Logs V Blanks

[Alie Barnes]

Ive been discussing this with a few people recently.

Whats peoples opinions on the best way to keepwood?

For me keeping a log is just storing a lot of extra wood. Blanks (Logs that have been on the bandsaw and cut round) on the other hand are cut to round already so no extra wood to have to dry out.

I tend to cut a blank and then seal that,i also find it easier to do this as some logs are pretty weighty or difficult shape to drop into a vat of wax.

What do you all do?

 

[big soft moose]

Ive been discussing this with a few people recently.

Whats peoples opinions on the best way to keepwood?

For me keeping a log is just storing a lot of extra wood. Blanks (Logs that have been on the bandsaw and cut round) on the other hand are cut to round already so no extra wood to have to dry out.

I tend to cut a blank and then seal that,i also find it easier to do this as some logs are pretty weighty or difficult shape to drop into a vat of wax.

What do you all do?

on the otherhand wood nearly always exhibits some checking and cracking however careful you are in waxing and drying, if this happens with blanks you are knackered where as with logs the cracking isnt normally as pronounced and you can still work round it.

i sometimes split logs down the pith to release the radial tension, and then wax the split face and leave to dry.

the other point is that by cutting it all into blanks you are prederemining what you are going to make , whereas leaving in in large chunks gives you the flexibility to make end grain forms etc as the mood takes you.

for me the only time i use blanks is if i buy them ready kilned - if wood comes green in the log i simply seal the ends and leave it logged till i'm ready to use it

 

[wizer]

Logs if you have the space. Blanks if you don't.

Cutting up blanks would be a lengthy process and you'd still get a failure rate. You can designate logs for certain projects and them trim them close to that size, then neatly stack them up until you get around to turning them. They will dry out a bit if left for more than a year anyway.

Once I've got through my stock of KD blanks (few years ), I'm going to look into making a log store on the front of the house.

 

[Bodrighy]

I rarely blank my wood but then a lot of it is from onscure sources and just goes into a big pile. Yes some splits but then I either have a couple of smaller pieces or food for the wood burner. If I was paying for it I would no doubt be a lot more careful. I only buy wood if I am asked to make something that I don't have wood for at the time and that has only happened a few times. Also dierent woods perhaps need different treatment.

pete

 

[CHJ]

Blanking to size of green wood for storage is inevitably going to lead to more wastage, any resultant cracks from drying skrinkage are going to be within the prepared blank.

I always try to approach drying in stages, small diameter stuff I leave as long as possible for as long as possible.
Medium to large, whether Logged, Split through the core or Slabbed I try to cut and endseal about 1/3 longer than expected yield size.

In either case when moisture content is seen to be down below 18-20% where accessible I blank up, and reseal peripherys/ends.* If pieces found to be higher than 20% when blanked I store the sealed blanks indoors in paper or loosely closed plastic bags to equalise humidity gradient as much as possible & slow moisture loss down.

* If Excessive splitting noted on any awaiting this stage I take it to the bandsaw and recover the most useful sizes possible, resealing ends. (about 5% of initial stack and an awful lot of pen blanks and tool handles)


Having finally worked everything down to blank sizes it is inevitable that a few will exhibit structural defects at some stage that renders them suitable for best quality prepared firewood.

I find that if I can keep this sequence going over a couple of years then the loss rate proportionally reduces and finishes with a suitably acceptable "work in progress" failure rate to firewood.

 

[Paul.J]

Logs for me now
When i first started,getting logs was a cheap alternative for practising and still is i think,compared to buying expensive blanks that might have been ruined.
I also used to split and seal my logs as soon as i would get them,but that was when i was mainly doing bowls,but leaving the logs as they are gives you better options with what to do with them.
Plus i enjoy prepping me own timber

 

[PowerTool]

I do both - don't know which one to vote for :lol:

Andrew

 

[PAC]

I find the wood stores best as part-turned blanks. My split logs check too easily and circular blanks (octagonal ones in my case - no bandsaw, only a chaisaw) take too long to dry and still check. Logs that I keep moist to help prevent splitting start to spalt but this is not always desirable. Part turned blanks only rarely crack and dry a lot faster but do warp after a few months, but this is easily turned away later.

Hope this helps.

 

[CHJ]

..... Part turned blanks only rarely crack and dry a lot faster but do warp after a few months, but this is easily turned away later.
...

Agreed, but the practice does have the limitation that you are committing yourself to a given form, if not finite shape for all your stock.
Can get a bit boring when you have 30-40 pre-turned blanks to clean up having had a change in direction with your turning or customer requests for differing forms six months down the line.

 

[tekno.mage]

I do both. Depends on the wood really. Stuff that splits easily (Holly, Apple, Hawthorne) I split down the pith, seal the ends and store like that. Some of them still split :-( Those that survive will get bandsawed into more easily turned bits just before use.

Ash, oak hazel, box & birch tend to get bandsawed into various shaped blanks, end sealed and stored.

Branch wood like yew I tend to store as logs with the ends sealed.

tekno.mage

 

[Bodrighy]

I don't find hawthorne splits easily. Rock hard and lovey grain though

Pete

 

[Paul.J]

Bodrighy wrote

I don't find hawthorne splits easily.

Strange you sayiong that Pete.
I was using some Hawthorne yesterday,which i have had for quite a while.
That was cut up into smallish square blanks drying out.
Came to use it yesterday to make a trinket box and the splits were on the inside.No sign at all on the outer :shock:
Ended up throwing most of it as it was no good,but did manage to get he box made.It is lovely timber to tyurn though

 

[Bodrighy]

Most of the hawthorn that I use is from the hedges around me. I get it up to about 8" dia. and usually it is long dead. Maybe drying in the natural environment where it is damp stops it splitting. Pity yours split, lovely to turn as you said and can have some beautiful figuring.

Pete

 

[Gordon T]

I also use both and so can not decide which way to vote.

I would use more logs but my bandsaw is not big enough to cut them up, and my electric chainsaw is not that good either.

GT