Wood drying advice please.

R

R.H.Clark

Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
771
A friend just brought me a large crotch of Maple to see if I could get any handles out of it.It has been sitting outside for some time.

I cut it into some slabs about 5"X 20"X14". It's got some nice figure and black spalt lines.I soaked it in bug killer and put it in the old van where I dry my bow wood.

My question is do I need to seal the ends to prevent checking? I know I would if it were green but not sure here.Also does the front and back need to be sealed as well? My knife money is very low and I guess I just hate to buy shellac if not necessary.
 
Yes. Seal the end grain with emulsified wax like Anchor Seal or several HEAVY coats of latex paint with high solids. Any end checks/cracks have to be cut back or sealing will do no good. That's a big slab and I'd cut it down into much smaller pieces to dry better.
 
Yes,

Thinner and shorter. Coat the ends and be patient. If you have a sensitive scale, weigh each piece once a month or so, record the weight on the piece. When the weight stops going down, it's as dry as it's going to get in your environment.:D

Bill
 
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