large diameter cookies

[striperswaper]

anybody have experience making table tops out large diameter "cookies" or what the cut is called?
drying?
thickness?
placing in water to stabilize like the old timber that is removed from lakes and rivers?
thanks for your help

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

anybody have experience making table tops out large diameter "cookies" or what the cut is called?
drying?
thickness?
placing in water to stabilize like the old timber that is removed from lakes and rivers?
thanks for your help

I have an artist friend that sculpts in several varieties of wood. His method is to glue newspaper over the cut ends of his billets with Elmer's glue and set them aside for 5 years to let the moisture evaporate through the bark ... I know that's a long time to wait but it works for him ... if you don't do that it will crack & check (whatever) ... however, that's the best I got ... good luck

Jack

 

[ROOTSXROCKS]

I think it is inevitable that the outer wood which is less dense than the inner wood will shrink more than the heart and eventually check no matter the moisture content, or time.

However you Might prevent it by cutting out the inner heart and reassembling the round after drying. or perhaps a spiral cut and reglue.

it is inevitable that there will be a crack, you just have a choice as to wither it is left to random chance or you control were the wood will give way.

 

[Backwoods]

I have talked at length with a local artist about this subject, and at best, it seems to be a crapshoot. Picking the right log while the sap is down, one that has minimal stress to it, placing a band around it before making the cuts, then sealing the ends immediately after making the cuts, and submerging it in water for a few years will help the odds, adding a water softener will help with the absorption of the water between the cells.

Just sticking a piece under the house or in the barn and hoping for the best does not give you very good odds.

There has been some successes in drying cookies in vacuum kilns as well.

 

[billstuewe]

How large are you talking about?

This Live oak log was 52" across at the widest and was 12" long--I sliced three 3" cookies and one 2" from it. Three of the slices I coated both sides with three coats of anchorseal--this was in 5/2004--They have not started checking to date. One of the 3" slices I took in my shop, fresh sawn (green) and planed flat with my router, then sanded to 150 grit, occasionally wiping with denatured alcohol to slightly dry the surface to aid in sanding. I did some research on which epoxy would have the least blush if I trapped the moisture in and found Jamestown Supply,( jamestowndistributors.com ) and used their Mas Epoxy. I put 3 coats on all sides including bark. When dry I set it on an old feed store dolly that I had welded some risers to in my livingroom . That was in 2004. I had no cracks until this past year, one large crack has formed in one of the trunks. My plan all along has been to slow the drying down as much as possible (3 coats of epoxy) and when it is completely dry--aclimated to my living room--then I will take it back to my shop and sand it down and fill the new cracks with epoxy and refinish it properly. I do not know what difference it made in the cracking that there were 4 trunks inside this one tree. My advice--let it crack and then fill with epoxy.
Good luck, Bill

 

[RVALUE]

How large are you talking about?

This Live oak log was 52" across at the widest and was 12" long--I sliced three 3" cookies and one 2" from it. Three of the slices I coated both sides with three coats of anchorseal--this was in 5/2004--They have not started checking to date. One of the 3" slices I took in my shop, fresh sawn (green) and planed flat with my router, then sanded to 150 grit, occasionally wiping with denatured alcohol to slightly dry the surface to aid in sanding. I did some research on which epoxy would have the least blush if I trapped the moisture in and found Jamestown Supply,( jamestowndistributors.com ) and used their Mas Epoxy. I put 3 coats on all sides including bark. When dry I set it on an old feed store dolly that I had welded some risers to in my livingroom . That was in 2004. I had no cracks until this past year, one large crack has formed in one of the trunks. My plan all along has been to slow the drying down as much as possible (3 coats of epoxy) and when it is completely dry--aclimated to my living room--then I will take it back to my shop and sand it down and fill the new cracks with epoxy and refinish it properly. I do not know what difference it made in the cracking that there were 4 trunks inside this one tree. My advice--let it crack and then fill with epoxy.
Good luck, Bill

Nice job, nice post. Live oak may respond better tnan others.

 

[striperswaper]

the tree is an almost dead elm about 4 ft DBH

 

[BobL]

Bill - that cookie is just awesome!!

It's probably not checking because it is actually 4 co-joined trunks which probably hold each other from splitting.

 

[billstuewe]

Thanks, It is a spectacular piece of wood and I get lots of coments on it. Here is another angle on it showing the table base--maybe it will give someone ideas.

Here is a shot of it while I had it on my bench finishing it up--the white lines at the top are floresent light tube reflections.

Here is how I cut it--prior to my owning an AK mill

 

[billstuewe]

striperswaper----" the tree is an almost dead elm about 4 ft DBH "

I did an elm back in 1997. I got it from the front of the school where my wife taught. It was removed for expansion and the science teacher wanted a slice from it to practice counting the rings (about 72). It was about 24" in diameter. I would go for it.

 

[sleddude5]

You may have a better chance at limiting the cracks by sawing your cookie slab at a 45 degree angle instead of a square sawn 90 degrees. I have had luck with this in the past.

Jerry C

 

[discounthunter]

WOW,sweet cookies! i have 3 pecan cookies in the shed 1 with a band strap ,one coated in sealer ,and one el natural. they were cut in june and are roughly 3" think. so far no noticable cracks except bark shrinkage.

 

[billstuewe]

Pecan is pretty--I have a few of those as well--End Tables?

 

[SilverBox]

How large are you talking about?

This Live oak log was 52" across at the widest and was 12" long--I sliced three 3" cookies and one 2" from it. Three of the slices I coated both sides with three coats of anchorseal--this was in 5/2004--They have not started checking to date. One of the 3" slices I took in my shop, fresh sawn (green) and planed flat with my router, then sanded to 150 grit, occasionally wiping with denatured alcohol to slightly dry the surface to aid in sanding. I did some research on which epoxy would have the least blush if I trapped the moisture in and found Jamestown Supply,( jamestowndistributors.com ) and used their Mas Epoxy. I put 3 coats on all sides including bark. When dry I set it on an old feed store dolly that I had welded some risers to in my livingroom . That was in 2004. I had no cracks until this past year, one large crack has formed in one of the trunks. My plan all along has been to slow the drying down as much as possible (3 coats of epoxy) and when it is completely dry--aclimated to my living room--then I will take it back to my shop and sand it down and fill the new cracks with epoxy and refinish it properly. I do not know what difference it made in the cracking that there were 4 trunks inside this one tree. My advice--let it crack and then fill with epoxy.
Good luck, Bill

Awesome.

 

[billstuewe]

Thanks, Silverbox-----

 

[ROOTSXROCKS]

Very Nice, I really like your set up for cutting gives me inspiration.

 

[Homelite]

In the latest issue of Sawmill and Woodlot, there is an article on drying cookies. If anyone would like the info, PM me and I can see about scanning it and sending the info.