# Help with cracking and checking!!!! Now



## Bigdrowdy1 (May 25, 2014)

Purchased some really crazy, burly, curly wavy figured wood here from a member. Wood came in and looked awesome Thursday of last week. Appeared to be sealed. I left the wood in the box because work schedule has been crazy all month. Finally got off today before putting 14 hours in and decided to put wood up. I found almost all this awesome wood is checking and cracking. Got wife to pickup some sealer from Rockler and sealed all checks and cracks. What else do I need to do to save this wood. Would I be better to let it dry and try and get them cast or what. The MC is anywhere from 18 to 25%. New to buying wood this wet what do you recommend to save this awesome wood?


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## Bigdrowdy1 (May 25, 2014)

I will check back later got called bak into work


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## Blueglass (May 25, 2014)

Seal the whole pieces maybe a couple of coats. Wrap in saran wrap? Anything to slow it down.


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## manbuckwal (May 25, 2014)

What species ?


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## DKMD (May 25, 2014)

Sealing cracks and checks won't keep them from checking further. If you can cut away the checks, that's the best option. If not, CA glue dripped into the cracks and checks may keep them from getting worse followed by sealing the timber. Placing the sealed wood into a box or bag to minimize air flow may help slow down the drying. Some species respond to boiling. 

Cracking and checking is a sign that the wood is losing moisture too quickly, so anything that slows the moisture down loss will help your cause.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## barry richardson (May 26, 2014)

Put it in a plastic bag till you decide what course of action to take. That will arrest the drying in the mean time. Buying wet wood is always a gamble, especially high figure and burl, and the buyer is taking all the risk,..... my 2 cents......


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## Patrude (May 26, 2014)

I agree with the green bag, but I recommend adding green shavings

Reactions: Useful 1


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## Kevin (May 26, 2014)

Where we live, you have to seal highly figured woods with extreme measures. I know this as well as anyone and still I will let one get too far gone before reacting just because I lose track of the days. All of the suggestsions given work but you have to do more than one thing for the real high figured stuff and species really prone to checking. Sealing them with several thick coats of sealer, then placing in a bag, then keep it in the house or somewhere where the MC is fairly constant and not too low will work for most species. Smaller pieces can be sealed and placed in a paper bag and put in the deep freeze. But sometimes there's nothing that works for some pieces.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## JR Parks (May 26, 2014)

manbuckwal said:


> What species ?


I'll bet it is oak burl. I have some as well. One of the worst - have to dry very slowly here in Texas. Like Kevin says it still may not work. It may be part of an education process.


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## BrentWin (May 29, 2014)

Why is every brilliant idea shut down by a woman saying no.


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## Kevin (May 29, 2014)

BrentWin said:


> Why is every brilliant idea shut down by a woman saying no.



I was going to tell you how to easily get around that, but my wife said I couldn't tell you.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 3


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## kweinert (May 29, 2014)

I guess I'm the other recipient of blanks from that wood. I think this is beyond thick CA to fix, I think it's a casting fix.

I also agree with Barry - and that's why I wasn't complaining or asking for anything when I posted what I did. I just wanted anyone else who got some to be aware that they'd really need to keep an eye on the blanks.

Most of the knowledge shared above is what to do to prevent the results that we're seeing. Once it's happened there's not a lot to be done to fix it (aside from trying to fill it.) I know that one of the pieces I had has been turned down to round (somewhere between 2.75 and 3") and the checks/cracks are not turning out. It's still beautiful wood.

I may look at the turning round, using for a confetti lamp or tea light holder and not worrying about trying to fill it. They were destined for pepper mills but I guess they were allergic or something and wanted to be re-purposed. :)

When you look at the grain in these it's pretty obvious that the wood is under a lot of stress - grain swirling everywhere and burl(ish). If I was smarter and/or more experienced I would have recognized that these might need some special care and taken some of the above measures to really slow down the drying process. 

Experience is what you got by not having it when you need it.


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