Stopping splitting and cracking

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Ayatollah

Ayatollah

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A lot of one of my stacks of milled oak have started splitting on one end. Would it be good to cut the ends off and re-seal them after the cracks, or is it just destiny to be split.
 

JRM

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As has been mentioned, coat edges immediately after milling. The end grains are like a wick and lose moisture the fastest. I also cover my stacks loosely with metal to keep the sun off of them.
Lastly, I run 3 -4 ratchet straps around the whole pile to help hold them together. Ratchets must be periodically checked and tightened a click or 2.
 
Bill G

Bill G

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Unknown forest where Home Depot sources their 2x4's.

View attachment 1117923
Huge difference between construction grade (softwood) lumber and cabinet grade (hardwood) lumber. I am not a fan of Menards, Lowes, or Home Depot but I will assure you the hugely overpriced hardwood lumber they sell will be a good quality.................well at least here.
 
Bill G

Bill G

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It...was....a.....joke......
I know, so is some of the poop Menards sells. Here is a bit of a side note to anyone who might buy lumber from a hardwood mill. Some will try to sell "hobbyists" on 3-4-5's. Those are the reject ends from longer FAS boards
 
Franny K
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North eastern Ct USA
Does cutting wide boards from the area of flare near the ground/roots make the splitting more pronounced?

"one of my stacks of milled oak have started splitting on one end"


"or is it just destiny to be split."
you should get wide oak in that general thickness that does not split. It seems destined to drastically alter itself around big knots but getting a nice, uncracked piece and don't remember doing anything out of the ordinary should happen, sometimes.
 

JRM

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My son was just home on leave for 10 days. One of the things we did while he was home was to build a table out of some oak. When the kids were little I built a tree fort in this tree. A storm took it out. Felt like a waste to cut it up into firewood so we milled it down and repurposed it. Nothing fancy. Didn't bother running it through a planer. Just a quick couple passes with a belt sander on the table top and benches to take the roughness out. Live edge on the outer table edges and benches.

20230917_190553.jpg20230917_190609.jpg20230924_095622.jpg
 

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