How to seal new wood???

[Pat Salter]

My neighbor just lost a HUGH limb off his pine tree and has cut it up. I grabbed some of the pieces and I'm hoping to turn them some time. The more I read the more I'm confused.
What should I do with them to prevent cracking etc.? PEG? dishwashing soap? nothing? leave on a shelf for 6 months?
what do you guys do?

[Dick Parr]

Woodcraft sells a product that is called WOODCRAFT Green Wood End Sealer and it's only $9.50 a qt. It will last a long time. Just get an old or throw away brush and put in on the ends. It goes on white will dry clear with a wax feel. Set your wood aside until you are ready to turn. Very easy. It will keep the end grain from cracking.

[Mike Cutler]

Pat ."Arbor Seal" is a product that nurseries carry to seal the area on the tree where the limb was cut. It works just fine on the cut off portion also. I know that a lot of people use "Anchor Seal" also to seal the ends, It might be less gooey than "Arbor Seal"

[Barbara Gill]

Pat, if you plan on doing much turning it would pay to buy a 5 gal. pail of AnchorSeal from UC Coatings. With shipping it will be around $50. I can go through a quart of sealer in short order when I prepare a lot of pieces. Get the sealer with antifreeze in it unless you will be keeping it in a heated location during the winter. Just do a Google search for UC Coatings. I keep a quart of it in a sealed container to make application easier.