Sealing log blanks

[stewart]

Hi all

I've got myself a bit confused by probably reading too many different opinions! I've got hold of some logs from an Indian Bean Tree which my mother-in-law has had to cut down in her garden. I've wet turned one to a bowl, chunky for final turning when it's dried out a bit...

I've sealed it with wax to slow down the drying from a melted candle.

I've also got 5 more split logs which are just sitting outside my workshop at the moment...

Should I seal the ends of these logs with wax as it might be a while before I turn them?

Finally ( :roll: )...how long should I leave the part turned bowl before I finish the turning and put a finish on it?

 

[TEP]

Hi Stewart.

Using a candle is not a lot of good for sealing end grain I'm afraid. When you use wax you really need it to be heated in a shallow pan until it is just smoking, then dip the timber into it. This way the wax is sucked into the wood, if you just melt a candle onto it, it just lies on top and doesn't seal very well.

If you can't turn your half logs, and can't wax you can use any oil based paint instead. Just give the ends a couple of coats, then store away where it is cool, dry, no sun, and no wind. They should be OK for a while.

There are other things you can use, but most of us have the odd part tin of paint lying around so just use it up.

As to how long you should leave the rough turned bowl drying, you can weigh it if your scales are accurate enough. As it dries it gets lighter, when it stops losing weight it's as dry as the ambient atmosphere. What I do is just leave it for a couple of months or so, less in summer. Then turn it, too lazy to weigh it all the time

 

[stewart]

Thanks, Tam

I did melt the wax in a shallow tray in the oven and then rolled the outside of the bowl in it and then spread some on the inside with an old brush. The wax was close to smoking - do you think it might have been ok?

 

[TEP]

If it was close to smoking it should be just fine.

Although I'm surprised 'er indoors let you use the oven. If I had done that this would be me. (hammer)

What I did was kept an eye on ebay a while back and bought a 1Kw heating ring on which I put a cheap wok with about 3" of wax in it. Is liquid in about 10mins. and smoking in 15mins. The beauty of this method is that you switch it on and forget it until your finished, you never have to worry about it over heating. The hot plate cost me £9.50 with the postage, well worth it.

 

[stewart]

Thanks again, Tam - HID is unaware of what has been happening in the kitchen! However, I'm lucky that she wouldn't actually mind at all!! She's far more likely to do me an injury for being on the computer for too long :lol: