Yeah, sounds like something worth trying. When wood likes to check, If I CAN, I cut it and take it down to rough shape, bark on the back, and evna maybe to floor tiller at just a few inches of tip movement. Then seal it all over any exposed wood really good and thick with something like brush on poly from a can, strap it or clamp it down and dry it slowly: no sun, no heat, no wind, no AC, cool and damp or cool and mostly dry place. And be patient with it. Give it a good long time, then move it to somewhere warm and dry, or whatever. You know the rules. Many staves like this I have taken off the caul were dry enough not to check when worked, but were still wet enough to warp while drying further.
