AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: adamstew on October 12, 2016, 10:07:47 PM
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Hi folks
Looking for some advice on sealing end grain on partially seasoned and/or freshly cut timber. Ive got some laburnum which I know is prone to checking (felled a few months ago), and I want to try and minimise loss as best I can.
In the past I've used PVA, but I'm not experienced enough to know if it really is actually effective.
What do you all use on green timber?
Cheers
Adam
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Anything that slows down end-grain evaporation is effective....thin coatings might need 2 coats to be more effective, so with PVA, much depends on the initial product. There are PVA sealers that have a very low viscosity and consequently are not wonderful at sealing end grain, so a few coats might be needed, but there are also PVA adhesives that have a much higher viscosity and they can do a good job of sealing
Les.
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i only use PVA and if what i get in the post is thin stuff (i buy any cheap 5l bottles on ebay) then i just leave the lid off and it gets thicker as the weeks go by.
PVA is fine to use.
if the laburnum is already months old then i would not bother putting pva on the ends as cracking will have already occurred. however if you are cutting fresh blanks out of what was felled then seal all endgrain as soon as the blank is cut.
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How big are the pieces ?
I have put bowl size pieces in a carrier bag then a couple of days later removed it from the bag , turn the bag inside out and put the blank back in the bag , The moisture on the outside of the bag dries , repeat until it reaches the desired weight , Weigh it first , when it stops loosing weigh it should be ready for use
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If you use a paper carrier bag its porosity(???) negates the hassle of turning inside out. Millions of techniques out there but no guarantees with any of them but if the wood is free what does it matter?
Brian
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I use paraffin wax which I melt in an old slow cooker. This is definitely the easiest and quickest way because the wax solidifies in seconds and it's much faster to dip a piece of wood than it is to paint it. For bits that don't fit in there, I use Chestnut end seal, which is a wax emulsion which can be painted on. PVA or old paint can also be used. Anything will do as long as it slows down the moisture loss.
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The tree was felled around July this year and has been stored in a garage since. There is some checking already on some of the ends, but I've already coated with thick PVA.
There are some great crotches - as I'm new to bowl turning, how would you recommend best positioning the blanks to use the grain best?
Cheers
Adam
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.
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what is your location?
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what is your location?
Kent
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what diameter is the log? if it's 8" plus I would cut it in to a smaller log with the branch coming out of the centre of the log then split it through the centre, so your spliting the log and the branch in half then you will have to bowls.
If your near Bearsted or Great Chart I could show you if that helps
Ed
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I work in Ashford, so not far. I think i get the gist. Would you ever consider using that kind of crotch for an end grain vase/hollow form?
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Hi Adam
Yes is the answer to your question
I do on lighter coloured woods, I do a lot of colouring and there is normally a lot of rippling at the crotch so it gives a great effect with dyes.
Ed
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Adam,
I use candle wax. I go to boot fairs and buy all the large church type candles that I can see, you get them for not a lot.
I have an electric hotplate, a camping gas cooker is not too expensive otherwise your SWMBO might let you use the kitchen stove top. I also have an old Turkey cooking oven tray, plenty big enough for most sizes I cut down to.
But there is a problem, the paraffin wax used to make the candles, has sterine in it, which makes it brittle, e.g. it will crack when the wood shrinks. The answer to that is to add some bees wax to the melt to return the flexibility to it.
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I follow what the chap at my local saw mill has done for years, simply dip the end in to PVA to a depth of about an inch & then dip that into shavings off the planer, this helps keep a thick coat of PVA on the wood.
Personally I remove the pith when ever I can, any log 6" or more gets split to remove it, I'd also suggest for future reference that you try to fell any tree you want to convert in the winter, I appreciate this isn't always possible, but it really helps with successful conversion.