Log drying

[Krash]

I got this from the neighbors who were cutting down their tree .... I think mulberry. It's been sitting on the side of my house for a couple months. Should I treat the ends? Is it too late?

 

[mark james]

You can try to cut the ends off until it is not splitting (IF). If there is enough solid, coat with Sealcoat (or many other options). You can also cut the whole think up into pen blanks now, and coat! Depending on how deep the splits are, there may be some nice blanks. And finally, use the splits (after it's dry, or stabilized), for inlays (coral, coffee grounds, etc...) Some splits still can be worked with.

Me... I'd certainly try! Looks interesting! Have fun.

 

[robutacion]

If you are not going to use it for awhile and that upright position is how it has to stay, I would suggest grabbing a paint brush and any acrylic exterior paint and fill all those cracks with the paint and cover the whole top and around a couple of inches all around from the flat surfaces down, that will seal the log like if you out a cap on it. Do off-course, both sides, one in one day and turn around and the other next day.

Cutting the ends right down to uncracked wood, can simply take too much from each end of the log, that could be used for something else. When you are ready to process that log and you need some bigger pieces for bowls of things like that, take from from the centre of the log, making sure you leave at least 6" from each edge, these will be the pieces from where you can cut the pen blanks, without spoiling half of the log, in useless disks...!

There are various ways to tackle the issue, theses are just some of them...!

Cheers
George

 

[Krash]

If you are not going to use it for awhile and that upright position is how it has to stay, I would suggest grabbing a paint brush and any acrylic exterior paint and fill all those cracks with the paint and cover the whole top and around a couple of inches all around from the flat surfaces down, that will seal the log like if you out a cap on it. Do off-course, both sides, one in one day and turn around and the other next day.

Cutting the ends right down to uncracked wood, can simply take too much from each end of the log, that could be used for something else. When you are ready to process that log and you need some bigger pieces for bowls of things like that, take from from the centre of the log, making sure you leave at least 6" from each edge, these will be the pieces from where you can cut the pen blanks, without spoiling half of the log, in useless disks...!

There are various ways to tackle the issue, theses are just some of them...!

Cheers
George

Is it better to lay it sideways? I just set it there for no specific reason.

 

[robutacion]

If you are not going to use it for awhile and that upright position is how it has to stay, I would suggest grabbing a paint brush and any acrylic exterior paint and fill all those cracks with the paint and cover the whole top and around a couple of inches all around from the flat surfaces down, that will seal the log like if you out a cap on it. Do off-course, both sides, one in one day and turn around and the other next day.

Cutting the ends right down to uncracked wood, can simply take too much from each end of the log, that could be used for something else. When you are ready to process that log and you need some bigger pieces for bowls of things like that, take from from the centre of the log, making sure you leave at least 6" from each edge, these will be the pieces from where you can cut the pen blanks, without spoiling half of the log, in useless disks...!

There are various ways to tackle the issue, theses are just some of them...!

Cheers
George

Is it better to lay it sideways? I just set it there for no specific reason.

Well, wood will crack regardless if is upright or laying down however, standing up with the top face totally unprotected, will allow, sun, rain, snow top penetrated the wood deeper, and the more moisture that will go into those cracks, the more cracks in will develop.

Weathered wood is not always the most attractive, unless you want the wood to spalt, you protect it. The best and fastest spalting in not obtained by leaving the wood in the weather by itself, putting it in a bag or a sealed container with some water and some soil, the condensation created from the heat will created a nursery time environment, where the temps are a lot more constant, that allows the bacteria/fungi to reproduce better and faster...!

Cheers
George

 

[low_48]

I wouldn't waste the material to seal it now. It won't do any good. You have what you have now.