Preserving Slabs

[Aaron Buys]

Well I just cut up some cherry slabs from the trees my parents needed cut down. I've got six really nice peices in my shop now but I know I'm not going to be able to rough turn them into bowls for a while. Is it sufficent to just seal the end grain for the time being or do I need to remove the pith also? If so, whats the best method for pith removal? Also, whats the preferred sealer around here?

Thanks!

[George Morris]

Aaron check out Bill Grumbine web site Wonderfull Wood. He has a vidio on bowl blanks. I cut down thru pith and seal ends with end grain wood sealer. George

[Glenn Hodges]

Aaron you will have better luck if you remove the pith. I always leave them a little longer because they will crack a little. I have good luck painting at least 2 or more coats of the ends with Anchorseal. You will probably have even better luck if you can leave them in log lengths. I have used parrifin wax also. Good luck cherry is one of my favorites.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Ditto what Glenn said. I've cut a fair number of flitch slabs with a chainsaw mill, and every single one that has pith in it cracked while drying, even with the ends sealed. With some logs its impossible to avoid, especially without an automatic turner on a big bandmill!:D

[Paul Engle]

Aaron , rule of thumb for commerical stuff is " seal any cut surface" , one finds the blanks in the retail stores completely sealed not just the ends, if you have the bark on ,then just the ends sealed will slow down the moisture loss but not keep it totally from checking and major cracking will not be as sever., my guess is one of the liquid wax sealers that the woodworking stors sell , I pretty much use latex pain with 2 coats and that helps mostly except for the fruit wood and ..... I don't think there is a lot of sucess with it , I get major wood movement over the first 6 months...

[robert baccus]

forget the latex paint---it is formulated to be almost transparent to moisture. the end sealers(all the same) are a waterborn version of parafin wax--highly resistant to moisture movement. buy it by the gallon or 5.-----------ol forester

[Nathan Hawkes]

Aaron, this is the cheapest place to find wax end sealer, if that is the route you go. I used 5 gal bucket of it, and just got the "winterized" formula for my second bucket, which is a little runnier and messier, but won't be ruined if it gets below freezing outside.

https://www.uccoatings.com/