Drying Timber

[Don Nethercott]

I have just got hold of almost a complete camphor laurel tree. Some rather large lumps of timber, but what magnificent colours. It has been dead for 12 months, but is still pretty green. It has been cut into manageable lengths.

My question - what is the best way to dry this timber so it doesn't crack, etc?

Thanks for your assistance.
Don

[ubeaut]

Get it out of the round as soon as possible to avoid radial cracking. Then seal the ends with wax, either paraffin or beeswax or a mixture of the two. This will turn off the tap and fource the wood to dry through the long grain. Store it away from direct heat, alowing allow good airflow around it.

Do a search here for stickering out and drying for more info.

If you intend turning the timber it would be best to cut it into bowl blanks and seal the whole outside with wax by melting it in an old frypan or similar then rolling the blank through it like a wheel. Don't seal the faces unless you want to keep them for green turning. Don't use MobilCerM or other similar sealer they are often drawn deep into the endgrain of camphor laurel and will cause ugly staining on a finished article.

Hope this helps.

Cheers - Neil http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by ubeaut (edited 28 March 2002).]

[rsser]

Don't forget that you can turn the green wood as well. Either rough out some bowls and then dry, or turn fully at one go and sit back to see how she warps - you can produce some art this way!

Use Google to search groups on turning and drying green wood. You'll find heaps of tips.

Is MobilCerm available in Australia? I've been asking around with no luck.

How does it work with timber other than C. Laurel?

Cheers,

Ern

[Richard Casey]

Ern, Mobilcer M is still around but it is a lot thinner than it used to be, now suitable for spray appplication. You just have to put on two coats. It is now made by a company called Fosroc and we buy it in Townsville from Parbury Building Products who I think are all across Aus.
Regards from the sunny north.

[Baz]

Hi Ern,
I use Caltex Timber Sealer, about $75 for 20 litres, available at your local Caltex Depot.
Cheers
Barry

[Hoffy]

I use BP end grain sealer available from BP depot for abotu $75 for 20 ltrs

Keith

[JackoH]

I am told that acryllic paint (water based) slathered on the end grain works as well as anything. It also uses up all those left over dregs in the tins after redecorating the house for 'er indoors.Cheap to!
Regards John H. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/cool.gif

[Kev Y.]

John H, From experience.. I can tell you that Acrylic paint does not seal as well as oil based paint. acrylic still lets the moisture move out of the end grain!.

kev

[Harry]

Don what do you call manageable lengths? I'd look around for someone with a portable mill to slab or board your tree up for you then take advice of the posts above as you will. What do you intend to do with the wood anyway sounds like you have a little work ahead of you. All the best.

[JackoH]

Fair enough Brudda! Oil based it is.
Regards, John H.

[Don Nethercott]

Thanks folks for all the advice - it has been very helpful.
A few replies to comments/questions asked - someone may find them useful.
manageable lengths - I cut the trunk into lengths approx equal to or slightly larger than the diameter.
These lengths were then cut down the middle on larger blocks. On smaller blocks I took a piece off each side. These may still crack - I guess I'll find out.
I sealed all ends with paraffin/beeswax mixture 80/20 ratio - I took neils advice there in that some of the other sealants may stain camphor laurel.
Finding paraffin was a pain - forget the hardware stores and their 200g blocks - I got 1kg packets of pellets from an art supplies store - they keep it for candle making. I've sealed quite a number of blocks and the mixture seens to go a long way.
Yes I have a lot of work ahead - but that is a year or two away as it will take that long to dry.

Will sumbit another question on turning green wood that some of you may want to tackle.

Thanks again.
Don

[Tim the Timber Turner]

One fo the cheapest sources of parafin wax is household candles. 68 cents for a packet of 6 from supermarket. This works out to the same as the best price I could get for a 20kg block. Much easier to use and as a bonus you get a whole heap of realy useful bits of string.

[ubeaut]

Go to your local beekeeper and get some beeswax. Mix this with paraffin for a much better tack to the timber also good to seal bowl blanks for turning green at a later date.

Candles contain steric acid which is a hardener and will usually fall off the timber after a while if the wood is really green when the wax is applied.

If it is of any help we usually have on hand 50-100 kg of paraffin in pastel form here and also the odd 6kg block these sell for around $4 per kg

Cheers - Neil

[Yip]

With water based acrylic paints you may need to seal the ends a couple of times. The first coat bleeds on wet timber and may take a while to dry. Apply the second coat a few hours later or the next day even if the first has not dried yet. Apply a third coat if required. The later coats seem to dry on top of the first which then eventually dries.

Anything that provides an air tight seal should work.

Paul Kane

[micka]

Hi, I am new to the forum and just wondering where is the best place to buy the wood sealants these days. I am having trouble locating it, especially locally (Newcastle area). Would appreciate any assistance

cheers

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Any searches here (ie. on these forums) on "wood sealers" will throw up a lot of references to Mobilcer-C or Mobilcer-M.

They're no longer sold as such, instead it's "Mobil Log Sealer." I'm not sure whether it's -C or -M or some other mix, but that's what they sell. :~:shrug:

I've never tried the BP or Caltex sealers (as mentioned by Hoffy & Baz) but I'd imagine they're basically the same thing.

All three are (or were) available from the relevant Depot... and there should be one near you

[micka]

Any searches here (ie. on these forums) on "wood sealers" will throw up a lot of references to Mobilcer-C or Mobilcer-M.

They're no longer sold as such, instead it's "Mobil Log Sealer." I'm not sure whether it's -C or -M or some other mix, but that's what they sell. :~:shrug:

I've never tried the BP or Caltex sealers (as mentioned by Hoffy & Baz) but I'd imagine they're basically the same thing.

All three are (or were) available from the relevant Depot... and there should be one near you

:D Many thanks, it is some time since I have had to purchase it and it appeared to disappear :~ Will make a few calls to the local depots.
Seems like a nice forum :wink:

[micka]

Found it at Caltex depot. Not used their brand before but will give it a go. Should be milling a log very soon :U

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

:2tsup: