Anchorseal applied but still getting checking??

[Todd Glover]

Duplicate thread, sorry.

 

[Todd Glover]

I recently picked up this haul of soft maple and what I believe to be persimmon wood (based on input from other folks, I thought it might be cottonwood originally). Picked it up last Sunday and had Anchorseal applied by noon Monday, lots of rain since but it has been outside. Now anything with pith in the center is checking. Did I do something wrong, and what can I do to salvage before the checking gets too bad?



Thanks for all input.

 

[waltben]

My experience has been that any time, with any wood species, if you leave the log whole, it will check quickly even if sealed. I always cut logs in half lengthwise within a day or two of getting them home. I can't remember which book I read it in, but somewhere I read that doing this, right down the pith line, will remove almost 70% of checking stress. That's because logs shrink radially, pulling themselves apart even when drying slowly through the bark.

 

[Burt Alcantara]

If you are checking this soon I'd open the logs up and remove the pith. I'd go so far as to begin making blanks and smother them in AnchorSeal. But that's just me because I have this problem often.

I recently went thru my "outside" wood and was dismayed to find I lost more then half to checking -- this with pith removed. So, inside it went and got blanked up, so to speak.

 

[MichaelMouse]

That's because logs shrink radially, pulling themselves apart even when drying slowly through the bark.

Problem is, radial checks begin at the outside. Heart checks, which is what he's showing, start in the center. Sometimes they're there, sometimes not. End checks are here, there and everywhere.

Leaving the bark on keeps radial checks at bay by holding moisture in. Covering the ends with something substantial can reduce the depth of end checks. Most of the heart checks, in my experience, are there an hour after felling. I've probably got 40-60 100" sticks of soft maple awaiting the saw for firewood since last fall, and maybe five or six show heart checks. No covers on the ends at all, since there's lots of wood there.

If you lose bark due to sloppy skidding, rough that chunk fast. It will produce radial checks within a month most times of year.

 

[Todd Glover]

Well I went out and figured out how the only person I ever let borrow my chainsaw screwed it up and went ahead and slabbed up 5 of the pieces. The pullstring was all messed up and he ran it out of bar oil. I have some great practice material here, looks like alot of folks will be getting bowls for christmas this year!

I'll get the rest of it slabbed and under cover tomorrow evening, might even rough out a piece. Never have turned any wet wood as of yet.

 

[robo hippy]

Not sure if that is persimmon or not. It is very hard, and has a black pith (related to ebony). The bark was smooth, and it stinks as in very bitter. Cracks/checks happen, some times just because. I can't remember getting a tree ever that didn't have some center checking. I usually double seal them, and keep them covered. Since your weather is very humid, I wouldn't expect a lot of deep checking, but keep them out of the sun.
robo hippy

 

[Todd Glover]

Not sure if that is persimmon or not. It is very hard, and has a black pith (related to ebony). The bark was smooth, and it stinks as in very bitter. robo hippy

Well if that's the case this isn't persimmon. Pith is very light colored and bark is very pronounced. Didn't have much of a smell when I slabbed up a couble of them earlier.

 

[John Jordan]

The wood on the top is silver maple-very good. The other appears to be cottonwood, not so great. Keep the wood covered tightly with a tarp in the shade-if it was left large it wouldn't matter so much if you got some checks on the ends. Don't get too attached to it, there's always more.

John