Info on cutting/sealing new blanks for a new turner?

[alex grams]

I am going hunting up at my uncles place in NW texas, and I usually help him out throughout the week I am there by cutting down/splitting some wood for him.

Given that turning is a new endeavour, I am looking for advice on sealing blanks if i come across anything worthwhile (lots of oak, some pecan/hickory, and some osage orange/bois d'arc).

I have a small pint of anchor seal, but reading/researching some threads on here give it mixed reviews for blanks.

Is there anything else I could use that would be a good on-site sealer? I won't really have the option to melt any wax down to dip the blanks in while up there.

Thanks in advance.

[Scott Hackler]

Anchorseal works pretty good, so use it. Put it on "to the drip". Meaning sloppy wet. When you cut the logs, rip them in a way to completely remove the pith from the log half. If left in half log form, I coat the inside of the log with anchorseal as well. If you see cracks already (dry wood) its probably too late, unless you can cut the end of the log back quite a bit to get into green/wet wood.

After getting them home, store them in a cool location free from a lot of wind. The floor of your shop will work. Some people like to process the half logs into round blanks, but I prefer to leave them in half logs, just because I don't know what I will want to make out of it for months down the road.

[Dan Hintz]

I have a small pint of anchor seal, but reading/researching some threads on here give it mixed reviews for blanks.
Any issues you have read about AnchorSeal likely pertained to their "new" formula... the original formula works quite well, and as Scott says, put it on sloppy wet.

[Scott Hackler]

on a side note, some where I read that Anchorseal is going to continue to make the original formula as well. This was in response to complaints that the "green" version isn't as effective. Might be a rumor. I just ordered another gallon from Woodcraft and didn't have any choice but to buy the new formula.

[Wally Dickerman]

In addition to using anchorseal, store the blanks in black plastic bags, at least until you get them into your shop. You want to slow the drying process as much as you can to prevent cracking.

[robert baccus]

In my unumble opinion the sealer by ARTISAN is superior to anchor seal and especially anchor seal II.-----------old forester

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree the most important thing as Scott states is to get rid of the pith. I have a storage shed that I store mine in after two coats of anchorseal.

[Barry Elder]

Having used Anchorseal for many years, I highly recommend it. However, I always use two coats to retard drying. Bought a 5 gallon pail after the hurricanes of 2004 and spent many hours cutting and rounding blanks with my chainsaw (RIP), anchorsealing the endgrain, bagging them in paper sacks with woodchips to avoid mildew, noting the type of wood and date of bagging on the paper bag and stored them in my shop at a storage facility. After about 3 months I began weighing them on my digital scale and keeping the record on the paper bag. It's amazing how fast tropical wood air dry down here in Florida! I'm just about to the end of my private stash, having had cardiac by-pass surgery in August, and when I get back to turning, I'll have to beg for more, uh...wood! Get all the wood you can with all the Anchorseal you can afford and stock up on all the blanks you can keep. If you get too many, someone will always offer to take them off your hands, and you can just stand there and smile (while they make a reasonable offer)!;)

[alex grams]

Is there a way to differentiate the new formula from the old formula?

Thanks for the advice, I will take some black trashbags and sawdust to pack them in.

In regards to post-sealing turning. (please remember i am new to this vortex thingy). What are good criteria for drying/weight loss on a blank (say 3-4" thick?). I know enough to get by on drying lumber, but nothing really on drying blanks and how long to store/when to turn/etc.

Thanks again for all of the info.

[Tom Winship]

Is there a way to differentiate the new formula from the old formula?

.

Alex, the new formula is labeled Anchorseal 2 right on the can.

An Aggie Brother.

[alex grams]

well Tom, that would just be too obvious. There certainly seem to be a large number of turners from the Brazos Valley on here, I will have to make an effort to meet up with the some of the old Ags/turners sometime.

I think the pint i have is the original, but I may grab a gallon of the new stuff when I can, now that I am in the vortex...

[Dan Hintz]

Turn your roughouts to about 10% of their final diameter (e.g., a 10" diameter bowl should be roughed to a 1" wall thickness). Note the initial weight. Continue weighing every week or two... when the weight stops changing over a couple of weighings, you're ready to final turn.

[alex grams]

Dan, thanks for the info.

A few more questions on turning blanks that I've purchased.

Are blanks from yards to be treated as assuming to be green? I have a few maple blanks that are rounded. Should I treat those the same, turning them to about 10% thickness of diameter, then weighing and waiting?

Does this hold true for all blanks from woodcraft/rockler that are fully dipped in wax?

So much to learn/ask....

[Prashun Patel]

Alex- I would treat anything from a branch or trunk as 'green'.

[Dan Hintz]

Agree with Prashun on the yard stuff. Some stuff from Woodcraft may be dry, but I would treat it all as green (at the very least partially green) unless you know otherwise.

[Jon Nuckles]

You can order the original anchorseal from the maker, which I believe is UC Coatings (if not, google will tell you). It was $82 for a 5 gallon pail within the last year (including shipping). Even with the original formula, 2 coats is safer than one.

[Dan Hintz]

Yeah, the price has been slowly creeping up... When I ordered my first 5-gal pail a year and a half ago, the cost was around $70 shipped. My latest order a couple of months ago was in the mid-80's shipped.