what to do to prepare slice of tree for table project
-
John P on Apr 02, 2012seal the end grain with a good sealer and let the pc air dry or send it to be kiln dried down to about 7% moisture then it will be ready for planing and finishing also make sure it is stored flat and level and wieghing it down can help alsoHelpful Reply
-
-
KMS Woodworks on Apr 02, 2012End grain slabs tend to check or split more so than vertical "slabs" I would seal it up with some Anchor Seal...let it dry for a good long spell (normal air dry times are 1 year per inch of thickness) once dry some good sanding and a number of finish coats. end grain will absorb much more finish and it will take some time to get a "finish build" going. With a product like Minwax's wiping poly about 7-8 coats http://www.uccoatings.com/products/anchorseal2Helpful Reply
-
-
Elinor A on Apr 02, 2012Thank you for the suggestions but this doesn't answer my question because the entire piece is end grain this is a horizontal slice thru the main stem close to the bottom of the tree. and when you say seal what is considered a good sealer thanks for all your helpHelpful Reply
-
-
John P on Apr 02, 2012band it with a good wide ratchet strap and let it dry i would say approx 9 months to a year you want it to be under 8% moisture for best results then sand stain and seal it will take a few coats of sealer a good poly resin works well alsoHelpful Reply
-
-
KMS Woodworks on Apr 03, 2012Elinor...the Anchor Seal I Mention above has been the "industry" standard for sealing end grain on lumber for 30 years or so. When I purchase lumber for turning projects nearly every piece is sealed on all six sides with anchor seal. I have seen anchor seal for sale on ebay and amazon as well as many woodworking supply sites. John's idea above about a ratchet strap is a great idea...the log slice should be stored on its side so the seal ends are open to the air and not resting on some surface. I have worked with smaller sized "slices" for various projects. My girls call the really small 2" dia ones "tree cookies" The largest end grain round I have worked with was about 14". Bigger than that and it will not fit my lathe. Some of the longitudinal slabs I have worked with were 6 to 8 feet long and up to 2' wideHelpful Reply
-
Related Discussions
Rocking chair
I bought this rocking chair 31 years ago when my son was born. It's time to do something with it. Looking for ideas.
How can I control blind mosquitos?
I retired and moved to Florida. I live by a lake. We get a lot of blind mosquitos. I don't like using chemical sprays. I don't want to hurt the wild life. Look... See more
How do you seal wood ceilings to prevent dust from coming through?
We are remodeling a home built in 1912. When we removed the ugly drop ceiling, it has beautiful wood ceilings. We would love to keep the ceilings in some rooms but ... See more
If I put bleach in my fountain to kill mosquitos will it harm the bird
Which mosquito repellent plants can grow up a trellis?
I am planting mosquito repellent plants around my patio and would like to grow one up a trellis as a privacy screen
How effective are bay leaves for ants?
I'm dealing with a terrible ant infestation, and I heard that bay leaves can be a great way to keep them away. Do you know if that's true? If it is, how can I use bay... See more
My toilet handle stays down when you flush and the water keeps running
how do I fix my running toilet?