Beech blanks cracking

[Jake Helmboldt]

I found a few really big beech logs but I'm having a heck of a time with them cracking when I cut blanks. I know beech has a reputation for instability, but this is killing me; I'm losing some big blanks to checking.

I used the new Anchorseal and put on two coats as soon as they were cut. It has been super hot here (hottest June on record), so maybe they simply got too dried out? Can anyone share some tips on preventing cracking?

[David Gilbert]

My garage is filled with beech sections too. I cut mine into two foot sections and split them in half. I then AnchorSealed them. There are some small checks but nothing major. I have noticed that a mold or fungus is starting to grow on the AnchorSealed ends and on the bark. I was hoping to save some of these to use to make some wood bodied planes but don't think the wood will survive with the checking and mold (spalting?).

I'm not sure that there is a solution to the checking. Next time cut the tree down in the winter so the moisture loss will be slower at the start. Another option might be to keep the wood saturated with water. I visited a furniture factory last fall and they had a couple of acres of wood waiting to be cut and dried (maple, ash, white oak, but not beech). They had water sprinklers running over everything to keep them wet and they apparently cut all the wood the previous winter.

There is one other option and that is to get the wood to your lathe and start turning. Most of the pieces that I have turned have had some minor (and some major) checking once they were turned. I've resorted to making them pretty thin and then just letting them distort as they dry. Green beech certainly is a nice wood to turn. In my hands, anything thicker than about 1/4 inch will crack.

Good luck, I'll be interested in hearing how this works out.

Cheers,
David