Newbie question here… I bought some 4x4x12 inch turning blanks that came to me coated in wax. I kept them for a few months, but never did anything to the wood or the wax until last weekend. I didnt really plan on turning them, but anyway. I removed the exterior wax by slicing thin layers off the sides with the table saw. Then I ran it through the planer to get nice smooth 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 12 inch piece of hickory. I routed some grooves in this piece of wood for a pen holder and card holder for a desk top item I was making.
I was pretty pleased with it and let it sit here on a coffee table in my house. Now I am seeing that it is developing all sorts of checks. I am guessing this is becasue of the air-conditioning or something. And I am guessing there is nothing I can do not that it has begun to save this piece. But how can I prevent this checking on other pieces (I have a couple of other blanks that I was going to make similar items from)?
Sorry for the long question, but wanted to try to provide all the right info needed.
Replies
wood checking
End grain 'checks' when it loses moisture fairly quickly and the cells shrink.
I am not an expert on this subject, but it seems to me that coating all 6 sides of the wood with wax is an attempt to maintain its water content as when coated. Doing this, you try to keep the original 'wet' wood.
My expeirence with drying wood is to coat only the ends, not the surfaces. Wood will lose moisture more quickly through end grain than through long grain. Coating only the end grain and properly storing allows for the gradual release of moisture to the environment.
The wood will eventually come to equilibrium with the environment. The slow release allows the cells to stabilize and will minimize, if not eliminate, end checking.
For your other pieces, I suggest that you remove the wax from the long grain and let them rest for a good long time. I have read, but can't quote at the moment, that it can take a year per inch to stabilize. Another way is to test the moisture content and proceed when it stops losing water.
If you slice off the wax, don't go to final dimension; just enough to remove the wax.
Forrest
I buy a lot of blanks, but not for turning. I join different varieties for table legs i.e. black palm & osage orange.
Anyhow, the wax can be scraped off with a cabinet scraper leaving only the end grain. If you get to that point you'll only have to cut off a thin slice.
Mikaol
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