Waiting is the hardest part

[Chris A Lawrence]

Been working at my green wood stash. Now for the hard part of waiting until they finish drying out. Time to turn some more green wood before it cracks.

[daryl moses]

Nice looking "stash".
I finish turn all of my hollowforms and vases put them in brown paper bags and lay them on the basement floor. They dry pretty fast and are usually ready to sand and finish in a couple of weeks.
Bowls on the other hand are twice turned and require several months to finish. I try to stay ahead of the game and have dozens of bowls in differing stages of drying. That way I always have a bowl ready to finish turn.

[John K Jordan]

While waiting, you might cut up some of that green wood into turning blanks. If you cut away the pith and bark and any existing cracks, then seal the endgrain and any wild grain with Anchorseal, the blanks can usually be kept indefinitely without cracking.

I do this for a supply of dry wood, but if you prefer wet you can seal all over and keep the blanks wet for longer. And you may want dry wood to turn some day - many things are better turned dry, some need to be turned from dry wood. Much of the wood I turn today I cut from green logs - dogwood, cherry, persimmon, osage orange, cedar, maple, etc. - some drying from 2006 and earlier.

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If you find yourself with more than you need, people will buy or trade for wood cut so they can see the color, figure, and any defects - far more valuable than when in log form. Our club has brought in around $1600 each of the last two years from auctioning wood blanks to members. All are cut square or squared off and cut round for bowl blanks.

If green wood will always be your thing or if pressed for turning time, you can store log chunks in good shape for a long time by submerging in clean water (ponding) or freezing.

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

John, your experience is unimpeachable, but do you really cross cut logs like that on the bandsaw? I did that once, and I almost broke my hand as the log rolled down, bent a blade and threw the log at me.

[John K Jordan]

John, your experience is unimpeachable, but do you really cross cut logs like that on the bandsaw? I did that once, and I almost broke my hand as the log rolled down, bent a blade and threw the log at me.

Yes, "like that", but never crosscuting! That picture shows a rip cut down the log. (Sorry if the picture makes it look like crosscutting.)

For those who don't know about this bandsaw hazard: NEVER CUT UNSUPPORTED!! If crosscutting a round, the leading edge is unsupported and the blade teeth will probably grab it and roll it towards the blade with a disaster happening in a nanosecond. It can kink or break the blade, break the bandsaw, or cause a serious injury. I've seen people get away with it with a dowel rod but still, NEVER CUT UNSUPPORTED!!

When crosscutting small rounds I use a v-block. It is possible to use wedges while crosscutting to keep the round from rolling but that can go bad quickly if a wedge slips. Best not to do it, or use hotmelt glue or something to hold the wedges in place. If the log needs to be shortened or cut in half, I use the chain saw.

Here are pictures showing the progression, for those who haven't done this:

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Spalted something

There are several things to know (for those who may want to try this).

First, VERY IMPORTANT: the top of the cut down the log must be directly over where it sits on the bandsaw table, all the way down the log. This is generally in the center of the top but might not be if the log is not exactly round. For cases like that, I'll skim a flat down one side with a hatchet or a chainsaw. (I use an electric chain saw inside the shop.) Alternatively (or in addition, if there is any question), I use wedges to stabilize the log so it can't roll. For extreme cases I've even fastened a board to the side with screws or hotmelt glue for the first cut.

Second, it helps a lot in later stages if the first cut is reasonably straight. In the book from which I learned this technique, the author (can't remember who) kept the cut straight by sighting down the log, adjusting the log during the cut to keep the kerf aligned with blade. This does require cranking the upper guides up some to be able to see the kerf behind the blade so I don't like this method as much. What I do is draw a line down the middle of the log with a red sharpie and a straight edge. If the first cut is not straight, the halves might rock on the table for the next cuts. In that case, I use wedges under the ends or corners as needed.

Third, important: if the log is a little too long where it might fall off the table when all the way through, I stop the cut while still well on the table and walk around and pull the log through the rest of the cut. If the log is heavy, I might get some help, warning the helper to just support and never pull to help me out! If the log is very heavy I have a sawmill out back.

If the log section is 12" or smaller, I can saw it like this on my bandsaw:

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Sassafras.

I still make sure it sits flat or use wedges, and draw a line across the top to follow.

Once the first cut is made by either method, I might trim one side by eye with the bandsaw or a hatchet, put it against the fence to make a perfectly straight cut on the other side, then proceed from there. I generally cut spindle blanks so I use a square like this (except smaller) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7CGM42 to decide where to cut. For bowl blanks I decide how best to cut based on the width and depth and whether I want the bark up or pith up in the final bowl. Once I cut a flat on both sides I stand it up on one edge and cut the round off the top. This is perfectly safe as long as the blade is well supported all the way to the table. If not, a piece of board screwed to the round side can support the cut. NEVER CUT UNSUPPORTED!!!

I have been cutting up round log sections for over 15 years now without a mishap.

Two bandsaw mantras I repeat to myself with every cut. One, have a good stance, footing, and balance. Two, imagine where the hands would go if the wood somehow magically disappeared. Say the a block suddenly split vertically along a hidden crack while pushing on the front. Sudden loss of control, especially along with a slip or loss of balance, could result in a major life change.

Yikes, I didn't mean to go off in such detail, but hey! Someone might be interested. I often have turners come to the farm and shop to get logs cut up on the sawmill or the shop bandsaw. Some have a good bandsaw but never seen this done and don't know how to even start. There are lots of variations and tricks to getting the best from the log. I'm thinking of offering a little workshop for the club, maybe have 3 or 4 people at a time come and bring log section. I'll cut, they watch! (the liability of someone else using my saw scares me)

JKJ

[Chris A Lawrence]

Nice looking "stash".
I finish turn all of my hollowforms and vases put them in brown paper bags and lay them on the basement floor. They dry pretty fast and are usually ready to sand and finish in a couple of weeks.
Bowls on the other hand are twice turned and require several months to finish. I try to stay ahead of the game and have dozens of bowls in differing stages of drying. That way I always have a bowl ready to finish turn.

All the smaller ones are turned to a 3/8 to 1/2 inch wall thickness then anchor sealed on the outside. Hoping they will be dry in a few months. The 2 small ones on the top shelf are almost there. I still have 7 log sections of cherry left so that will occupy me for awhile.