# Preventing checks, cracks, splits



## Ralph Muhs

I've never sawed wood for turning, carving, etc. My milling has always been for framing lumber or wide boards. I know how to air dry lumber, but I don't know what to do to get the best results with thick lumber that is 3 or 4 or 5 inches thick. Thick and wide seems to be desired by the crafts above, but I know this is the kind of wood that is most prone to checking. Suggestions.....


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## Kevin

Ralph Muhs said:


> I've never sawed wood for turning, carving, etc. My milling has always been for framing lumber or wide boards. I know how to air dry lumber, but I don't know what to do to get the best results with thick lumber that is 3 or 4 or 5 inches thick. Thick and wide seems to be desired by the crafts above, but I know this is the kind of wood that is most prone to checking. Suggestions.....



The most important thing to do is seal the blanks with log sealer. Some species need to be sealed on all sides not just the end grain. Also important to keep them out of sunlight obviously and not in an extremely dry area or they could dry too fast and check.


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## DKMD

Seal them quickly as well. That's especially important with crack prone woods like the fruit woods. Most turners are used to using green timber, so you're really just trying to preserve the wood rather than dry it as you would with flat stock.


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## Dennis Ford

DKMD said:


> Seal them quickly as well. That's especially important with crack prone woods like the fruit woods. Most turners are used to using green timber, so you're really just trying to preserve the wood rather than dry it as you would with flat stock.



I agree with David, don't try to dry it. Try to keep it wet; turners will dry it after rough shaping (sometimes after final shaping).


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## arkie

Dennis Ford said:


> DKMD said:
> 
> 
> 
> Seal them quickly as well. That's especially important with crack prone woods like the fruit woods. Most turners are used to using green timber, so you're really just trying to preserve the wood rather than dry it as you would with flat stock.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I agree with David, don't try to dry it. Try to keep it wet; turners will dry it after rough shaping (sometimes after final shaping).
Click to expand...


Absolutely right! It's far easier for me to rough out a bowl from green wood than dry. Get the wood to me green, sealed, and free of defects, and let the drying become my problem.


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## Ralph Muhs

Kevin said:


> Ralph Muhs said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've never sawed wood for turning, carving, etc. My milling has always been for framing lumber or wide boards. I know how to air dry lumber, but I don't know what to do to get the best results with thick lumber that is 3 or 4 or 5 inches thick. Thick and wide seems to be desired by the crafts above, but I know this is the kind of wood that is most prone to checking. Suggestions.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The most important thing to do is seal the blanks with log sealer. Some species need to be sealed on all sides not just the end grain. Also important to keep them out of sunlight obviously and not in an extremely dry area or they could dry too fast and check.
Click to expand...


Where do you get log sealer?


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## Kevin

Ralph Muhs said:


> Kevin said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ralph Muhs said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've never sawed wood for turning, carving, etc. My milling has always been for framing lumber or wide boards. I know how to air dry lumber, but I don't know what to do to get the best results with thick lumber that is 3 or 4 or 5 inches thick. Thick and wide seems to be desired by the crafts above, but I know this is the kind of wood that is most prone to checking. Suggestions.....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The most important thing to do is seal the blanks with log sealer. Some species need to be sealed on all sides not just the end grain. Also important to keep them out of sunlight obviously and not in an extremely dry area or they could dry too fast and check.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Where do you get log sealer?
Click to expand...


You cannot stop any wood from drying - that's the first thing you need to understand. Many turners have been duped into thinking you can put wood into some sort of magical stasis but that's not possible even once it reaches EMC because that changes not only seasonally but daily, although it negligibly affects the wood once down that far.

The only thing you can do is SLOW drying as much as possible. This is a very important distinction to understand. Since you're east of the big river you're best bet would be to buy some Anchorseal. Some squabble about which is best AS 1 or AS2 but you should decide that on your own after you try both. 

It's always best to get it to them green and let it become their problem but sealing it will extend that window for you. 

Here's their website.


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## arkie

Kevin said:


> You cannot stop any wood from drying - that's the first thing you need to understand. Many turners have been duped into thinking you can put wood into some sort of magical stasis but that's not possible even once it reaches EMC because that changes not only seasonally but daily, although it negligibly affects the wood once down that far.
> 
> The only thing you can do is SLOW drying as much as possible. This is a very important distinction to understand. Since you're east of the big river you're best bet would be to buy some Anchorseal. Some squabble about which is best AS 1 or AS2 but you should decide that on your own after you try both.



The intent is the same whether you are drying dimension lumber, bowl blanks, or any other form of wood. Wood dries from the outside in. Wood also dries faster from the end grain than the face grain. Wood shrinks as it dries. As the outside or end grain dries faster than the inside, it shrinks and stretches until it splits. You want to slow down the drying of the outside by sealing it so that the moisture of the inside and outside is about the same and it all shrinks at about the same rate. This is Equilibrium Moisture Content or EMC.

Alternately, you can seek ways of making the inside dry faster. I don't know of anything practical for a small producer. I think things can be done with steam.


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## Kevin

Joe Rebuild said:


> Our friend Paula at Florida Crotch Wood dips the entire blank in hot paraffin wax. Now that should all but stop any drying.







arkie said:


> The intent is the same whether you are drying dimension lumber, bowl blanks, or any other form of wood. Wood dries from the outside in. Wood also dries faster from the end grain than the face grain. Wood shrinks as it dries. As the outside or end grain dries faster than the inside, it shrinks and stretches until it splits. You want to slow down the drying of the outside by sealing it so that the moisture of the inside and outside is about the same and it all shrinks at about the same rate. This is Equilibrium Moisture Content or EMC.
> 
> Alternately, you can seek ways of making the inside dry faster. I don't know of anything practical for a small producer. I think things can be done with steam.



You made some rather obvious statements of fact but you also made rather obvious bloopers. I guess you will ask me to point them out. I rather you try to point out your own - it's a better way to learn.


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## arkie

Kevin said:


> arkie said:
> 
> 
> 
> The intent is the same whether you are drying dimension lumber, bowl blanks, or any other form of wood. Wood dries from the outside in. Wood also dries faster from the end grain than the face grain. Wood shrinks as it dries. As the outside or end grain dries faster than the inside, it shrinks and stretches until it splits. You want to slow down the drying of the outside by sealing it so that the moisture of the inside and outside is about the same and it all shrinks at about the same rate. This is Equilibrium Moisture Content or EMC.
> 
> Alternately, you can seek ways of making the inside dry faster. I don't know of anything practical for a small producer. I think things can be done with steam.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You made some rather obvious statements of fact but you also made rather obvious bloopers. I guess you will ask me to point them out. I rather you try to point out your own - it's a better way to learn.
Click to expand...


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## DKMD

Ralph Muhs said:


> Where do you get log sealer?



I use anchorseal, and I prefer the original version over version #2… Others are just the opposite(notably Kevin). I generally paint the entire blank with a heavy coat on the endgrain. 

Some of the suppliers I've used will wrap the blanks in multiple layers of saran wrap or plastic stretch wrap which is a great temporary solution for shipping… If the wood is left in the wrap for long periods of time, it tends to mold like crazy, but it's great for a week or two for shipping purposes. 

I know folks who store turning blanks submerged in big tubs of water until they're ready to turn them… I've never tried that, but it makes sense to me that it would work.


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## Mike1950

Never used any of above -I like to buy it dry- seems like the saran wrap and mold indicates that it seals too much. Sealant is there to control drying rate and not stop it. Antbody try the freezer? Seems like those turners use most of the rest of the kitchen appliances???:teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh:


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## Mike1950

I might add This is coming from a non turner but boy was I in trouble when Kathie opened the dishwasher and I had failed to sneak the lights I was washing in there out. I do not do that anymore-you would think I was washing dirty ol car parts in there.:dash2::dash2::dash2::dash2:


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## Kevin

DKMD said:


> I know folks who store turning blanks submerged in big tubs of water until they're ready to turn them… I've never tried that, but it makes sense to me that it would work.



It definitely works. I've stored logs that way many times. I didn't know turners did that too. :dunno: Never heard that one before.


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## Mike1950

In my neck of the woods they put big sprinklers on the mill log piles in the summer to keep them from drying out.


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## arkie

Kevin said:


> DKMD said:
> 
> 
> 
> I know folks who store turning blanks submerged in big tubs of water until they're ready to turn them… I've never tried that, but it makes sense to me that it would work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It definitely works. I've stored logs that way many times. I didn't know turners did that too. :dunno: Never heard that one before.
Click to expand...


I knew basket makers did that with white oak to keep it wet until split into splints for weaving. Didn't know anyone else did.


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## DKMD

Mike1950 said:


> Never used any of above -I like to buy it dry- seems like the saran wrap and mold indicates that it seals too much. Sealant is there to control drying rate and not stop it. Antbody try the freezer? Seems like those turners use most of the rest of the kitchen appliances???:teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh:



I agree that the plastic wrap 'over seals' the wood, but for the purposes of shipping something, it works well… The buyer just needs to know that they'll have to do something different if they don't plan on turning the pieces quickly.

I've put stuff in the freezer to kill bugs, but I've never tried to dry stuff in there… BTW, I'm talking about the freezer in my shop… My wife would throttle me if I stuck a turning blank in her freezer!


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## DKMD

Kevin said:


> DKMD said:
> 
> 
> 
> I know folks who store turning blanks submerged in big tubs of water until they're ready to turn them… I've never tried that, but it makes sense to me that it would work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It definitely works. I've stored logs that way many times. I didn't know turners did that too. :dunno: Never heard that one before.
Click to expand...


The guy I buy my madrone burl from keeps the chunks in big tubs of water until they're purchased. He then wraps them in plastic and drops them in the mail.


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## Ralph Muhs

Joe Rebuild said:


> Kevin said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Joe Rebuild said:
> 
> 
> 
> Our friend Paula at Florida Crotch Wood dips the entire blank in hot paraffin wax. Now that should all but stop any drying.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> arkie said:
> 
> 
> 
> The intent is the same whether you are drying dimension lumber, bowl blanks, or any other form of wood. Wood dries from the outside in. Wood also dries faster from the end grain than the face grain. Wood shrinks as it dries. As the outside or end grain dries faster than the inside, it shrinks and stretches until it splits. You want to slow down the drying of the outside by sealing it so that the moisture of the inside and outside is about the same and it all shrinks at about the same rate. This is Equilibrium Moisture Content or EMC.
> 
> Alternately, you can seek ways of making the inside dry faster. I don't know of anything practical for a small producer. I think things can be done with steam.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> You made some rather obvious statements of fact but you also made rather obvious bloopers. I guess you will ask me to point them out. I rather you try to point out your own - it's a better way to learn.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> nope not seeing the blooper here Kev :ufw:
Click to expand...


Ok, thank you all for your information. But here's the problem: You are all thinking small. I'm talking about the size of the wood, not the ideas. What I have are planks up to 12 or more inches wide and maybe 5 or more inches thick. They are 14 feet long or longer. Wrapping them in plastic wrap or dipping them into a container of wax, freezing them, or soaking them in a tub of water is not practical. What if I just cut them into "blanks" (whatever blanks are) and send them to you. Pay the shipping and they are yours!


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## DKMD

I'm game for a blank or two... The 12x12x5 large flat rate box is probably the most economical way to ship green turning blanks. I guess I'd like to know the species of wood you're offering, but I can already tell the price is right!


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## Ralph Muhs

DKMD said:


> I'm game for a blank or two... The 12x12x5 large flat rate box is probably the most economical way to ship green turning blanks. I guess I'd like to know the species of wood you're offering, but I can already tell the price is right!



Spalted maple. Take a look at my recent posting with pictures of "a half rotten maple"


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## DKMD

I remember the post and the log, Ralph. I'm happy to send you some money... Just need to know how much and where for two large flat rate boxes... Thanks!


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## kweinert

When you're done filling DKMDs please keep me in mind and let me know how much.

Thanks.


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## Ralph Muhs

DKMD said:


> I remember the post and the log, Ralph. I'm happy to send you some money... Just need to know how much and where for two large flat rate boxes... Thanks!



Just send your address in a PM and I will send a couple of pieces. When you get them you can send a check for the cost of the shipping. You are taking a chance. It may be worthless or it may be great. The price is the same in either case!


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## Ralph Muhs

kweinert said:


> When you're done filling DKMDs please keep me in mind and let me know how much.
> 
> Thanks.



OK. Read my last post to DKMD. Same thing applies.


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## Ralph Muhs

DKMD said:


> I'm game for a blank or two... The 12x12x5 large flat rate box is probably the most economical way to ship green turning blanks. I guess I'd like to know the species of wood you're offering, but I can already tell the price is right!



It is on the way. Not being into wood turning, I have no idea if what I sent is treasure or trash. Please let me know. If it is treasure and you can make something pretty, then I am happy. If it is trash, well the price is right anyway. txpauly, yours is coming too.


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## DKMD

Thanks, Ralph! I'll certainly keep you posted, and I plan to post some photos of finished projects here... Thanks, again!


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