Sealing spalted wood

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Chuck Ludwigsen

>I would seal the ends no matter what. If something happens and you can't get to it tomorrow, that extra day may cost you a crack. Seal it no reduces the chance of that. Also, some woods crack so easily that I anchorseal them if I'm going to leave them on the lathe overnight while roughing.

Ounce of prevention kinda thing. Just my $0.02 minus taxes.

Chuck in Memphis, TN.

Re: Sealing spalted wood

TDaniel

>Guy, if the logs have already been on the ground for a year there is no need to anchorseal them now. Just put them in full shade and work them as quickly as you can.

TD

Re: Sealing spalted wood

dave caudill

>I was just set to write and ask the same question. I have come across a bunch of burls and other wood for turning and need to know what to seal it with. Some of it will be chunked out into squares as it is a large stump that was recently cut. I assume all sides will need sealed as they will be freshly cut on all sides. What should I use and where do I get it?

I have some apple that I didn't seal and a lot fo it is wasted so I don't want to repeat that mistake.

Also what is anchorseal? Is this a product or preocess?

Thanks.

Dave

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Gary Evans

>Hi Dave,

Anchorseal is a product designed for sealing end grain on lumber. It is a wax emulsion that does what it is supposed to do; slow the loss of moisture from wood surfaces.

It is a good idea to seal any end-grain, burl or wild grain figure on freshly cut wood. I would also seal all the punky areas on the spalted wood. They will be the first to crack.

You can get it directly from UC Coatings. Last I heard it is roughly $8.00 per gallon delivered, in the 5 gal. bucket.

GE

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Doug Trembath

>I agree with Terry, but if you do cut some up into blanks for future use, certainly coat them on all sides. I have had some luck keeping them from cracking then, but as Terry said, work it as quickly as possible.

I coat everything on my roughouts as well, Guy, and have a very consistent success rate.

Anchorseal is marketed by U-C Coatings. Easy Google search...

HTH

Doug Trembath

Studio in the Woods

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Guy

>Thanks everyone! Lots of good info. I'm going to treat them like any other raw blanks and seal em. I figure at the very least it won't hurt, just cost me a little time and anchorseal. Take it easy, Guy

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Brad

>On the subject of spalted wood, after roughing out a bowl from spalted wood, how do you stop the fungal growth (so your bowl dosen't continue to rot)?

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Gary Evans

>Brad,

Fungi have to have moisture to reproduce. Once you get your blank dry enough to finish turn, the fungus will no longer be a problem.

GE

Re: Sealing spalted wood

JamieDonaldson

>The moisture threshold for most fungi to survive in wood is 18~20%-below that and the spalting is stable.

Re: Sealing spalted wood

Brad

>I undersatand that once the roughed bowl dries out that the fungus will no longer be a problem, but what about during the time after it is roughed and still fairly wet, won't it keep "rotting" until it dries to below 20%? Is there any way to arrest the growth of the fungus during that period?

Days, not weeks.

TDaniel

>

Actually, Brad,

Gary Evans

>The fungus that causes the spalting that we all know and love is not the same fungus that causes the wood to rot. If you catch spalted wood at the right moment in time, it will not be very much softer than the original unspalted wood. Besides, like Terry said, it is only a matter of days before the surface of the wood gets dry enough to slow or stop the fungal growth.

GE