Got some fresh-cut logs: Cut them into blocks before or after seasoning?

East Branch Knives

East Branch Knives

Joined
Feb 5, 2014
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My father-in-law gave me a few 4' long by 6" to 8" diameter sections of a tree branch he was going to cut up for firewood. He decided I might want them for handle material when he picked them up and noticed how heavy they were. (He thinks they must be from some type of fruit or nut tree, but because he pulled them from a slash pile there weren't any leaves left so it's hard to tell. I'll post some picks in another thread to see if any of you guys could maybe offer some guesses).

Anyhow, I was wondering whether I should just seal the ends and leave them in the shed for a year or so to season, or cut them up into rough blocks now (say, 6"x3"x3" or thereabouts) so they'll dry more quickly and with less stress/movement to work out. What do you guys think?

Thanks very much for your help!

Mike
 
I'm new at using fresh wood also. I was told to seal the ends with latex paint right away. I tried using spray paint on one, just because I have lots of spray paint available. I'm hoping it works as well as latex paint. The issue I have, is that the stuff I'm getting has been out in the elements all winter and is pretty water logged(no pun intended). I don't want to seal all that moisture in there, so I have been letting them dry in my garage for a week or so before sealing and storing them. I will also be interested in hearing more experienced replies.
 
Paint for sealing ends of logs must breathe..
Otherwise your wood will rot or crack in wrong directions

This paint must slow down drying of your logs.

And season this at last 2 years.

Now I will cut to scales and block a nice amount of walnut[2 years] and european oak[3 years] ( 50% of oak will be smoked with ammonia) ;)
 
You want to seal the end grain as soon as possible. Moisture escapes from end grain much faster and if left unsealed the endgrain will dry to fast and cracks will develop. Paint will do if you dont have wax but wax is better, anchorseal is what most sawmills use. I used to put 2 coats of wax on good logs, the endgrain needs to be sealed and it will not cause rot if sealed as long as the endgrain is all you cover. I would go ahead and cut it into boards a little thicker than what you want to end up with.
 
Seal the end grain with carpenters glue, latex paint, aluminum paint, I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference whichever you use.

Go ahead and cut the logs into lumber or blocks while they're green and leave the lumber or blocks a little bit over size so you'll have a little extra to trim off after they're dry and need to be trued up.. If you leave the logs whole while they dry the ends of the logs will split, and depending on the species, the logs may split their entire length.

Stack the lumber or blocks with sticks in-between the layers so air can circulate between the layers, outdoors under an open shed ideally, for one year per inch of thickness. After one year outdoors per inch of thickness bring them into the shop for another six months or so, sticks between the layers no longer needed.
 
woodwrkr221 said:
Seal the end grain with carpenters glue, latex paint, aluminum paint, I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference whichever you use.

Go ahead and cut the logs into lumber or blocks while they're green and leave the lumber or blocks a little bit over size so you'll have a little extra to trim off after they're dry and need to be trued up.. If you leave the logs whole while they dry the ends of the logs will split, and depending on the species, the logs may split their entire length.

Stack the lumber or blocks with sticks in-between the layers so air can circulate between the layers, outdoors under an open shed ideally, for one year per inch of thickness. After one year outdoors per inch of thickness bring them into the shop for another six months or so, sticks between the layers no longer needed.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I'll do, thanks for the info!
 
Spalted said:
You want to seal the end grain as soon as possible. Moisture escapes from end grain much faster and if left unsealed the endgrain will dry to fast and cracks will develop. Paint will do if you dont have wax but wax is better, anchorseal is what most sawmills use. I used to put 2 coats of wax on good logs, the endgrain needs to be sealed and it will not cause rot if sealed as long as the endgrain is all you cover. I would go ahead and cut it into boards a little thicker than what you want to end up with.
Click to expand...

I think I'll try wax on one half of the blocks and latex paint on the other half and see if I can tell the difference b/t the two groups. I couldn't find anchorseal at the hardware store but I know I've got some candles to melt down and a couple old cans of paint in the garage somewhere!
 
I've used wax and latex paint. Can't tell the difference. I haven't used aluminum paint, but it sounds easier as it is a spRay can!
 
Hello.

Just joined the forum about a week ago and have been lurking ever since. I thought I would post a reply to add just a bit to what has already been said. The Anchorseal that was mentioned is what is normally used (or the like) at saw mills, and it works as advertised. ~$25/gallon. It is paraffin wax based. If you have any paraffin wax, the stuff used in canning, it can be melted and brushed on with a paint brush and will work fine. It is cheap and easy to get. Saw the logs wider/thicker than needed (already mentioned), but also expect some twisting unless you stack some weight on top of the stickered planks. When you set them out to dry outside, do not put them in direct sunlight, and ensure good air flow around/through the stack or it will mold (learned the hard way). Tarping will interrupt air flow, so if tarping, place cement blocks/bricks on top of the top layer of sawn boards - they will weight down the stack to minimize twisting, and allow a cover (tarp or the like) to sit high enough above the wood to provide good air flow; don't totally enclose - leave the sides open. Occasionally (every few months) restack for optimal uniformity in drying...the outer boards dry faster than those in the middle of the stack. After about a year (as mentioned) move indoors. The moisture content will still be high; maybe around 20% (19% and below is considered kiln dried). If you want to see what your final moisture content will be, measure the moisture content of something that has been in your shop a while, like your workbench leg. This is a good indication of what your lumber will dry to, though it may take another year or so. Furniture grade wood moisture content is normally about 6-8%, usually requiring a kiln. Just a note, if your stack is small enough and you must do the entire process indoors, put a fan near the stack so it circulates air around/through it 24/7, and crack a window. This will prevent mold, and the more stable indoor humidity will allow the wood to dry faster. Hope that wasn't over kill... :)

gene
 
Where anchorseal really shines is if you can coat the wood just as soon as it is cut , you are past that now so any one of the methods listed above would be ok. Be careful if you try melting wax it can be a fire hazard. If the ends already have cracks you may want to cut a couple inches off before you seal it.
 
These guys all gave good advice when they said to seal the end grain.
You might still get a bit of end checking but it should be a lot less than if left unsealed.
If you cut up at least one chunk now you will be able to see if the wood is going to be interesting enough to justify the time and effort of drying the wood.
If you cut one piece straight down the center of the log you will also be able to tell if the wood has any curly figure.
You can't always tell just by looking at the exterior of the log.
 
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