Commercial Bowl Blank Cracking

I got a piece of ambrosia maple 200 X 200 X 125mm from an estate about 2 years ago. It had been dipped in wax and has been in my dirt floored basement shop on a shelf since. From the dirt imbedded in the wax the previous owner had it for years.

Two nights ago I roughed the outside and left it until tonight. I noticed three hair line cracks radiating from the bottom on the two end grain sides. The center of the log would be about a 30mm below the bottom of the bowl.

After hollowing, with a wall thickness of about 18mm, I noticed the cracks had opened up a bit more.

I thought the expensive wax coated blanks were not supposed to crack.

I will set this one aside for a couple of weeks to do whatever it pleases, then wedge open the cracks, run in some CA, put a big hose clamp around it and tighten. Then I'll finish.

Comments please.

Wax coated blanks dry more slowly, which helps avoid cracking, but some wood just want to crack and can't be avoided only minimised.

Was the whole thing wax coated? It seems to read that way from your posting. That might have retained a degree of moisture in the blank until you cut it then the last moisture escapes and causes the cracking.

Shame - it sounds like a lovely piece of wood.

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Originally Posted by dr4g0nfly

Was the whole thing wax coated? It seems to read that way from your posting. That might have retained a degree of moisture in the blank until you cut it then the last moisture escapes and causes the cracking.

Shame - it sounds like a lovely piece of wood.

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As the basement is somewhat damp, the blank could have retained moisture or picked up some. Recent weather is dry and windy and I am running the wood boiler on the other side of the basement. So the change in humidity could have caused the cracking.

Almost all of the expensive blanks I see in stores are wax dipped. Mostly off shore timber.

The blank will not be wasted. I'll glue up the cracks and finish it, but let it sit around in the house for a month or two before putting it in the shop. Just in case it wants to do some more moving.

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As the basement is somewhat damp, the blank could have retained moisture or picked up some. Recent weather is dry and windy and I am running the wood boiler on the other side of the basement. So the change in humidity could have caused the cracking.

Almost all of the expensive blanks I see in stores are wax dipped. Mostly off shore timber.

The blank will not be wasted. I'll glue up the cracks and finish it, but let it sit around in the house for a month or two before putting it in the shop. Just in case it wants to do some more moving.

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Hmm for me If I get a fully coated blank and that's rare.:) I will scrap some of the wax off in a grind pattern so the coating look slike a checker board then let it dry futher