Sealing Wet ends

[AaronB]

If you remember I found out on Thanksgiving my father-in-law cut down a walnut tree and I am going to try and mill it eventually. I found out that I should of coated the ends as soon as possible.

I went and bought some Anchorseal and I am going down this Friday to apply it. I know its later than normal but that's what happens when its your first time trying to do this stuff and it came unexpectedly.
Really going down to help get it off the ground and elevated until we can mill it but since I heard about coating the ends thought I would do that as well.

My question: Can you coat the ends if they are wet? I am not sure but it might of snowed since we were down, it was raining when we left and the ends could be wet so I wanted to know if it can still be coated wet.

Thanks

 

[BobL]

yes.

 

[woodshop]

agree

 

[AaronB]

So how long can I wait until I have to saw it in planks, since I will be getting it off the ground and sealing it this weekend.

 

[mtngun]

To the extent that it matters, it is better to saw the log sooner rather than later.

 

[Cadenhill]

Anchorseal is a great product. I have used it for a while now. They also have a winter mix. Everyone is correct on their post. We just put a bridge in for a needy family with hemlock decking sawed green and stickered for about a month. End sealed it soon as sawed and then end sealed again when we laid the planks with minimal checking in 4 months. Great stuff.

 

[AaronB]

To the extent that it matters, it is better to saw the log sooner rather than later.

Since its our first log I guess I will see what damage was done to it when we finally get around to it. It might be couple of months before we get it cut up, but at least it will be a good test piece.

 

[BlueRider]

about 18 months ago I milled a bunch of walnut that had been on the ground for 10 months. I didn't seal the ends on most of it. It is now at 20%-25% with minimal end cracking. I did seal a few logs with latex paint and they do have fewer cracks. When I milled I made fresh end cuts.

I just wanted to relate a succesful conclusion to milling logs that had not been stored properly. Of course with walnut you almost have to try to screw it up to get poor results. Your log getting wet is a good thing put the anchor seal on it and it will make some fine lumber.

 

[AndyR]

In my recent experience with black walnut, the ends (painted with latex) that were exposed to the summer sun had more end checks. The shaded ends had almost none. In the ends that did develop checks it seemed they were mostly confined to the sapwood. That sapwood was really really wet.

You should be fine–but do paint them.

 

[slabmaster]

I find on walnut,if you let it sit a year before milling,the sapwood will darken up real nice.So if you don't like the sapwood color,you can wait to mill and have all brown boards.

 

[Leroy in Kansas]

about 18 months ago I milled a bunch of walnut that had been on the ground for 10 months. I didn't seal the ends on most of it. It is now at 20%-25% with minimal end cracking. I did seal a few logs with latex paint and they do have fewer cracks. When I milled I made fresh end cuts.

I just wanted to relate a succesful conclusion to milling logs that had not been stored properly. Of course with walnut you almost have to try to screw it up to get poor results. Your log getting wet is a good thing put the anchor seal on it and it will make some fine lumber.

BlueRider, what is the purpose of making fresh end cuts befor you mill? Leroy