Thread: help please! Curing wood.

You could melt the beeswax and dip the log ends into it if poss.

An easier alternative would be to buy some end-grain sealer and paint 2 coats on, but for fresh cut wood the sooner you seal the better. You could just wrap the ends in Glad Wrap while you source some sealer.

A better option than bees wax is paraffin wax which you melt in a large electric frypan. It's more durable than bees wax.

Some woods are going to check regardless. If for bowls, rough turning them while green and then dealing with the drying (there are various options) is often more reliable and certainly quicker than trying to dry logs or full blanks.

Good luck.

Have you split the log in half lengthways? If you haven't done this, then there is a 99% chance that'll split regardless of sealing the ends

Good point.

And don't just split the log but cut the pith out so that's 2 rip cuts.

Re bark, mostly I don't find it a problem but I take it off if poss with fruit and nut woods. Almond (the nut type) needs not only the bark but also the sapwood removed or else checking is guaranteed. So really it should be rough turned.

see if this works i aint no expert with microsoft paint .
but this is roughly how you need to cut your log to assist in stopping it splitting plus seal the ends asap.

Just to put a spanner in Spanner's works - if it came from Mt BartleFrere it's most likely going to be a very wet, tropical rainforest species so shrinkage is an odds-on bet. Even living in Townsville's warmth won't allow you to get away with parrafin wax on it's own as it's too rigid when the cooler weather kicks in and it simply cracks away as the wood shrinks - far better to blend in a little beeswax so it stays flexible and holds the seal.
My motto is - and if you can remove the bark, do so! - most staining starts from the bark and heads inwards.
Surest way to avoid cracking and staining is rough it out green, and as a recent convert to the process, soak it in a detergent solution for a couple of months before air drying.
If you haven't got time to turn it now, split the log down the heart so that radial shrinkage doesn't ruin it for you. Don't worry if you dont get it exactly down the pith - in most species the side with the pith will only crack to the pith on the sawn side anyway so you've lost nothing
Then again, if it's Sandalwood, just seal the ends, kick back and grin - very unlikely to split at all.

thanks very much for your advice everyone.

I was hopeing to be able to keep it a whole log and try and do a really large urn type turning but I guess this will not be achievable.

Oh well saw here I come.

Originally Posted by Spanner69

...........I was hopeing to be able to keep it a whole log and try and do a really large urn type turning but I guess this will not be achievable................

Should have said so in the first place If you're turning a hollow form you can get away with turning it straight from a green log with most timbers if you follow a few simple guidelines.
1. Turn it ASAP
2. Keep the wall thickness as even as possible and the thinner the better, but leave enough to true it later if you want a good finish.
3. If you can't finish the turning in one session, wrap a plastic bag around it until you can get back to it.
4. Drying -
a) Some timbers you can get away with just wrapping the outside with paper so it can still breathe, leaving the opening uncovered so the inside can dry quicker.
b). For a better chance of success, leave it soak in a detergent/water solution for a couple of months, then air dry it for another couple.
Note - some timbers will split no matter what you do

All this typing wasted if you've already split it

FWIW I've been using a mix of paraffin with some bees wax down here in Melb and while I've found it to be more flexible than paraffin alone, I store the big stuff outside under tarps and it degrades more quickly.

As for the pith, you might as well cut it all away at the blocking down session; it's just another rip cut and that's quicker than turning the pith away on the lathe and easier than sawing an octagonal blank.

thanks Ern I've just learned to use Bing Translator


I suppose at least the French don't play cricket

I was out of log sealer once, and while rummaging through my flammable liquids cabinet found some old cans of oil finish that I was never going to use, so put that on the ends of the logs. Works fine.

robo hippy

Did it stick to dripping wet log ends robo hippy?

It doesn't stick as much as it soaks in. I also used some Thompsons Water Seal, and an acrylic water based finish that I had for some floor work I did. All seem to work well. It penetrates and cures.

robo hippy

Hi Spanner 69,
I use old acrylic house paint on mine - but I usually give it at least two and if time three coats and ensure that you paint down about 75 mm, then store in dry place and cover with (say) tarp. I have found that works altho from time to time you do get cracks mainly around the bark edge, so if you can remove some and then seal, it would be better. Hope this helps, Drillit.

Thanks very much my good people.

I will attempt to green turn it and leave some for trueing up.

I should have given you ALL the inform,ation first up but this was also for future log harvesting and general knowledge.

I have an Aborist mate who often leaves me good sized logs of interesting woods.

Thanks every one once again.