Anchor Seal part 3

[Ed Lang]

I cut off the split ends and sealed up the logs. They are stacked on pallets that are up on bricks. Covered with a tarp but with plenty of ventilation area.

When I cut bowl blanks either with the chain saw or on the bandsaw, I do remove the pith. Should I anchor seal the bowl blanks or will they be OK since the pith is removed? Should I just seal the endgrain or the entire blank?

I want to cut some large blanks now and have them ready in three months when I just might have something to turn them on. Right now I have a Jet mini and the bowl blanks I am cutting are larger than my entire lathe!

Now to go and find more wood...

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Ed,

You are doing this is the correct order! Get the wood before the lathe! That way when you do get a monster lathe, you will be able to turn on it without having to search for wood :)

[Barbara Gill]

When I cut blanks I coat all sawn surfaces with Anchorseal. Depending upon the size of the blank I will put 2-4 coats on the end grain. Even this will not prevent end cracks with really large pieces but it will slow it down.

[Ed Lang]

Glad I bought a 5 gallon pail of Anchor Seal! Sounds like I will need it.

I thought my 18" bar on the saw would be all I needed.... Well..... I cannot cut the trunk in two even by cutting from both sides! Now that is going to be a bowl blank! Maybe I can turn a small pond.

Thanks for the suggestions and information.

[John Shuk]

There really is no reason to slather the stuff all over the blanks. Just the endgrain and maybe about an inch in from the ends on the face grain. I would cut the blanks as soon as practical and then seal the endgrain. That is what I do and it seems to work. Some will crack no matter what. I also try to saw my blanks to minimize the chance of cracking ie. quarter saw if possible or try to balance the width of the growth rings on both sides of the blanks.

[Jim Becker]

Why the tarp? It just retains a lot more moisture and could cause rot quickly.

[Ed Lang]

Jim,

My thought was to keep direct rain off and since the ends are not covered there is air flow the length of the logs. the tarp is black 30mil plastic that just happened to be cut the exact width of the logs.