[OP]
Contributor
A cherry tree fell the end of last winter and i just got around to cutting the crotch. I cut it out last night, sealed the ends and cut it this morning. I assume it will want to crack/split, should i seal it with Anchorseal and let it dry slowly?
Thanks
Brian
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The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
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Member
Hi Brian,
I'm new to cutting my own bowl blanks, so keep the salt shaker handy. I let some cherry sit for over a year before splitting and sealing. Overall, the cherry was pretty forgiving, and didn't split that much. Maple mistreated in the same manner split more readily. Those pieces look too interesting to throw in the firewood pile. Unless space is a premium, it's worth a shot. I don't think sealing the long grain is recommended, but I'm willing to be educated...
Cheers,
Brian
Member
What do you want to make with it?
[OP]
Contributor
Thanks Brian. Since i only had time to to make the one cut I went ahead and sealed the long grain. I should be able to make the second cuts today, if the rain stops......
Bill, the plan is to make the next cut to about 2 1/2" thickness, dry it in a homemade kiln then trim the ends and join it to make a small table top. Basically just move the 2 pieces together
The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
The penalty for inaccuracy is more work
Contributor
When I dry stuff like that I do it outdoors and under a tree so it dries slowly. A year from now you can take it in.
Member
Coming from another turner...the longer you're going to let the logs sit before you get around to turning, the longer you need to leave them so that once they split, you can cut the splits out and still have usable wood left.Originally Posted by Brian Dehmlow
For turning, I generally cut log sections 18-24" in length, cut the pith out, then seal the end grain with Anchorseal, and overlap to the long grain a couple inches. from the keep the leftover "pith slab", I further cut the pith out and discard, then cut the remainder into small platter or bowl blanks, or spindle blanks.
Moderator
The staability also depends on the tree. I cut one big cherry so stable that even unsealed rounds left in the sun never split, even after several years. Others would start to check while you looked at them.
For drying, I like seal the end grain and cut as much away as I know I'm not going to use. Where the exposed figure is wild like crotch figure I seal those surfaces too. I use anchorseal but pour about an inch into a plastic coffee can and let it dry out for a day or so and thicken a little which gives me a thicker coat of wax.
I dry things like that indoors on shelves. I weigh the wood every few months and when the weight quits changing the wood is dry.
Those pieces look like they already have voids down the middle. Hard to guess how they will hold up over the next year or so, especially after slabbing to 2.5". If it comes apart in the middle it will still make nice spindle turning blanks.
JKJ
Moderator
Your instinct may be to salvage the widest possible cross section, but that will likely contain the pith(s). The pith is more likely to split than even the crotch seam. So, if you can, slab out sections just above and below the pith. You can try to dry the pith slab, but YMMV.
[OP]
Contributor
Well i decided clean up the chainsawn surfaces (with a hand plane) and put it in a Jerry-rigged kiln in my basement with a few fans, heat-lamps and dehumidifier. I also stacked some 2" thick walnut on top, 6 pieces.
Kept the "kiln" at ~100 degrees for 3 weeks and then, when the humidity in the kiln held steady at 8-12%, i raised the temp to 120-130 for 4 days. At that point the meter said it was 12% MC and i turned off the heat and left the fans on for a few days. Some minor cracks and the area around the pith swelled up a bit but no major damage.
I've never tried drying before so this just an experiment, just did some reading and went for it.
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The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
The penalty for inaccuracy is more work
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