how to avoid cherry from splitting ?

[woodfarmer]

So far I have had zero luck making anything using cherry without it splitting catastrophically. Even just cutting out some blanks for making fruit. I have used diluted pva and neat pva to seal it. All to no avail except possibly one bit I cut as a small bowl blank, it has bent but not yet split. The reason I am asking is I may soon have the chance to get some green cherry wood. Should I plank it up into about three inch (75mm) thick planks and seal the ends. Or something else? ATM I store wood in a barn, in the summer with 30-35 C air temperatures it is only a bit cooler in the barn. I have another which is open fronted and damp so cooler. or should I construct something in a very shady (from trees) place. I do get the odd split with other woods but for some reason cherry is my nemesis.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I've had mixed but reasonable success with Cherry. Last summer the caretaker of my kids school offered me an ex Cherry tree from his front garden. Nice diameter, around 15 inch. It was July timeframe so already warm.

I got it in one boot full with the seats down and it had been disc'd by the tree surgeon so no huge bowl blanks regrettably. A couple were 8" tall so not a complete disaster. Anyway I cut it into a mix of bowl blanks and spindle blanks thick enough for fruit and goblets as soon as I got it home and pva'd the ends. I use a mix of about 80:20 or thereabouts or its just too viscous.

I then stored them in my garage. About a third split, more so the spindle blanks than the bowls. I've started using it this summer and its surprisingly stable. I roughed a couple bowl blanks and left them at 10% thickness for about 12 weeks and they've worked a treat. Two goblets have remained stable and yet to do some fruit. It's darkening beautifully with age so all in all I'm happy. Given all the feedback people give about cherry splitting I confess I was expecting worse.

It had been down at least a week when I got to it and yet the discs showed none of the signs of splitting you hear about constantly. I did cut it up quite completely so the pith got a right good chopping and that will doubtless have helped.

The worst I've ever seen for splitting is Laurel which is almost like its alive it goes so quick once cut.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

I think the only way you can stop cherry splitting is to leave it on the tree, end even then...........
I limbed a large cherry we have in the garden about 3 years ago and it had started to split between it hitting the ground and moving it to the shed. I painted the ends and stacked it in a dry corner, but most of it split in one way or another. I've been able to use most of it by filling cracks as I go.
I turned a goblet at the start of the Summer, thinking it must be pretty dry by now.
The goblet is in the bin after the stem twisting alarmingly and the actual vessel turning oval.

 

[CHJ]

Close stacked in its own mini environment (aimed at all round even moisture gradient) has been my best result for logs, but the storage timeframe has been several years without disturbance before reworking.
Then because I tend to use the bulk of the wood in laminated construction I plank it and place in sticks until such time as I remember it's there.

Larger logs slabbed to 50 - 75 mm thickness, bark on, with just the end grain well sealed has been satisfactory, but once again years not months before using.

 

[CHJ]

Some examples of Cherry from my store, some of the logs from this batch still have not been disturbed since Oct 17, 2006. It was still in the 18-20% moisture range when some was planked in Oct 2013.

The slab here is at least two years since slabbing (from the 2006 batch) and you can see how much it has moved.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I get my cherry in two or three inch boards, five to six feet long, kiln dried with the bark left on and ends sealed with PVA - there is never much evidence of splitting.

Regards Mick

 

[JimB]

I get the impression that it was cut in summer - in the growing season anyway. Is this right and is it more likely to cause trouble drying when the sap is high?

 

[finneyb]

I get the impression that it was cut in summer - in the growing season anyway. Is this right and is it more likely to cause trouble drying when the sap is high?

Jim,

I agree with you about more likely to split if cut in the growing season.
But how did you get the impression it was cut then?
I'm not saying you are wrong just looking to expand my knowledge.

Brian

 

[CHJ]

Summer cut with any wood is worst possible scenario.

Winter cut when dormant or lowest sap transportation is the ideal.

 

[CHJ]

Even early spring harvested wood can have significant moisture content if it has been a mild winter.

This wood was harvested in February, cut up and stored in March 2014,

By May it had started sprouting shoots,

And at this point in August the shoots are still growing and showing no sign of wilting.

 

[woodfarmer]

I've had mixed but reasonable success with Cherry. Last summer the caretaker of my kids school offered me an ex Cherry tree from his front garden. Nice diameter, around 15 inch. It was July timeframe so already warm.

I got it in one boot full with the seats down and it had been disc'd by the tree surgeon so no huge bowl blanks regrettably. A couple were 8" tall so not a complete disaster. Anyway I cut it into a mix of bowl blanks and spindle blanks thick enough for fruit and goblets as soon as I got it home and pva'd the ends. I use a mix of about 80:20 or thereabouts or its just too viscous.

I then stored them in my garage. About a third split, more so the spindle blanks than the bowls. I've started using it this summer and its surprisingly stable. I roughed a couple bowl blanks and left them at 10% thickness for about 12 weeks and they've worked a treat. Two goblets have remained stable and yet to do some fruit. It's darkening beautifully with age so all in all I'm happy. Given all the feedback people give about cherry splitting I confess I was expecting worse.

It had been down at least a week when I got to it and yet the discs showed none of the signs of splitting you hear about constantly. I did cut it up quite completely so the pith got a right good chopping and that will doubtless have helped.

The worst I've ever seen for splitting is Laurel which is almost like its alive it goes so quick once cut.

Not sure what you mean by Laurel. Here Bay is called Laurier but I have found that to be the most stable wood I have come across, plus it cuts and eventually finishes beautifully. The nicest wood I have ever used.

 

[CHJ]

Not sure what you mean by Laurel. ...

Usually Cherry Laurel, fast growing and high moisture content wood.

http://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/ ... folia.html

http://www.best4hedging.co.uk/hedge-pla ... -c9/laurel

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's the pup. Shiny waxy leaves, common as muck in British hedges. Its a very white wood but it doesn't half split.

 

[renderer01]

Hello Mate,
The green cherry is the only cherry I have had luck with the pink or red cherry always hurts my feelings. I have no real idea why, it could be time of year it was cut or the ground it was grown in or combo effect.
But I find the green cherry warps but lidded pots made with it are amazing if matched grain. Same rules apply remove the heartwood or at least crack the wood equally down the centre exposing the pith if too small a diameter. I prefer to leave the bark on and store it for first 2 years in a rough wood heap in a shady place and I dont worry about rain fall.
All that said its difficult and I have a huge amount of waste spindle work is generally the name of the game as you can work around the flaws. Beware of flying shards using a skew. Sorry I can do no better mate.

Rend.

 

[JimB]

I agree with you about more likely to split if cut in the growing season.
But how did you get the impression it was cut then?
I'm not saying you are wrong just looking to expand my knowledge.Brian

Words like green and summer kept cropping up in the posts and often people decide enough is enough and fell a tree in the spring/summer to clear the garden.
That and the extensive cracking just made me think of high sap content causing seasoning problems. Nothing clever or knowledgeable just word association.

 

[woodfarmer]

I am in the process of moving my wood from one part of the barn to another in order to make a space to re install the Holbrook. So I found these bits, even a badly split piece of oak ( all sealed with PVA).

cherry bowl blank, somewhat bent but no split yet.

a fruit blank

Even the scrap offcuts split

and what I had hoped would make a decent sized oak bowl

 

[duncanh]

How about part turning them and then drying them (covering end grain with PVA etc) before returning - blanks will dry much faster. I've never tried this with cherry but if you're getting splits anyway it's always worth trying.
Or better still, wet turn to 5mm or so and allow to warp as they dry, thus avoiding splits.

 

[CHJ]

How about part turning them and then drying them (covering end grain with PVA etc) before returning -.....

Personally have never had enough success with rough turning cherry to risk wasting solid stock again.

 

[bogmonster]

I have also had variable cherry results. I picked some up from a tree surgeon some time ago. It had been cut in short lengths and looked not so great. Made a first couple of bowls the other day and really nice results. I have sold the ones I have made now so no decent pics but here you go (the two on the right are cherry):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33795885@N04/14600502860/

My advice is leave and forget for 4 months (in the shade), then rough turn, don't wait til completely dry, finish turn and accept the warping afterwards. Don't over sand, heat is bad for cherry.

And if it splits, make it a feature

The smell when turning cherry is just fantastic.

I think the 1/10th diameter turning recommendation advice does not work for me. Either I can measure properly or significantly under 1/10th works out much better for me.

BM.

 

[CHJ]

....
And if it splits, make it a feature ...