Pentacryl

[Eugene Wigley]

Hello everyone, I have not done much turning in a few months. I'm looking forward to getting a few bowls roughed turned over the next week or so.

I was on a building site today and saw a 28" diameter oak tree. The GC said someone else was going to haul it off tomorrow. We called the guy who is hauling it off and he said to take what we want. The shape of the trunk will allow me to get about four 22 to 24 inch diameter bowls. That will be the largest I have turned and I don't want it to crack or split. I have never turned oak. I have heard it is tough to keep it from splitting. My question is about Pentacryl. Have any of you used it or do you know of anyone who has? How well did it work? I have heard that if Pentacryl is used there is not much wood movement so the rough turning should not be as thick as normal. Is this true?

I would really like to get some finished bowls out of that log. It seems a shame for it to be burned in a fireplace.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

[Tom Lewis]

I have turned a lot of large oak pieces. I have found them to be more difficult to dry without cracking than other woods. I coat them with Anchorseal, or with one of the wax emulsions like Anchorseal.
I have never used Pentacryl. I would be interested in hearing more about it.

[John Beaver]

I have only used it on small portions of a bowl. Never on a large area.
I have had good success with it hardening the wood up and preventing tearout in soft portions when turning and sanding.

I'm not sure it's the best thing for preventing cracking like you're talking about. (others may disagree) Anchor seal will slow down the drying process where the Pentacryl will prevent the moisture from escaping. I would consider using it if a small crack develops, but not as a preventative measure.

One word of caution. I spilled some on my banjo and it ate right through the paint.

[David Gregory]

Here's a couple links on Pentacryl.

http://www.preservation-solutions.com/faq-pentacryl.php

http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Treating_Burls_With_Pentacryl.html

Seems like opinions vary on usages so, like everything else in life, YMMV. For the price of the stuff, I'd sure hope it works as advertised.