Your thoughts on preparing wood

[Keith E Byrd]

I have seen several wood gloats and many of them show the wood cut into blocks, strips, squares or whatever. When I get some wood I have just been cutting the logs to manageable size, anchor sealing the ends and stacking them till ready to turn. Should I be cutting the logs up into blanks etc?

[Scott Hackler]

I usually leave my wood in log form with the ends sealed, but over time the checking can start creeping in to the log too far. So even though I hate the thought of the amount of work involved, in the future I might be more inclined to process the wood into individual blanks, seal them up and store them inside the shop. I recently noticed that my hoard of box elder looks more like a pile of firewood! :( I cut them up, removing the pith and sealed them but the heat and temps have cracked a bunch of it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

The first year or so I stacked my wood in logs. I found if I don't start turning in a timely manner the cracks like Scott said will start to spread down the log. I had a lot of nice wood I had to cut up into ornament, lidded box blanks because the cracking was so severe. For the last 3 or 4 years now I cut my logs up into blanks making sure the pith is gone. The Elm bowls I cored are from blanks cut over a year ago.

[Chris Burgess]

I am not completly following you. Are you leaving the Logs Round or when you say cut them into managable size are you removing the pith being left with 2 half round slabs? None the less I have it all ways, Logs outside sealed and waiting for their chance w/ the chainsaw (hoping they will spalt some), Half Round slabs w/ only the Pith removed but not cut to a specific blank (dont know if they will be a bowl, box, platter, pen), and Squared Blanks sealed and stickered. The ideal scenario would be to get the pith out to slow the checking. I cant say it makes a difference if you leave them half round slabs or square/round them up as blanks aside from removing the excess and speeding up the drying process.

[Tom Hamilton]

Just to add to the mix, in my shop the pieces without pith are the most crack/check/defect free. Most, if not all the damage, starts with the pith in my experience. I guess that's the reason the saying "get the pith out" ranks up there with "rest near, stand clear."

All the best, Tom, grandparenting in Dallas, where it will be 108 today.

[Keith E Byrd]

I think I get the picture. I have not cut the logs in half - just sealed the ends and hope for the best. I have a tree to cut up this weekend (a box elder blew over in my back yard) so I will start cutting them and removing the pith. Now, when the phrase "get the pith out" is used does that literally mean cutting out the inch or so in the middle or just cutting the log through the middle? I am assuming that it means cutting the log through the middle (pith).

[Richard Jones]

Keith,

I've found that it's easier and quicker, at least for me, to just make two parallel cuts, one on either side of the pith, to make sure that you remove the pith. I wind up with a flat piece approx. 1/2"-1", depending on how well I operate the saw. Even a bit of pith (!) can sometimes cause a crack to begin. I despise to waste wood, but it seems better to waste an inch or so than the entire blank(s).

Rich

[Fred Belknap]

When splitting the pith out I find it easier to cut with the grain instead of across the end. I still haven't got to the point that it is really flat.

[Sean Hughto]

I think cutting into blocks with no pith and Anchor Seal can work very well on some blanks. If the blank is very wet, a crotch, or certain species, your best bet is to rough turn the blank ASAP and coat it with Anchorseal. And some stuff is gonna check no matter what you do.

[Chris Burgess]

Keith,

I've found that it's easier and quicker, at least for me, to just make two parallel cuts, one on either side of the pith, to make sure that you remove the pith. I wind up with a flat piece approx. 1/2"-1", depending on how well I operate the saw. Even a bit of pith (!) can sometimes cause a crack to begin. I despise to waste wood, but it seems better to waste an inch or so than the entire blank(s).

Rich


I do it the same way but when I get down to the bottom of the cut I leave about 1/2-1" then make the second cut. This will support the log so it does not tip over. Then i just widdle it down on each side until one side give. By then you may have only Bark holding it togeter on the other cut.

[Richard Jones]

Keith,

I've found that it's easier and quicker, at least for me, to just make two parallel cuts, one on either side of the pith, to make sure that you remove the pith. I wind up with a flat piece approx. 1/2"-1", depending on how well I operate the saw. Even a bit of pith (!) can sometimes cause a crack to begin. I despise to waste wood, but it seems better to waste an inch or so than the entire blank(s).

Rich

And I guess I really should have said, I make FOUR parallel cuts, two on the outside to remove some bark and to get a flat surface for the bandsaw, and two on the interior next to the pith. As above, I also cut with the log laying down, not standing vertical (too hard on your saw!). Generally, I will make the two outside cuts, then the interior cuts, and make one cut almost through, then the other cut, so that the piece will remain vertical as long as possible.

Here's a sketch of the process. http://photos.imageevent.com/richinva/turning/misc/cut%20the%20pith%20out%20of%20it.doc

Hope this helps.

Rich

[Doug Wolf]

Keith,
I always cut and rough out the wet wood I get ASAP.
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Which is usually two or three days. First I cut all of the wood to length with a chainsaw and split it if necessary, and put it in black plastic bags and twist tie the bag to keep the moisture inside.
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Then I turn the blanks and put them into brown paper bags along with the wet shavings I've turned from them.
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I put them on the concrete floor, stacking the bags 2 or 3 high for about 4 months. Then I take them out of the bags, remove the shavings and put them back in the paper bags on a shelf for another 4 or 5 months. I've had very few peices crack (less then 2%) and they are usually the ones with pith or knots in them. I don't put anchorseal or anything on the wood. I just make sure the end grain has 2 or 3 inches of wet shavings packed up against it in the bag. I am in Colorado with low humidity so mold is not a big problem. This method might not work in Florida.

[Jack Mincey]

I lay my log rounds on some shipping pallets to keep them off the ground and cover them completely with a poly tarp until I can get around to turning them. I do seal the end grain with anchor seal. Placing the storage area in a shady area is also important. In about a years time plan straight grain maple can spalt into some beautiful wood stored in this way. I try not to cut up more blanks than I or my students can rough out in the next month and store these in large garbage bags with shavings from chainsawing the wood up. When my students are turning bowls at school I will some times have 50 or more blanks stored in this manner and they keep with out any problem for up to several months. It would cost to much to anchor seal this many blanks and I really don't like how slick the wax can make my shop floor when it is turned off the blank. This method works very good in Western North Carolina where I live, but may not work in a different environment.
Good Luck,
Jack