Seasoning hardwood?

[MotherCharlotte]

We were on a picnic today at a city park, and my husband came upon some city workers unloading some chunks of Ash log at a dumping area at the edge of the park (they had just cut down the tree, I assume it was dead).

After they left my husband loaded a few hunks of log into the car and brought them home. He does a lot of woodworking and he was thinking of maybe making some bowls out of the wood. Or maybe some toys. But he's not sure how long he should wait, to season the wood. He's only been into woodworking a couple of years and he's only so far used boughten wood.

Any advice? Thank you in advance. :)

[Drawbar]

If he turns it on a lathe, hewill want to turn it green. If he doesn't, hewillspend hours sharpening histools instead of making shavings.

As a side note, he should turn his wood down to about 1/16th within what he wants, then set the bowls to dry for a few months. After it warps and twists, he can go back and turn down the rest and make a finished turning.

If he is using the wood for flat work like tables, chairs and that sort of thing, he will have to wait until its dry. First he will have to saw the wood into boards while its green, and then dry the boards. It takes about a year for the wood to dry.

Here is a link to my website regarding the best way to dry wood for woodworking:

http://www.railroadmachinist.com/Wood-Drying-One.html

[MotherCharlotte]

That's great info Drawbar, thanks!

[Vinland]

I turn bowls myself, and yes green wood is better. If he wants he can coat the ends of the log with 'Anchorseal' to preserve it so it wont crack, or 'check'. The advise about turning it then letting it dry is also good info. If he doesn't have the patience...a turner by the name of Mike Mahoney has a technique for drying your almost finished bowl in the microwave. This isn't his site...but one with useful info for drying nonetheless.
Happy Turning!
http://www.djmarks.com/stories/djm/alternative_ways_to_dry_wood_turnings_91744.asp

[cubcadet]

Drawbar,
I wonder if you know the best way to keep sections of wood from checking and splitting while air drying it. I have the base of what I believe to be maple, in a very interesting shape, hoping to slice it into slabs, planing them into thin pieces to make into clocks. The wood came from a tree that was already dead when felled. I got the wood for firewood. The piece in question is about 1 foot thick, and has no bark on it. It is very heavy, being the base of the bole, and is saturated with water. Any suggestions?

[Drawbar]

Oh no, not this question.

Just joshing you,though every time it comes up there is a huge controversy on it. Basically yes there is a product you can buy to coat the ends of wood you don't want to check and split. Now for some stupid reason I cannot think of the brand name of it (I just worked a 12 hour day in the woods and my mind is shot tonight).

Anyway if you google up Green Wood End Sealer, you will find a variety of products...However....

I don't think they work that good. I have tried them, and you still get splits and checks. Now some people claim that latex paint works just as good. I have tried this and still get splits and checks.

In my solar kiln where I air dry my wood, I just have come to the conclusion that I am going to lose some wood on end of each board. Now considering my circumstances (plenty of trees and a sawmill) losing a bit of wood is no big deal.

If I was you, and I had a special piece I was trying to save the most out of, I would go with the latex paint trick. You probably have some kicking around the house anyway, just slop it on good and thick and it should help you out better then nothing. If you want to go all out, you can buy that Green Wood End Sealer stuff for around 21 bucks a gallon, but I think its only marginally better then paint.

As for the controversy, some people get right sideways mad when you suggest that end sealer stuff doesn't work very good, or that paint is not much better then that. Myself I got better things to argue about. Either way you got two choices to try. Hope this helps. ???

[cubcadet]

Drawbar,
Thanks for the insight. I`ll give it a whack.

[jott]

I have used paraffin wax melt it and brush it on. The other thing to remember is the slower the wood dries that less likely it is to crack. After I make a bowl I normally plan on it being for food use so I mix up wax and mineral oil and coat it well, that way it will dry very slowly. You can buy food safe wax oil for bowls and cutting board but it you look into it most of them are just wax (bees or paraffin) and mineral oil.