Sealing blanks

[Tim Elett]

I have three 18 inch logs for bowl turning, after cutting the pith out do I only need to seal the ends or the exposed surface also ?
The wood will be stored covered out side this winter and is at 30% dry. I am planning on rough turning over the winter.
North Indiana

[Matt Hutchinson]

Hi Tim,

If I plan on rough turning then I just seal the whole dang thing as a precaution. I'm guessing other turners may only seal the endgrain.

[Tim Elett]

Thanks Matt ,there are about twenty blanks in all ,if it's necessary to seal the entire block then I will.

[Brice Rogers]

I live in a dry climate and I typically only seal the ends and rarely have cracks or splits.

[John K Jordan]

Seal the end grain unless you took a slice off the round to make a flat spot parallel to the pith cut, then seal that cut too. Unlike the center cut which exposes the radial surface the top cut exposes the transverse surface. As wood dries the shrinkage at a transverse surface is about twice the rate as at the radial surface (depending on the species) and cracks are more likely there. Another thing you can do in this case is seal the end grain then stack the pieces so the transverse surface of each will be protected somewhat by the piece above. I use a piece of plywood or junk wood or something to help protect the top of the stack. Keep them out of the sun.

Fortunately in many parts of the country the cooler temperatures now may help the pieces to survive instead of turning to firewood. And minimize stain and rot from fungii.

Another sure way to protect blanks till winter is submerge them in water, perhaps in a plastic 55-gal drum, changing the water occasionally. Look up “ponding”. Another way is to freeze them if you have a suitable freezer. Wrapped in plastic wood will stay “fresh” for many if frozen. I did a test and after 10 years a frozen blank was still wet and like “new”.

But your info seems incomplete. You said three 18” logs then later said 20 blocks. What size? Three 18” long log sections or three long logs 18” in diameter? If the latter, best to leave the logs whole, off the ground and out of the sun, then cut the blanks as you turn them, first cutting away any cracks on the end. This is the advice of the “other” John Jordan turner, the famous one. If you’ve already cut the logs into rectangular blocks seal them all over unless you know enough about wood drying to do otherwise.

JKJ

[Randy Heinemann]

Just to be safe, I usually seal all sides of the blank. That way I am reasonably sure it will not dry much farther than it already is. I do sometimes just seal endgrain if I'm in a hurry, but I have had a couple of blanks fail when I did that so, now I most often seal the whole piece.

[Tim Elett]

487455This is a platter from a blank,I think the wood is worth saving for practice turning, thanks for the replys.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I live in the wetter part of the country - the extreme upper left hand corner (Pacific Northwest). If I cut blanks from logs I seal the ends only, stack outside and cover with a tarp until I'm ready to rough them out. That way They're ready to go when I am. With many years now, I've only lost a very few blanks and most of them became hollow form material...seems to work just fine.

[John Kananis]

487455This is a platter from a blank,I think the wood is worth saving for practice turning, thanks for the replys.

Is that red oak?

[Tim Elett]

I believe it is,but I am not a wood expert.

[Reed Gray]

Titebond or Elmers glue work great for sealing end grain.

robo hippy

[Tim Elett]

Thanks Reed,that's what I have been using, I have been busy, cutting logs for bowls is a lot of work!

[Neil Strong]

I cut logs to bowl length (plus a margin) and immediately rip down the pith line, and bag in plastic bin liners.

I'm currently working my way through a blackwood log offered to me last week...


487734...487735

487736...487737



If you don't have enough available time to green turn them before the mould gets to them, then some other form of sealing may be required. But, the time to seal them is yet another step I like to avoid.

So, I only accept logs that I know I can bag and wet turn before they develop mould, which I know is a luxury that not every turner has...:)

[Prashun Patel]

If you cannot rough out until the winter, my advice is to leave the logs in tact. Seal the ends and cover with a tarp. Check it every week for bugs etc.

Cutting them into "D's" but leaving them outside - even sealed - can still lead to checking. Leaving the logs whole, with the bark on, will more than likely leave much of the center in pristine condition.

You do have to watch for bugs.