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plastic wrap for preventing bowl blanks from cracking?

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I did try the search function but didn't find any threads that were obviously focused on using plastic wrap for protecting wood from cracks. Even if it just gives me a few days to rough turn bowl blanks and rewrap or Anchorseal would be a big help. For whatever reason Anchorseal isn't working for me, probably because the cracks have started before I get Anchorseal on the wood trying to saw and seal as a one man show.

Can plastic wrap be used effectively to prevent bowl blanks fresh cut from a log from cracking? I'm almost out of my five gallons of Anchorseal and find it messy, wasteful, expensive, and not too effective for the purpose! Main problem may be that I am slow in the South Louisiana heat working by myself but when I make cuts in the wood one piece is cracking by the time I paint the other.

While plastic wrap may be pricey if I save wood it may be cheap in the long run. Looking for a faster way to seal my blanks as I cut them and hopefully a more effective way.

Questions about using plastic to let the wood dry:

First the most basic question, does it work for you?

Shrink wrap or stretch wrap?

I'm assuming wrap around the endgrain and sides of the rough cut blank leaving the bark and the side opposite the bark largely open with just the overlap from the plastic covering part of these areas. Is this correct or off base? Maybe full surface wrap?

Hoping to speed up my handing of blanks and reduce cracking. I have had very little success with Anchorseal probably because cracks are starting to form before I get it on the wood even coating after cutting out every piece of wood. This is so slow adjacent pieces are getting fine cracks in the surface before I cut then out and paint I believe. My one man operation is admittedly very slow, only cutting out maybe a half dozen or less big blanks in a work day. Health issues are what they are and not going away. Frustrating to do the work only to be looking at ruined blanks when I look at them a few days or weeks later.

Looking at fairly heavy packaging plastic wrap in the 80-120 thicknesses to keep from tearing easily on rough edges but I have only tried the household wrap on partially turned blanks so far. The wrap to save very green wood is a new area for me. Seems like the price of Anchorseal from UC coatings is up quite a bit from last time aside from anything else. Other options that weren't practical before such as titebond may be a consideration but for speed, less mess, and less waste I am very interested in the plastic for a one man operation if it will work. Trying to speed up getting something on the wood to prevent cracking is the main consideration. Tired of turning blanks that are cracked before I start.

Anyone using plastic to preserve the wood before the rough turning stage, any advice appreciated!

Hu Lowery
 
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Working in the shade is very important, as is a windbreak. Anytime you use plastic to slow up drying, you inversely speed up mold growth. Throwing the blanks in a tank of water would be the quickest way to reduce cracking, but some woods left submerged will also discolor. Especially if you use a steel tank. Some folks put the blanks in a chest freezer, other place the blanks in plastic garbage containers to limit air and sun exposure. My favorite technique for sealing the ends, is to imbed a piece of glossy paper in the Anchorseal. I use old magazines and Sunday newspaper ads. It greatly increases the vapor barrier. I put on one coat, then immediately press on the paper.
 

Dennis J Gooding

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I did try the search function but didn't find any threads that were obviously focused on using plastic wrap for protecting wood from cracks. Even if it just gives me a few days to rough turn bowl blanks and rewrap or Anchorseal would be a big help. For whatever reason Anchorseal isn't working for me, probably because the cracks have started before I get Anchorseal on the wood trying to saw and seal as a one man show.

Can plastic wrap be used effectively to prevent bowl blanks fresh cut from a log from cracking? I'm almost out of my five gallons of Anchorseal and find it messy, wasteful, expensive, and not too effective for the purpose! Main problem may be that I am slow in the South Louisiana heat working by myself but when I make cuts in the wood one piece is cracking by the time I paint the other.

While plastic wrap may be pricey if I save wood it may be cheap in the long run. Looking for a faster way to seal my blanks as I cut them and hopefully a more effective way.

Questions about using plastic to let the wood dry:

First the most basic question, does it work for you?

Shrink wrap or stretch wrap?

I'm assuming wrap around the endgrain and sides of the rough cut blank leaving the bark and the side opposite the bark largely open with just the overlap from the plastic covering part of these areas. Is this correct or off base? Maybe full surface wrap?

Hoping to speed up my handing of blanks and reduce cracking. I have had very little success with Anchorseal probably because cracks are starting to form before I get it on the wood even coating after cutting out every piece of wood. This is so slow adjacent pieces are getting fine cracks in the surface before I cut then out and paint I believe. My one man operation is admittedly very slow, only cutting out maybe a half dozen or less big blanks in a work day. Health issues are what they are and not going away. Frustrating to do the work only to be looking at ruined blanks when I look at them a few days or weeks later.

Looking at fairly heavy packaging plastic wrap in the 80-120 thicknesses to keep from tearing easily on rough edges but I have only tried the household wrap on partially turned blanks so far. The wrap to save very green wood is a new area for me. Seems like the price of Anchorseal from UC coatings is up quite a bit from last time aside from anything else. Other options that weren't practical before such as titebond may be a consideration but for speed, less mess, and less waste I am very interested in the plastic for a one man operation if it will work. Trying to speed up getting something on the wood to prevent cracking is the main consideration. Tired of turning blanks that are cracked before I start.

Anyone using plastic to preserve the wood before the rough turning stage, any advice appreciated!

Hu Lowery

I have used plastic bags successfully for short-term protection of green wood and have no reason to think that they are not effective for that purpose. The purpose is simply to keep a moist environment around the wood to keep water from evaporating from the wood. I generally splash a bit of water into the bag and can be sure that the bag is doing its job as long as any water remains in the bag. Long-term storage is another matter; there is a good chance of mold or spalting if you wait too long.
 

hockenbery

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Hu,

I use the stretch wrap I get at places like Staple. I get the roll on a stick about 4" wide.

I use it to keep sawn blanks ready to go for a few days.
I wrap 2-3 layers over every sawn surface. Then stick it in plastic bag and they are good to go.

I also use the wrap about 4 layers thick if I am taking blanks do a demo in luggage or mailing ahead these may have to last a week or so.
The stretch wrap is easy to take off just before the demo. You can almost see through it and can make out sharpie writing on the wood.
I use it to bundle small parts together like bolts for a Straka Chuck or screws for a faceplate.
It is great to hold bubble wrap on a hollow form.

At the demo it is easy to get the stretch wrap off and it wads up to a small ball for the trash.
The roll on the handle intake with me to pack things for the return trip.

I should also mention that finding a blank in demo box after a couple months is like opening a super fund site.
The mold, mildew, smell, sticky wood is unpleasant.

Al
 
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Hu,

I'm wondering about wetting the wood before applying the plastic.

Background: I live in Alaska, at the upper end of the world's largest temperate rainforest, so I can dry blanks in my woodshed, usually with little cracking, right until they hit 18%, which is our outside equilibrium MC.

The only thing I use plastic for is roughed bowls. When I start to get a hairline crack from drying too fast (maybe 1 in 15 bowls), I wrap the outside in plastic. If find that when I mist water on, that really helps close up the crack, and the rough bowl continues to dry faster on the inside. If I run into mold I mist 10% bleach (ie. 1/10 bleach to 9/10 water) before wrapping in plastic.

So...what about a bleach solution (possibly even brief immersion) then plastic?

Or move to Alaska...:)

Idea #3...a root cellar.
 
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john lucas

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I've used it a lot. It started out as a short term thing to keep the wood for a few days until I could get time to Anchorseal it. Those days stretched into weeks, and then to months. Basically I've just let it go. You do get some mold underneath it but not as bad as when I used plastic bags. It also holds up much better to UV light than plastic bags do. I've saved some hollow vessel blanks by just wrapping the ends for longer than 6 months. Usually I just wrap the end grain but if I take the time to completely cut a bowl blank I will wrap the whole thing until I'm ready to use it. Works especially well for saving demo piece for a week or more. Turns just like a fresh cut log. The pieces that i've completely wrapped and stored for months do lose some moisture but obviously not as fast.
 
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indoor pool . . .

Had to laugh about a root cellar. They call the first floor a raised basement around here. Anything dug more than 12-16 inches deep is referred to as a pond or indoor pool depending on how deep you dig it.

Some chuckles and some good advice, all appreciated! Al, instant superfund site is when I accidentally leave one of my wet t-shirts in my truck for a few days. I generally go through four a day in warm weather and it is easy to misplace one. It's a toss up whether to open the doors and let wind and rain have their way for a few weeks or just call the salvage people to come haul the truck off. Doesn't always work, they have refused to get close enough to hook on to the truck a few times!

Unfortunately I have a bodacious amount of sunlight and wind where I have to work. I'm thinking that adding a water hose for a quick drenching and then wrapping might be the ticket. I'm not concerned if the wood spalts, almost all does around here anyway.

With both positive and negative replies I won't invest heavily in the wrap, just have to see how it works for me. Wrapping in Glad wrap did seem to work overnight for a partially turned bowl a time or two. Used to spritz them while I worked, something else I need to go back to.

Often two steps forward and one back, lately it has seemed the other way around!

I have used the big garbage cans with shavings and a lid on them with some success, plastic bags used the same way. I scored some paper compost bags cheap but only found out they were double layer after I got home with them. Not sure if they will pass enough water to dry wood or just hold the status quo. I do dig out wet and moldy wood sometimes even out of the drums. Seemed to work pretty good to throw ten or twelve inches of big curl shavings around and on top of the blanks and leave the lid off. Some play and experimentation required, just thought I would ask about the wrap.

Hu
 

Bill Boehme

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It depends totally on the wood species, the time of year, temperature, how you wrap it, and phase of the moon (I'm sure that my Grandpa would say that). I've used rhe stretch wrap from HD, Lowes, and other places where it is used to wrap lumber. It is very thin and extremely stretchy. Being plastic wrap, it completely blocks the passage of air and water vapor through it.

Time of year is a huge factor -- early spring and huge amounts of water and sugars and whatnot are awash in the wood. Fungi are licking their chops waiting to dig in. Late fall and winter, most trees are dormant and the fungi is standing in line at the soup kitchen. The stretch wrap creates a perfect closed environment by preventing the wood from drying, especially when there is lots of sap flowing.

Obviously, wood that is naturally decay resistant will fare better than some species like cottonwood and aspen. I don't recall ever seeing spalted mesquite.

Whenever I use stretch wrap, it is only for a day or three unless I want the wood to spalt. I have left stretch wrap on wet maple for weeks and the wood turned pitch black -- not good.

When I use Anchorseal, I mop it on with a cheap brush that I keep in the can. Some turners paint it on as thin as they can. After the water evaporates from the Anchorseal, it allows the wood to dry slowly enough that the wood won't crack.

My. thought is that you ought to leave the logs in long but still manageable lengths and seal the nods with Anchorseal. Store the wood in a cool dry place out of the sun.
 
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still cracking badly

It depends totally on the wood species, the time of year, temperature, how you wrap it, and phase of the moon (I'm sure that my Grandpa would say that). I've used rhe stretch wrap from HD, Lowes, and other places where it is used to wrap lumber. It is very thin and extremely stretchy. Being plastic wrap, it completely blocks the passage of air and water vapor through it.

Time of year is a huge factor -- early spring and huge amounts of water and sugars and whatnot are awash in the wood. Fungi are licking their chops waiting to dig in. Late fall and winter, most trees are dormant and the fungi is standing in line at the soup kitchen. The stretch wrap creates a perfect closed environment by preventing the wood from drying, especially when there is lots of sap flowing.

Obviously, wood that is naturally decay resistant will fare better than some species like cottonwood and aspen. I don't recall ever seeing spalted mesquite.

Whenever I use stretch wrap, it is only for a day or three unless I want the wood to spalt. I have left stretch wrap on wet maple for weeks and the wood turned pitch black -- not good.

When I use Anchorseal, I mop it on with a cheap brush that I keep in the can. Some turners paint it on as thin as they can. After the water evaporates from the Anchorseal, it allows the wood to dry slowly enough that the wood won't crack.

My. thought is that you ought to leave the logs in long but still manageable lengths and seal the nods with Anchorseal. Store the wood in a cool dry place out of the sun.



Bill,

I am painting the ends and any exposed wood that is fresh cut with the chainsaw then trying to get tarp's over the wood now, leaving fair sized logs about ten feet long when I can. Still a lot of cracking, talking feet long and a foot deep into the logs. The bark splits and dries if it isn't when I cut the tree and I get deep cracks under the bark too. This picture shows my work area other than the cheap blue tarp's that let a lot of air through. Some of that stuff you see end on in the picture and some that it is piled on that you can't see is about ten feet long. The pecan is shorter because it is about 36" diameter, that big piece closer to 60" at it's thickest and the little tractor and front end loader has about all it can handle, roughly a ton.

I am using anchorseal one and a four inch brush. Partially to get it on fast and partially because we have talked about this before I'm not stingy at all with the anchorseal. I usually put two heavy coats on the wood working the first coat in good and at least a light coat on everything around it including me. Trying to hang onto a well waxed chainsaw can be a challenge!

Hu
 

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Bill,

I am painting the ends and any exposed wood that is fresh cut with the chainsaw then trying to get tarp's over the wood now, leaving fair sized logs about ten feet long when I can. Still a lot of cracking, talking feet long and a foot deep into the logs. The bark splits and dries if it isn't when I cut the tree and I get deep cracks under the bark too. This picture shows my work area other than the cheap blue tarp's that let a lot of air through. Some of that stuff you see end on in the picture and some that it is piled on that you can't see is about ten feet long. The pecan is shorter because it is about 36" diameter, that big piece closer to 60" at it's thickest and the little tractor and front end loader has about all it can handle, roughly a ton.

Hu

Just looking at your logs. Is that where you leave them in the hot LA sun? If so try putting them under some shade like the north side of the shop for under a tree. Just covering with a tarp probably increases the drying. Also tin placed on stilts 10 inches above the wood may help keep it cooler.
 

john lucas

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Without a doubt get them out of the sun and wind. I have found those are the two things that speed up cracking more than anything else. You get insects if they are sitting on the ground. The wind and sun increase the drying rate tremendously and cause lots of checks. If you have to leave them on the ground set them on the end and then seal the other end with plastic or anchorseal. The stretch wrap sold at office supply or Lowes is really inexpensive and holds up well. Putting the logs on one end effectively seals that end from checking but of course you will get bugs and with luck spalting. Put a cheap tarp over them to block the sun and wind and they should last for a least a little while.
 
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I think I have it up in my video clips for log storage, but I buy the heavy duty vynal tarps that are used by sign companies and I can find cheap on Craig's List. The sign companies may be able to send you to the people who put them up and take them down, and they are the ones I have found that sell them. Good for several years. One on the ground, one covering the logs. Doesn't keep them too wet, or too dry so they don't crack as fast. Since at least one side is white, it also protects from sun light, heat, and wind. When sending blanks in the post, I wrap them in plastic stretch film. I have 5 inch wide rolls that I get at big box hardware or office supply places. I also have a roll of about 15 inch wide film for larger blanks. Once a crack is in the bowl, it never goes away, and usually gets bigger. I generally don't store cut blanks, but cut up what I can process in a day or three, then go for more. If I am taking partially turned blanks to a demo, or even cut round on the bandsaw blanks, if it is more than an hour away, I use the stretch film around the edge. Some woods will dry fine without mold. I have found that maple, if left under the plastic, will mold, which I guess is due to the high sugar levels which mold seems to prefer. Never had the problem with myrtle or Madrone. Rounding over the rims of all blanks, both bowl and end grain helps prevent cracking. On my once turned bowls, after taking them off the lathe, I stretch, and I do mean stretch, the film around the rim. Most of it on the outside of the bowl, and a little bit on the inside. My theory is that it is under a slight compression mode which helps prevent cracking but not warping. It also protects the rim by pretty much sealing it. It isn't nearly as messy as the sealers. I started using the plastic film when I was trying the DNA soaking. I found it easier to do than the tape over the newspaper. I found out that success rate was the same with just the rim wrapped, and doing the whole outside of the bowl was not necessary. With the big leaf maple I turn, just rounding over the rims is all I need. With Madrone, I have to wrap the rims. I have found that with the Madrone, I have much fewer cracks with spring harvested wood than with late summer or early winter harvested wood (spring sap can start running in late January or early February here. With twice turned bowls, I don't really know. It is an art that needs to be customized to your local area, and the individual pieces of wood.

robo hippy
 

Bill Boehme

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I can't tell what kind of wood that is. Do you know? Some wood will crack almost no matter what you do. Post oak is one of them.

Store them in a cool shady place such as your living room -- if not that then in a shed with enough ventilation that it doesn't become an oven. Folks up north can't even imagine how hot it gets down South in a shed with a sheet metal roof and the doors closed. It's barely tolerable with the doors open. I would give some consideration to putting insulation under the roof. That way, if it gets too crowded for both you and the wood inside your house, you would have a shed where you could take up residence.
 
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Thanks for the replies and a little more information

Just looking at your logs. Is that where you leave them in the hot LA sun? If so try putting them under some shade like the north side of the shop for under a tree. Just covering with a tarp probably increases the drying. Also tin placed on stilts 10 inches above the wood may help keep it cooler.


Gerald,

I quoted you because I needed to answer several things in your post. All of my good shade is near my house and I'm fighting termites. Putting a buffet out for them doesn't seem like a good idea. There was a rick of old firewood by the house when I came here, just an empty shell of termite castings!

The north side of the barn has the sliding door to get the tractor in and out and isn't very wide anyway, that is the north end in that picture. May be able to build something under a tree in the barn lot when I think about it. Awkward location but better than ruining the wood I guess.

The wood where it is at is due to a combination of things. First off, that is where I am set up to process wood and then move into paper bags and shavings in the barn which has moderate ventilation and this is a breezy area of south Louisiana for some reason. I usually have four to six mile an hour breezes with gusts to half again or twice that. Not much compared to many places but not bad for circulation.

The wood there now came from a hickory that died suddenly in the hay meadow and had to be felled, a dead pecan that was hit by lightning and died a few years later and became a storm danger to the house, and a huge damaged water oak limb that was over the house and I had taken down at the same time the pecan was. All of the stuff killing grass in the house yard needed to move so as soon as my back let me I moved it to the barn hoping to get it processed. Couldn't run the chainsaw for a few months or handle the wood after me and John D got it as far as we did so there things sit. I tried to anchorseal all I could and try to keep blue tarps over the wood most of the time. The burn pile is right there too, handy for processing but I have to pull the tarps to burn and the fire is close enough to some of the wood to definitely not help the cracking issues!


Robo,

I'll check your videos when I can, bandwidth issues out here. I do follow what you are saying no problem though. I'm going to give the stretch wrap a try to hopefully at least give me a little breathing room when I drop something to make blanks out of.


Bill,

I would put my wood in the living room and rest of the house but then where would I store my tools that are there now? As mentioned, the woods are fairly dry pecan and hickory, very wet water oak. The hickory was holding more water than expected but it had only cured on the stump for about six months. It's in about ten foot logs. The oak was cut fairly short because it had to be taken down with a bucket truck, and as mentioned the pecan was too big for me to move without cutting it fairly short.


John,

I don't believe I am going to be able to escape the wind but I'm gong to try to get the wood out of the sun, mostly future wood since most of this is what it is at this point. Some of the hickory might salvage, some heart pecan, maybe a little oak. The oak and the pecan had a lot of core damage and decay before dropping them.

Still working on my move into the old dairy barn, I know you are all too familiar with headaches moving!

To all: I wanted to check about using the film. The part about my wood cracking is more rant than anything else. Got to find a protocol that works for me, the wood I get, and this area. I was going to try to get in with the tree surgeon around here and get more variety of wood. Unfortunately he got far underbid by a surgeon that was in the area logging but has a surgeons license and business too and the local guy is a turner himself besides! He can't turn all of the wood he cuts but a lot is either marketable pine or oak, pecan, or hickory around here, all in demand for firewood. Not much other trees left of any size to speak of.

Hu
 
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