I recently cut some basswood into 2' lenghts. The logs were approx. 6" in
dia. It still has bark on it and I want to eventually use it for caving.
The logs had been drying outside for 2 years. How can I avoid the pieces
cut from cracking? They are now stored in garage. Should you recommend
sealing the ends what should I use and how much longer does it need to dry?
Thks for any responses.
On Jun 2, 9:31 am, "Dan Jefferson" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I recently cut some basswood into 2' lenghts. The logs were approx. 6" in
> dia. It still has bark on it and I want to eventually use it for caving.
> The logs had been drying outside for 2 years. How can I avoid the pieces
> cut from cracking? They are now stored in garage. Should you recommend
> sealing the ends what should I use and how much longer does it need to dry?
>
> Thks for any responses.
I have harvested quite a bit of basswood for carving. I would say
that if you have had it around for 2 years, it would either be fairly
dry or has started rotting because the bark was left on it. I suspect
that if you look closely at your logs, they have already checked
already, and are liable to have longitudinal cracks. That doesn't
mean its a lost cause. You just might not have as much usable wood as
you thought you did. (a six inch log is pretty small to make much out
of).
I agree that you should split the log down the pith as that will just
give you trouble in your carvings anyway. my favored procedure is to
take a log, split it with wedges down the pith, peel them, and let
them dry for at least a year before further work. I like longer
lengths (6-8') because I can just discard the ends that have checked.
I have tried coating the ends, but found the the wood near the coating
tended to rot and was ruined anyway. Basswood will rot more easily
than any wood I know of! You need to be careful when bringing it
into a heated house because I have gotten some checks even in very
small blocks. Figure out a way to bring it into the house in stages--
I bring mine into the basement first.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Dan Jefferson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>I recently cut some basswood into 2' lenghts. The logs were approx. 6" in
>>dia. It still has bark on it and I want to eventually use it for caving.
>>The logs had been drying outside for 2 years. How can I avoid the pieces
>>cut from cracking? They are now stored in garage. Should you recommend
>>sealing the ends what should I use and how much longer does it need to
>>dry?
>>
>> Thks for any responses.
>>
>
> Yes, seal the ends of the pieces and let dry about 1 year for each inch of
> thickness. The splitting is caused by the ends drying out much faster
> than the inner parts of the wood.
OR -- longitudal splitting in logs is from the outside drying faster than
the inside. It is almost impossible to dry a log without some splitting. You
need to cut them into quarters at the pith line to reduce the splitting.
"Dan Jefferson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I recently cut some basswood into 2' lenghts. The logs were approx. 6" in
>dia. It still has bark on it and I want to eventually use it for caving.
>The logs had been drying outside for 2 years. How can I avoid the pieces
>cut from cracking? They are now stored in garage. Should you recommend
>sealing the ends what should I use and how much longer does it need to dry?
>
> Thks for any responses.
>
Yes, seal the ends of the pieces and let dry about 1 year for each inch of
thickness. The splitting is caused by the ends drying out much faster than
the inner parts of the wood.