Hey all,
I just yesterday acquired 200 bf of Pacific Madrone (4/4 and 8/4, 8′ and 10′ lengths). I picked it up from a private seller who had milled it, banded it green, and then stickered it, covered, in a shed for the past 4+ years. While the ends HAD been sealed in some way (looks like thin white paint to my eye), there are some end checks.
Here’s my concern:
The wood has lived these past 4 years about a mile from the Pacific Ocean. Now, it’s in my shop, W.slope of the Sierra Nevada, but only 1500′ above the (very dry in summer) Central Valley. Basically, I am assuming it has more MC to give-up.
So, should I chop the existing checks and re-seal?
Thanks,
Chris
Replies
Nothing would be gained by cutting off the existing ends, but resealing the ends would be a good idea.
John W.
Thanks John. My "gut" says that the checks are conduits to rapid MC change, though they mostly follow long grain. I will definitely re-seal the ends tonight, and, if I have the energy, unstack and delimit the current ends of the checks w/ my colored pencil :) That way I can see if they're propagating.-Chris
Chris,
My analysis, like yours, is that the sides of the cracks, being all long grain, don't lose moisture any faster than the surfaces of the stock.
Visible checks almost always continue invisibly further into the stock, so cutting the checked ends away won't prevent the existing cracks from extending further if there is additional uncontrolled moisture loss. Also if you cut off the checked ends you have no way of knowing where and how extensive the original checking was.
I'll back up the comment of another poster, ordinary paste wax won't prevent additional moisture loss. When wax is used it is either melted paraffin applied hot, usually by dipping the ends of the boards into a melted pot of the wax, or the wax is part of a specially formulated emulsion meant for sealing end grain.
Ordinary latex paint, applied thickly, or in two coats, works very well. I've also had good results by simply duct taping the ends of the boards. For small lots of wood, the taping goes fast and avoids the mess of painting.
John W.
Edited 5/1/2006 9:45 pm ET by JohnWW
Thanks John. I resealed w/ duct tape! Interesting idea, but w/ some diligent rubbing, I can see how it makes a pretty good vapor barrier. Thanks for everyone's replies: I'm going w/ no cutting now, just reseal and monitor existing checks. The wood won't be used for a few months, so it'll settle.-Chris
I will agree with JWW unless that old paint is so crumbly that it will kep the new paint from adhearing.
I hav not ever used this wood except in veneer, but I think I have noticed that it has one of the higest shrinkage ratios from tangent to radial, which should make it fairly prone to warp and cup, so it may be a good idea to keep it stickered and weighted while you finish drying it.
Look at the turnings by Christian Bruchard for proof of the above. He is the guy that does those little basket groupings from madrone burls that are all distorted like crazy. I sure wish we had a wood like that here in the mid-south like that, but the only wood that comes close is Shag-bark Hickory, and I have never seen a burl on one.
No, the old seal is not crumbly at all. I currently have some non-silicone paste wax on hand, and will use that tonight to reseal.I am well-read about madrone being a behavioural malcontent :^) But I also know it can be used to produce furniture such as this:http://www.nwfinewoodworking.com/judith_ames/diningroom_furniture_03.htmI stickered and stacked it when I got home last night; 4/4 on the bottom, 8/4 on top. Heavy stuff. I'll borrow a moisture meter, hopefully tomorrow, to see what it's currently at - 48 hours after being moved, anyway.Thanks for your reply.-Chris
I am not sure that I would use a paste wax for this. The rapid loss of end-grain moisture may not even be an issue at this point, but I don't think a coat of paste wax will do much. I think a coat of primer or something with high solids might be better. I think that wax thing is like in hot-dipped, or in anchor-seal made specifically for this purpose, but maybe I am the one who misunderstands.
Just for completeness on this thread, I borrowed a Wagner MMC220 moisture meter (pinless) and took readings on various woods/boards in my shop tonight.Adjusting for species according to the instructions/manual, all the wood that's been in my shop for the past 2-3 months came in the range of 9-11% MC. Keep in mind we've just got done w/ the wettest March on record, and a wet April, too. My shop has no heat/AC. We're only a couple weeks since the last good rain. The woods included poplar in 8/4, cherry in 4/4, and redwood in 4/4 and 6/4; various rough and surfaced boards.The madrone 4/4 is in the 13-17% range and the 8/4 is 15-19% !FYI,
Chris
Hi Caub
I just looked at your link............ouch, what justifies furniture costing that kind of money??
Would be nice to find that buyer.
ouch, what justifies furniture costing that kind of money??My NEW BRIDE! I loved her and could not say no! Well, it was only a grand or so!
You think that is pricey, click over to #10, her stereo cabinet :^)One-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, unique pieces of furniture: that's how she, and others like her, can (and probably must) price their work like that.-Chris
You think that is pricey, click over to #10, her stereo cabinet :^)I have no idea what #10 is but if she slept with me Well wort it!
One-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, unique pieces of furniture: that's how she, and others like her, can (and probably must) price their work like that.
One-of-a-kind and unique pretty much mean the same thing. :) Sort of seems like a contradiction, since several of her pieces say "can be ordered with or without marquetry" and "price depends on wood chosen", so it seems more like they're her established designs. Unless by unique you mean in the sense that every piece of non-factory furniture is unique and not exactly like any other.
Plus, askin' ain't gettin'. Who knows what she actually gets...
Looks like beautiful work, though. Hope she's doing well!My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
Reseal the ends with paint, let it crack if it will. When you go to use it, rip the board and joint it. Then reglue the pieces.
mike
When I worked in a yard we knew that lumber would split back to the first sticker. That is the reason why we always placed a sticker on the end of each pack of lumber.
I have no answer BUT...
I always wondered if you banded the ends with that plastic banding stuff they use in shipping 'stuff' if that would help?
Geeee. I'm thinkin' again.. Gets me in trouble!
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