how do i keep my disected wood from cracking out?

[ClimbinArbor]

ok so heres what ive got guys. sanded and polyurethaned(sp) all cuts and left the bark untouched. after 3 weeks no major splitting, but there is a little.

is there a way of curing my specimens to keep the rays from splitting? or am i allready on the right track?

from what ive seen of shigos old disections they are split 9 ways from sunday. im hoping to keep this from happening to mine.

all help is appreciated as always.

 

[TreeTopKid]

ok so heres what ive got guys. sanded and polyurethaned(sp) all cuts and left the bark untouched. after 3 weeks no major splitting, but there is a little.

is there a way of curing my specimens to keep the rays from splitting? or am i allready on the right track?

from what ive seen of shigos old disections they are split 9 ways from sunday. im hoping to keep this from happening to mine.

all help is appreciated as always.

The only way I've found to stop wood cracking out (and I don't know how big you're talking about) was to take the bole whole preferably or in two to three large sections roll it onto some pieces of cord as bearers underneath a damp shady place ( i used to put them under a this boggy hedge for a wood turner guy) then throw a canvas tarpaulin over the top, and keep your eye on them. If the ground around them starts to dry out give them a good soak including the ground all around the wood. In the UK where it's damp and cold it used to take 12 months before you could pull them out some times 6 months longer.

When you roll them out to do what you do with them the cracking you see should only be on the first inch or two of wood. I used to saw the cracked surfaces off and deliver them to wood turner man for a nice fee.

Hope this helps. I've just re-read your posts and realize you are using them for experimentation. It should work the same but if you are trying to keep bugs and fungus off this will not work.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

using them for visual aid for customers, and my own personal joy lol.

 

[TreeTopKid]

using them for visual aid for customers, and my own personal joy lol.

Should be fine for that. I kept one or two myself. My favorite was a cross section of a stem from a Leyland Cypress that I was tied into the top snapped off and I fell 20ft to the bottom of the tree attached to the the top section. I was totally unharmed the conifer section broke my fall. The reason it had snapped was due to some one tying some cord around the tree when it was young and over time it had got higher in the air resulting in a section of stem eight inches wide above the cord, and four inches below hence the snap! I used it as a training aid for anyone that climbed for me. I totally overlooked it on my way up the tree.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You need to keep it in a cool place that is not too dry or damp.

I put my bowl blanks and rough turns in a paper bag and keep them in the garage or basement for a few months. Take the bags off every week or so to let them dry a bit and check progress

The bags help keep a more constant humidity around the wood so that they do not dry too fast, which causes the rapid movement resulting in checking and cracking

 

[ClimbinArbor]

eww bad deal treetop! nice to have a cross section of that though.

so it sounds like all i need to do is keep it from drying out on me to fast. i guess i was on the right track after all lol.

thx guys

 

[capetrees]

Basically, its a slow cure that you want, not to remove the moisture from the wood too fast. Like firewood, it could take quite some time. Best is to do as described above, keeping it in a cool damp place so the natural moisture leaves the wood on its own. Put it away for a while and forget about it.

 

[TreeTopKid]

You need to keep it in a cool place that is not too dry or damp.

I put my bowl blanks and rough turns in a paper bag and keep them in the garage or basement for a few months. Take the bags off every week or so to let them dry a bit and check progress

The bags help keep a more constant humidity around the wood so that they do not dry too fast, which causes the rapid movement resulting in checking and cracking

You make bowls? I'd love to see some. I've got a thing about making mushrooms. I'll post some pics. I love to make stuff out of the timber I create it sort of immortalizes the tree.

 

[Lumberjacked]

if you are simply trying to keep specimen cross sections from drying out I would apply olive oil to the boards every couple of months or so. This is a common practice to keep butcher blocks from drying out and cracking. The olive oil actually brings out the grain of the wood too so in terms of showing customers certain things it might be a beneficial side effect.

 

[ClimbinArbor]

good idea on the oil, to bad ive allready polyed them lol

 

[BC WetCoast]

Should be fine for that. I kept one or two myself. My favorite was a cross section of a stem from a Leyland Cypress that I was tied into the top snapped off and I fell 20ft to the bottom of the tree attached to the the top section. I was totally unharmed the conifer section broke my fall. The reason it had snapped was due to some one tying some cord around the tree when it was young and over time it had got higher in the air resulting in a section of stem eight inches wide above the cord, and four inches below hence the snap! I used it as a training aid for anyone that climbed for me. I totally overlooked it on my way up the tree.

Not to hijack the thread, but that string didn't get any higher than when it was tied (well maybe a couple of inches but that's it). Glad you were unhurt.

 

[(WLL)]

you could pre check your cross sections.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You make bowls? I'd love to see some. I've got a thing about making mushrooms. I'll post some pics. I love to make stuff out of the timber I create it sort of immortalizes the tree.

here are a few old pics

The first is a bur oak stub burl

the second is the bottom if a burl bowl in Russian olive with a silver maple bowl in the background

third pic is a mahogany vase, silver maple vase, bot hollow form, and the R. olive mini challis is my first complete turning.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Inside the r. olive bowl. This was a b-day present for my Mom, which she still likes to pick up and look at. :blob:

 

[ClimbinArbor]

very nice jps!

ill see if i cant get some of my cross section and candle holder pics up. been making some really nice tealight and 2.5" candle holders out of post oaks. dunno if i can on this comp or not.....

 

[ClimbinArbor]

also

my old man made some real nice pens for me and my sister out of a 70 y/o oak that came down a couple years ago. it got caught in a tornado when it was young and was twisted about 8 or 9 times all the way to the top. bout broke his heart when that one came down lol, beautiful tree. see if i cant get a pic up of it too

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

A few years ago we took down a 14 inch ash that was +75 y/o. It was at the bottom of a 70* bluff on Lake Michigan and I was really put off that we could not get anything up the hill, that tight grain would have looked so cool.

 

[TreeTopKid]

here are a few old pics

The first is a bur oak stub burl

the second is the bottom if a burl bowl in Russian olive with a silver maple bowl in the background

third pic is a mahogany vase, silver maple vase, bot hollow form, and the R. olive mini challis is my first complete turning.

WOW! They are extremely good. I,m probably going to get my butt kicked if I post my mushroom pictures now but I did take some pictures yesterday.

I'm very impressed.

 

[TreeTopKid]

very nice jps!

ill see if i cant get some of my cross section and candle holder pics up. been making some really nice tealight and 2.5" candle holders out of post oaks. dunno if i can on this comp or not.....

Now I see your problem! Post Oak is very hard to dry without cracking. I haven't carved with that but I use it for BBQ and it cracks to pieces.

 

[TreeTopKid]

here are a few old pics

The first is a bur oak stub burl

the second is the bottom if a burl bowl in Russian olive with a silver maple bowl in the background

third pic is a mahogany vase, silver maple vase, bot hollow form, and the R. olive mini challis is my first complete turning.

Sorry for the delay John the photos were compressed on my wife's schedule! They're not as good as your bowls but I did say I would post photos! They were carved with a chainsaw though as you can probably tell!