Wood gloat and drying question

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triw51

triw51

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407 East Cottonwood Drive, Cottonwood AZ
Has anyone tried using white wood glue (like Elmer's or tri bond) to seal the ends of logs. I was given a load of apricot logs that I want to cut and seal. I was told that the glue would work better than latex paint (I am out of anchor seal). Any experience with this?
I cut a few logs in half and rough turned a few bowls, beautiful wood.
Thanks William
 

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I cut the wood into blanks slightly larger than what I want to start working with. Then wrap them in newspaper and put in a closet for a month or so. I cut them for game calls or pens and haven't had much trouble with cracking but I don't know about bowl blanks. I'm sure the bigger the piece the greater the possibility for trouble.
 
I've been experimenting with cutting logs into 12-18" lengths then just wrapping them completely with 3 or 4 layers of cellophane wrap.

With the high humidity in our area, wrapping bowl-sized chunks in cellophane that way has produced some really great spalting without cracking. I'm hoping that I'll get similar results with larger pieces too, but I don't have enough data to say for sure yet.

Cellophane wrap is pretty cheap if you get if from a $ store.
 
Edgar said:
...Cellophane wrap is pretty cheap if you get if from a $ store.
Click to expand...


I have not tried your method, but the thought came to mind that "Pallet Wrap" (either the large,wide variety), or the smaller type(about 5" wide) might be useful for this approach. If you have a number of larger pieces, the big wrap might be particularly handy.
 
I think wood glue would work although it seems like overkill and more expensive than a wood sealer. If you have the latex paint I would use some of that until you can get some wood sealer. I use the rockler green wood sealer but an luck enough to have a store 5 mins away so no trouble if I run out. That said a gallon lasts quite a while.

Edgar - with your cling wrap method how long does it take to produce spalting and then how long do you dry the blanks after the spalting has formed?
 
How soon do you want to work it. If just a few weeks, fill a garbage can with water and submerge them. No cracking loss at all. All other options, especially in Az this time of year, will result in cracking.
 
William,

This is a good use for old wood glue. Have had better success with it than with latex paint. Latex interior is little better than nothing, and exterior latex is better than interior. Wax (or wax emulsion) is better than glue. I have used cradt style white glue and old titebond (thinned a little for spresding) and could not see the difference between the glues.

Melted paraffin was better than glue.

Saw a paper on the different coatings several years back --AAW Journal perhaps--- that had similar outcomes.

Then there is the boiling approach......
 
kentonjm said:
I think wood glue would work although it seems like overkill and more expensive than a wood sealer. If you have the latex paint I would use some of that until you can get some wood sealer. I use the rockler green wood sealer but an luck enough to have a store 5 mins away so no trouble if I run out. That said a gallon lasts quite a while.

Edgar - with your cling wrap method how long does it take to produce spalting and then how long do you dry the blanks after the spalting has formed?
Click to expand...

I don't have a lot of data yet, but here's one example. This came from a big pecan log that laid on the ground for about a year & was starting to spalt a little. I cut off several bowl-sized pieces, wrapped them in plastic and set them aside for several months. This one was really looking nice when I checked it, so I turned it round & cut a tenon on one end then packed it in a 5-gal bucket of shavings for a few weeks.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f45/mothers-day-present-my-wife-140335/

Some woods do spalt easier than others & pecan is one that does quite well. I have a number of other woods under wrap right now that I'll check out before long.
 
Edgar said:
kentonjm said:
I think wood glue would work although it seems like overkill and more expensive than a wood sealer. If you have the latex paint I would use some of that until you can get some wood sealer. I use the rockler green wood sealer but an luck enough to have a store 5 mins away so no trouble if I run out. That said a gallon lasts quite a while.

Edgar - with your cling wrap method how long does it take to produce spalting and then how long do you dry the blanks after the spalting has formed?
Click to expand...

I don't have a lot of data yet, but here's one example. This came from a big pecan log that laid on the ground for about a year & was starting to spalt a little. I cut off several bowl-sized pieces, wrapped them in plastic and set them aside for several months. This one was really looking nice when I checked it, so I turned it round & cut a tenon on one end then packed it in a 5-gal bucket of shavings for a few weeks.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f45/mothers-day-present-my-wife-140335/

Some woods do spalt easier than others & pecan is one that does quite well. I have a number of other woods under wrap right now that I'll check out before long.
Click to expand...

Edgar that is a beautiful bowl she is blessed by your gift. Fantastic workmanship (but from you I expect nothing less)
 
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