table. There is a reason you don't see furniture made from cross-grain slices. It isn't that no-one has thought of it yet !

For those very reasons I was actually thinking of using it as a large outdoor clock or thermometer. The slice is not uniform thickness and even with a large chainsaw, difficult to true up, so not much good as a table top.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

In which case you may just accept any cracks you do get as character. Beech isn't all that durable outdoors though, is it ? It is an apoealing shape.

Sorry if I assumed too much, trying to make table or stool tops from endgrain slices is worth a FAQ entry I think, it comes up every now and again.

 

[user 34822]

Sorry if I assumed too much, trying to make table or stool tops from endgrain slices is worth a FAQ entry I think, it comes up every now and again.

No need to apologise Tony, you were absolutely correct about the issues of using it for a table. The timber is simply a random by-product of the tree felling process - the final cut to level the stump after the stem had been removed. I found the shape and grain pattern appealing, hence my thoughts of attempting to preserve it. With hindsight, it would have been good if I had noticed it in advance and asked the tree surgeons to make the final cut about 250 - 350 mm thick, as that may have made it more stable, but it didn't occur to me to look before they got to that stage of the job.

Dave

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I don't know if it is just luck or something more, but I have a coaster cut from an olive log - I cut about 15 "cookies" straight across the grain, with the hope of making some coasters, from a log picked green from the firewood pile. Unfortunately I didn't get organised to finish them, and in the space of three days they all split and cracked as expected. All except one, which had been snaffled by the wife and is used to sit our olive oil bottle on, because it is always a bit drippy and oily. No finish other than the olive oil it randomly gets from drips, and it still hasn't cracked after 18 months. It still has the bark on, which is still green.

I've just been to check that I am not talking rubbish, and it is still intact, and the bark indeed still green. More interesting is that there is a little puddle of oil lurking underneath the coaster: I would guess that the oil goes straight through the fibres, so it is completely saturated. It is about 8mm thick, and has a diameter of about 150 mm (or 6" if you prefer)

I'm not advocating flooding your cookie with oil, except maybe I am. No idea if it will work, so perhaps some experimentation would be in order? Logically if you replace the water with oil, there won't be any (much?) shrinkage, but then it is full of oil instead, which may not be helpful. I think end grain chopping boards are similarly soaked in oil.

It's just a bit of random anecdotal personal experience - I have no idea if this would be a useful method to stop cracks. It would be interesting to hear if it is already a known thing.

 

[Bm101]

I don't know if it is just luck or something more, but I have a coaster cut from an olive log - I cut about 15 "cookies" straight across the grain, with the hope of making some coasters, from a log picked green from the firewood pile. Unfortunately I didn't get organised to finish them, and in the space of three days they all split and cracked as expected. All except one, which had been snaffled by the wife and is used to sit our olive oil bottle on, because it is always a bit drippy and oily. No finish other than the olive oil it randomly gets from drips, and it still hasn't cracked after 18 months. It still has the bark on, which is still green.

I've just been to check that I am not talking rubbish, and it is still intact, and the bark indeed still green. More interesting is that there is a little puddle of oil lurking underneath the coaster: I would guess that the oil goes straight through the fibres, so it is completely saturated. It is about 8mm thick, and has a diameter of about 150 mm (or 6" if you prefer)

I'm not advocating flooding your cookie with oil, except maybe I am. No idea if it will work, so perhaps some experimentation would be in order? Logically if you replace the water with oil, there won't be any (much?) shrinkage, but then it is full of oil instead, which may not be helpful. I think end grain chopping boards are similarly soaked in oil.

It's just a bit of random anecdotal personal experience - I have no idea if this would be a useful method to stop cracks. It would be interesting to hear if it is already a known thing.

No wonder you like a conspiracy theory TN.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

No wonder you like a conspiracy theory TN.

?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

A chemical known as PEG (polyethylene glycol) is used - among other things - to replace the water in waterlogged archaeological finds, so that they dry without splitting or cracking - extensively used in the conservation of the Mary Rose, for example. I seem to recall from years ago turners experimenting with it, with some success. However, I don't know if it's easily available, or how it should be used, so my apologies for that. Some interweb research should bring something up, though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol

 

[Bm101]

Just the guesswork thing TN. It was a well meant rib based on some of your other posts, not an insult in any way.
That slice of wood is so pretty it would be worth suspending in oil in a narrow glass tank and selling to an expensive trendy restaurant as art.
Just a thought!
Chris

 

[Owd Jockey]

I agree with with most of what others have already said. However, there is another way of preserving the shape albeit [very] expensive and that is to create a mould and set the piece in epoxy resin. And not just any epoxy resin, but resin that dries very slowly obviating the need for a pressure pot (used to compress bubbles). I forget the name/type of this resin, but I recently came across this on one of my subscribed Youtube channels.

 

[Daniel.l]

Last year I cut a lot of slices from a sycamore tree. Now maybe it is the type of wood but not a single one has cracked and I have about 10. The drying process was nothing technical just slow. The tree was felled and the long lengths left to dry for a few months and then I cut slabs and slices from it and left to dry above the joists in my workshop, which is cold in the winter and like a greenhouse in the summer. Its probably over a year and a half now but I made some nice tables from them. I didn't use any treatment to the slices just painted the end grain of my slabs they did grow a lot of mold though. The drying process was finished off inside my house

 

[nickr]

Good morning all,

I have had a mature Beech tree felled this week and have stunning slice from the stump that I would like to season to stop it cracking if possible:

View attachment 95826

It is 1.6m x1.2m.

Any advice on preserving its integrity while drying out would be appreciated - I have never had much luck with Beech, even waxing the end grain on decent sixed blocks did not work well for me.

Many thanks!

Dave

Hi Dave, I use pva glue on the cut bare faces, then keep it in a cool dry place for at least 12 months. I know most turners have different methods such as shavings in a bag. Don't forget to cross your fingers.
Regards Nick.

 

[leisurefix]

Microwave. Ok, so after you have stopped laughing I realise this piece of Beech will not fit in any microwave I have ever heard of. The concept though may work on smaller pieces. I have for many years microwaved green wood bowls I haveturned that I dont want to distort and to minimise cracking. Short blasts, then leave to cool until stops losing weight (as moisture driven out as steam). Never tried on a slice, but worth a go.