# Question about splitting...



## GaSawmiller (Mar 17, 2013)

Recently I have been cutting slabs in the interest of table tops and even though I am sealing the ends of the cuts and stickering them at the ends they are splitting and checking especially along the pith. Does anyone have any wisdom to offer here?


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## Kevin (Mar 17, 2013)

What are the species, and what are you using for sealer? 

Pith in 99% species is going to crack and check. That part isn't unusual (or very controllable).


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## jimmyjames (Mar 17, 2013)

GaSawmiller said:


> Recently I have been cutting slabs in the interest of table tops and even though I am sealing the ends of the cuts and stickering them at the ends they are splitting and checking especially along the pith. Does anyone have any wisdom to offer here?



most trees have built up tension and they just check right off the mill, another trick is to buck the ends off of your logs right before milling, buck them nice straight and smooth and anchorseal them immediately so it keeps the ends nice and wet and traps the moisture in there. If you have logs that have been sitting and the ends have started to surface check anchorseal will not stop those checks from getting deeper. Also if the ends arent bucked super flat and have chainsaw gouges that will also cause checking. But some there just isnt anything you can do, one of my logs we milled checked immediately with checks going 2 feet up the boards, we started at 4/4 and decided to try the rest of the log at 8/4 to see if it would hold together, im not betting on it but they are still intact but will still probably check deeply just as the 4/4 boards did. On pith checking most boards with a pith running down them go in the scrap pile, they will twist and check like nobodys business , you can however mill the pith out making 2 boards, i know you said your slabbing, that center slab with the pith is going to go caddy wompiss on ya.


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## GaSawmiller (Mar 17, 2013)

Kevin said:


> What are the species, and what are you using for sealer?
> 
> Pith in 99% species is going to crack and check. That part isn't unusual (or very controllable).



Maple and oak mostly (red and white)


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## GaSawmiller (Mar 17, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> GaSawmiller said:
> 
> 
> > Recently I have been cutting slabs in the interest of table tops and even though I am sealing the ends of the cuts and stickering them at the ends they are splitting and checking especially along the pith. Does anyone have any wisdom to offer here?
> ...



That makes sense. I suppose I should start taking my slabs farther from the pith. Maybe invest in some ancorseal as well. Some told me to paint the ends and that would be sufficient but maybe its not.


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## GaSawmiller (Mar 17, 2013)

Joe Rebuild said:


> The center cut with the pith will be your most stable 1/4 sawn boards but you will want to remove the pith asap.



Yeah. we cut them full width thinking we would resaw them if they split and just take the best quarter sawn. I didn't know you needed to remove the pith right away. thanks.


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## GaSawmiller (Mar 17, 2013)

So is a commercial sealant such as anchorseal going to be that much better than just painting the ends?


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## jimmyjames (Mar 17, 2013)

GaSawmiller said:


> jimmyjames said:
> 
> 
> > GaSawmiller said:
> ...



Anchorseal isnt a must, but i believe most that use latex paint put a couple coats on, i am no means an expert on milling but from my little experience i have this is what i have found. All of the board ends i have anchorsealed have not checked, the only boards that did check and are anchorsealed are the ones i did not buck smooth and the checks develop in the corner of a chainsaw gouge. On slabs as big as your cutting the thinner they are the more prone they are to checking and cupping/warping. In slabs that wide the tensions in them when drying are unreal, the thicker they are the more meat they have to hold themselves together. If you get checks you can also get creative with keys on the checks and make the check part of the table :)


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## GaSawmiller (Mar 17, 2013)

I had some minor splits in some spalted maple slabs I sawed the other day and I sealed them today with some wax hoping that this would keep the moisture from leaving too quickly. Think that will halt the splitting?


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## DavidDobbs (Mar 17, 2013)

I know a couple guys that all or at least most of what they cut are slabs for high dollar tables.

They do 2 things 
Some they band yes with a banding machine.

Some they nail an screw straps across the ends.


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## jimmyjames (Mar 17, 2013)

GaSawmiller said:


> I had some minor splits in some spalted maple slabs I sawed the other day and I sealed them today with some wax hoping that this would keep the moisture from leaving too quickly. Think that will halt the splitting?



It will help new splits from happening but im not sure if it will stop the existing splits from growing


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