# Cookie Processing



## Mickey Cassiba (Dec 24, 2011)

I got a fairly thin(6/4) cookie of FBE for Christmas. I't about 18" around, and has a few chrotchy spots in it. It's wringin' wet as yet, and I've got no experience with wet wood. What is my pest chance for keeping this thing whole through the drying process?


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## Chad (Dec 24, 2011)

I'm no expert, But I have gotton some advice from a good Flame box-elder source on this forum. What I was told ( and it worked) was to cover the entire piece in wax (sealer Baileys brand) to slowly allow it to dry, instead of drying to fast and pullin itself apart. Hopefully he'll chime in to make sure my advice is correct.


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## Kevin (Dec 24, 2011)

The diameter doesn't matter as much as the thickness. Very thin cookies can be dried more speedily but it's tricky so I don't often suggest it. The advice from Chad is the best starting point and the safest.

Cracks can still occur no matter what you do, then you must be creative to use the crack as an enhancement not a defect. Butterfiles &/or epoxy compliments.


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## Mickey Cassiba (Dec 24, 2011)

I've got plenty of time...and no immediate plans for the piece. Wondering if a homebrew I heard about might work... paraffin and mineral spirits. Any thoughts?


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## Woodsman (Mar 28, 2012)

Mickey Cassiba said:


> I've got plenty of time...and no immediate plans for the piece. Wondering if a homebrew I heard about might work... paraffin and mineral spirits. Any thoughts?



If you intend to sand the piece once it is dry, you will be kicking yourself .......or perhaps have someone else do it for you. The wax will just clog the sand paper. I have tried the glycol method and the sealer mentioned (sealed piece was run through the planer) but neither worked well for me. I will say that the sealer seemed to slow the drying enough to perhaps keep the cracks/splits smaller, but there are going to be cracks. Just plan on a filler of some sort and give it a go. The slower you can dry it, the better. I will be wrapping one in some paper and giving that a try, but in the end, I will still plan on filling.


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