drying freshcut trees

[rtropp]

I had to have an oak tree cut and I had them save a few pieces of the tree trunk 2 - 3 feet long.

I will be drying it under a pole barn but cannot remember what I am supposed to use on the cut ends to help the drying process.

 

I would appreciate any advice.

 

Richard

[Jaager]

Thick paint - wax - varnish -  you just need to slow the loss of water from the ends

 

You should probably remove the bark -  it speeds water loss and there are insects that lay eggs under bark and their larvae bore into the wood.

 

Your better option - billet the wood into 1-2 inch thick pieces and sticker them to dry.

 

One thing about oak ;  Even modeling at the high end of scale 1:50   - the grain is way off scale and the pores are pot hole size.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Jaager

[rtropp]

Jaager,

thanks for the tips.

 

If I remove the bark should I coat the wood on the trunk in addition to the ends?

 

I will not be cutting into billets because I may be using some, or all, of it for sculpting and would want to keep the size. It can be tough to find large pieces. I will probably keep one piece to cut down but, since I do not have tools for that size lumber, will need to find a wood shop that can do the job.

 

Thanks for the help,

Richard

[Jaager]

Only the ends and the knots (if any)  The wood needs to dry.   Wood is similar to a bundle of soda straws.  Water migrates more quickly out of the open ends.  If you stop all water loss by coating the sides, fungus will thrive in the environment that you produce.

If the ends dry more quickly than the bulk =  wood is majority water when qreen,  as the water leaves, the cells shrink.  If one part drys more quickly - it shrinks more quickly and the stress causes the wood to split (check).   The goal is uniform drying.  And drying to stay ahead of fungus.  Oak has tannins so it is likely more forgiving in this reqard than is Apple and especially Holly.

 

 You need good good air circulation around the log, so sticker it.  You can use pieces of furring strips or scrap lumber for the stickers.

Watch the ends and recoat if checking starts.

For outdoor drying, the old rule for seasoning was 1 year/inch.

You can get a moisture meter from Amazon for ~ $10 ( or atleast I did. ) and follow the drying process.

[Richard Griffith]

Hi Richard, I have had excellent results with parafin wax.  Carefully melt the wax in boiling water so as to minimize the fire potential, and when all melted, dip the ends of the logs.  I leave the bark on.  Figure about one year of air drying for each inch in diameter. 

 

I do not use oak for model ships as the pores are big and oak has a pronounced ring figure. 

 

Good luck and have fun.                         Duff

[rtropp]

Thank you all for the advice, it will help greatly.

Jaeger, I appreciate the detail and will put it to good use.

Duffer, I will be drying these as tree trunks. They are almost a foot and half thick and two to three feet long. My primary intention for these is to use a blocks for sculpting large figures. (another hobby of mine.) I thought, since I now have almost completed my collection of bench tools that I would try them for the ship building but understand they might not be suitable. If a small test sample shows that then I will not cut it up. Getting large pieces for sculpting can be very difficult so I would keep them intact.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[michaelpsutton2]

I use "anchorseal" . It's a commercial product.  My brother-in-law gave me about a half of a gallon after he found me outside waving my fist at heaven and cursing a cold unfeeling universe. Nothing worse than drying a piece of wood for six, eight or ten months and have it develope a horrendous split on the very last day. By the way he tells me the correct term for end slpits caused by drying is "check". The wood developes end checks.

 

I didn't pick this product. I didn't pay for it. I didn't know anything about it. But  has worked pretty well. And unless there is a shelf life issue I think the half gallon will last most of my remaining lifetime. I strip off the bark. put it on the end and about a inch up the sides. It prevent new checks. Doesn't do a thing for existing problems. Somtimes I wish there was a way to see inside a balk before I waste all that time and effort.

 

I agree that oak, particularly my local live oak and red oak are poor choices for small parts because of the grain and the fibers.

[42rocker]

Old thread on this type of info.

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/759-making-your-own-hobby-wood/

 

Later Tim

[grsjax]

Exterior latex house paint works well.  White seems to work best but any color seems ok.

[rtropp]

Tim, thanks for the link

 

GRSJAX, If exterior house paint works, that would be the least expensive way to go.

 

Richard