How big a hole?
Keeping an Ash Round from Cracking?
- Thread starter StihlsawuserMS361
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L Pro, Jolly and others:
Thanks for your input. I do know how ash succumbs to EAB, all too common here in the North East. Ash is certainly not my preferred wood for cookies, but this tree was different. I think I counted over 75 growth rings, a shame it died this way. I looked at the rest of this tree on the ground, and even this is cracking and checking. In looking at other trees I dropped nearby, not quite as large, even some rounds cut, none have checked nearly as bad, if at all. Why this one, so soon, is above my pay grade. I think tomorrow, if it quits raining, I'll cut a few more, even a small slab and see.
Stay safe all, thanks
Thanks for your input. I do know how ash succumbs to EAB, all too common here in the North East. Ash is certainly not my preferred wood for cookies, but this tree was different. I think I counted over 75 growth rings, a shame it died this way. I looked at the rest of this tree on the ground, and even this is cracking and checking. In looking at other trees I dropped nearby, not quite as large, even some rounds cut, none have checked nearly as bad, if at all. Why this one, so soon, is above my pay grade. I think tomorrow, if it quits raining, I'll cut a few more, even a small slab and see.
Stay safe all, thanks
Idk.. say a percentage... percentage of shrinkage is a good start. Blow air through it with an old computer fan. 3ft round maybe a 3" hole. 1ft =1". Start there and figure it out based on wood and thickness. Anything can be filled in relatively easy. Probably put back the same chunk just smaller. That will dry fast. Use a hole saw.
I have used PEG with good success on red oak cookies, but nothing as large as 30" dia. What I purchased was in crystal form and dissolved with water and heated to a low temperature and soaked for an extended time period. It is reusable. I have also used Anchor Seal and Titebond glue on smaller pieces with moderate success but it takes months at cool temperatures. I currently have a black walnut cookie about 24" dia. and 4" thick drying with two coats of Anchor Seal. Been drying for about 8 months and only has one small crack so far. On smaller cookies I have dried them with moderate success covered with saw dust in the base of my table saw.
Some woods are more prone to cracking than others.
You should be able to find a lot of information on the wood working websites.
https://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Stabilizing_Wood_with_Polyethylene_Glycol.html
Some woods are more prone to cracking than others.
You should be able to find a lot of information on the wood working websites.
https://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Stabilizing_Wood_with_Polyethylene_Glycol.html
Thanks Jim
I cut a few more cookies and coated them with a water based ceramic roof coating that I had on hand. So far, so good, but I'm not too sure how long it will take to cure. I do have another very old piece of ash, about 4" thick and 12" in diameter that never cracked.
Seeing it's for a 9 year old, come spring I think I'll sand one surface smooth, recoat and let her paint whatever on it.
I'm thinking ash wood is not the best to try this on, but still worth a try
I cut a few more cookies and coated them with a water based ceramic roof coating that I had on hand. So far, so good, but I'm not too sure how long it will take to cure. I do have another very old piece of ash, about 4" thick and 12" in diameter that never cracked.
Seeing it's for a 9 year old, come spring I think I'll sand one surface smooth, recoat and let her paint whatever on it.
I'm thinking ash wood is not the best to try this on, but still worth a try
I was looking though my library yesterday and found a book I forgot I had, Working Green Wood with Peg, by Patrick Spielman. It is an excellent book describing the use of PEG for stabilizing green wood used for making turnings, cookies, table tops, gunstocks, etc.
You might want to try binding the outer edge as suggested earlier...
Just my unprofessional 2cents, based on a walking stick I carved.
As I was detail carving the tapered end, I saw that the fat end with the knot was starting to split lengthwise. I carved a narrow trench around the middle of the knot, wrapped with synthetic black braided cord, then filled the crack and coated the cord with wood glue.
Stopped the split right away. Can't even see the crack now.
Btw, would love to see the little girls finished work of art.
Also, since she will be painting the wood, you need to keep that in mind when applying a sealer...
"A general rule is to apply at least two coats of sealer directly onto the raw wood to protect the wood. When dry, apply primer (gesso) to enhance adhesion, return tooth to the surface, and whiten the surface for optimizing paint colors applied over it."
I would do this after banding the outer edge:
Instructions to Prepare Your Panel
"A general rule is to apply at least two coats of sealer directly onto the raw wood to protect the wood. When dry, apply primer (gesso) to enhance adhesion, return tooth to the surface, and whiten the surface for optimizing paint colors applied over it."
I would do this after banding the outer edge:
Instructions to Prepare Your Panel
I looked at the few I cut recently that had been coated with the ceramic roof coating. The oldest has cracked within the last couple of days. I think today I'll pie cut one of the others as previously suggested.
I had planned on letting them sit, then sanding one side smooth, then re-coating with the roof material. Paint would easily stick to this material.
A simple idea that went south in a hurry!
I had planned on letting them sit, then sanding one side smooth, then re-coating with the roof material. Paint would easily stick to this material.
A simple idea that went south in a hurry!
