Woodworking Tip Needed

[ga. prime]

My idea is to dry this cross section of wood and then paste pictures on it and cover with a heavy coat of epoxy. Then hang on the wall. I've tried before and the wood always cracks. It's oak I'm using. It'll still work with the crack, but is there any way to have it not crack?

 

[kenojoe]

You have to keep it in a damp place for quite awhile so that it dries SLOWLY! I don't know if you wrapped in plastic if it would mold or not. But if you want it to dry as is it will take several months of slow controlled drying. Good luck.

 

[Beefy]

lay it on a couple of tobacco sticks under the barn somewhere. if it molds you can mop it down with bleach. you will also probably have to put something on it to keep the bugs out. i would put a couple of clamps on it too. flip it once in a while.

 

[cfpinz]

Have one of Crowder's chicks sit on it.

cfpinz

 

[Txwalt]

 

[Crowderfarms]

Heck, She'd kiln dry that wood in 30 sec. How would you ever get the stank out of it? Give a whole new meaning to Pressure treated.

 

[ga. prime]

:lol: :lol: :lol: 8) Thanks for the ideas.

 

[MissouriExile]

What you have there is a massive amount of end grain exposed that will dry unevenly. All the above ideas will help but another method is to put a thin coat of paint or wax on both faces and stick it as suggested. I dry a lot of wood and that is the only way to be sure. It will take a few months either way. Not only cracking but warping will be a problem if you don't stick it. (the sticks you use must be previously dried, don't put green sticks under it).

Jon

 

[Jogeephus]

MExile is right. I have done it two ways. One way is to use water-soluble parafin and paint it on the block. With oak, you want to do this ASAP. Then put another coat on it the next day and touch up as needed. This will stop the wood from dying through the rings and will force it to dry laterally and prevent checking. Another method that works well but might be problematic with a block that big is to submerse it in antifreeze for at least two weeks. The alcohol or whatever is in there will draw the water out of the wood. I like this method best.

 

[novatech]

Cut a new piece out of a log that is already dry.
I used to rough turn green wood on a lathe. Afterward I would place it in a box of damp saw dust for several months. There are other producs sold for this and if I remember correctly they are called pegging solutions. Some of the solutions given on this thread sound like they may work. If they don,t go back to the log that is already dry.

 

[Jogeephus]

Novatech, I have seen the wet sawdust used here to dry and spalt the wood. Does it spalt it there too or just dry it? Spalting can make some pretty colorations in the wood but may not be desirable in all situations.

 

[novatech]

Novatech, I have seen the wet sawdust used here to dry and spalt the wood. Does it spalt it there too or just dry it? Spalting can make some pretty colorations in the wood but may not be desirable in all situations.

I have had some whit pine spalt. It turns parts kind of a blue gray. Never had any of the hardwoods spalt though.
Funny you brought spalting up as at this time we are installing some spalted hickory doors, and some type of spalted pine doors in a house. The doors came from Montana. Some of the most beautiful wood I have ever seen.

 

[Jogeephus]

Is the spalt on the pine bluish?

Hardwoods here spalt very easily due to our high humidity this is why I gave the two recommendations I did. My favorite wood to spalt is leopard maple. It is beautiful. Looks almost like marble with pink and other bright colors all through it. Sycamore is pretty too and is easily worked.

 

[novatech]

Yep, Kind of a blue gray. The wood may actually be spruce I'll have to check.
I have a friend that is doing some expermenting with different logs from the area. He has a home built mill. So far the results have been assume. Kind of makes me want to get back into it. I worked with wood for so long I got to where I couldn't stand the smell of sawdust.

 

[ga. prime]

Cut a new piece out of a log that is already dry.

That sounds like the easiest and surest way. I'll try that.

 

[L.A.]

TxWalt,,your starting to sorry me. :shock: