Check!!!

[ajooter]

I cut a small hickory tree on friday and cut it into stave lengths on sunday.  The same day I removed the bark and inner bark from the smaller (upper) length.  The larger (lower) length I removed the bark and left some of the inner bark on. I was going to further split this length later.

  I had planned on making one bow from the smaller length but it has checked on me!  I sealed both ends heavily with elmers glue on both staves.  The check occured along what appears to be a decent line (ill post pics later), and I think it would still yield a bow,  but I'm just wondering why this happened.  How do you guys seal staves to prevent this?

[ajooter]

The check!

[TacticalFate]

I usually leave my staves outside in the garage with the bark off for a couple of weeks if I think they will check on the back (still sealing the ends, as those will check no matter what), in the cold weather. That'll slow down evaporation. Also, half-rounds have a greater chance of checking than quarters, due to the greater surface area of the back versus the mass of the stave. Bringing a freshly debarked half-round stave inside a warm, dry house is pretty risky, even if the ends are sealed.

In warmer weather, not much you can do but seal the back as well. Most of my staves are black locust and buckthorn cut in the winter (buckthorn bark is easy to remove year-round), so I haven't had to deal with warm weather checking.

[ajooter]

Tacticalfate..what's your preferred method for sealing?  Thanks for your input.

[TacticalFate]

 I just noticed that you didn't split the smaller half at all. If you leave a debarked log in the round like that it will check no matter what. If you had split the smaller piece in half I doubt you would have gotten the check. If you haven't split the larger piece already, do it ASAP, or the same thing will happen to it.  You must debark after the log is split, not before.

For sealing, I just use elmers glue on the ends, and the same for the back if necessary. Elmer's glue is water-soulable, so to remove it place a wet towel over the stave and it washes off in the morning.

[mwosborn]

I looks like from your pic that the log is not split?  The moisture in the log has to go somewhere as it dries.  The goal is to keep it from leaving the ends or back (causing the checks).  That is why the ends are sealed - to force the moisture out the "belly" of the log.  I like to split the logs in halves or quarters (depending upon size) and seal the ends.  If I have time I like to remove bark and seal the back also.  I usually use polyurathane and do a couple of coats.  If I don't have the time I leave the bark on until I have time.  Many do not seal the back of "white woods" like hickory.  It doesn't take much time and will help with checking - especially on small logs like the one you have.  You could split the log you have using the check as a starting point and then seal the backs.  Good luck.

[Josh B]

I seal the back with polyurethane, but....that probably wouldn't of helped here.  The reason it checked is because you left it in the round.  The outside of the stave dried and shrank while the inside did not.  It had to relieve the pressure some how.  If you had split it in half, it would not only dry faster but wouldn't have checked like that. With most white woods that wood be the case anyway.  Plum, honeysuckle, lilac and a few others are boogers to dry no matter what you do.  Main point is, don't leave it in the round like that and you'll have better luck.  Josh

[chamookman]

The Wood is "talking" to You - split Me right here ! Bob

[ajooter]

Well she's split!!  I listened to the wood 

[Dave 55]

Nice

[mwosborn]

Looks good.  Now the waiting. 

[Badger]

   Last few years I have been wrapping logs in siran wrap if I don't have time to split or rough them out and dry. Seems like it works pretty good. I have also put a few tiny slits in the wrapping and then about once a week I add a few more slits till I stop seeing mositure building up in the wrapping.

[ajooter]

I ended up sealing the other stave I split with a spray on laquer.  The other ends of the splits are fine while these ends have all these tiny checks.  Should I be worried about them?

[ajooter]

I may have to try the saran wrap badger...sounds like a good idea

[George Tsoukalas]

Badger, sounds like a good idea.

Jawge