Widening splits in oak

[Petey83]

I've got a nice offcut square block of oak that's got a lot lot of splitting in it. I want to use it as a base for a table lamp and fill the splits with coloured resin. Now the issue is a lot of the splits are hairline so won't really show off coloured resin to the degree I'd like.

Any ideas on how to get the plots to open up naturally?

 

[MikeG.]

If the timber is un-seasoned or partly seasoned, then stick it near a source of heat, such as in an airing cupboard. Or put it in a sunny spot in the garden with a sheet of glass in front. Wait. You'll get all the cracks you could ever want.

 

[AJB Temple]

^ What he said.

Bear in mind that when it splits it also bulges and moves unpredictably. Be prepared to re-flatten whatever you thought was a flat face or base.

If your offcut is not too large, and you want to speed up the process, you could put it in your oven on a very low heat for a day or so. My offcuts go in the log burner.

 

[Petey83]

a lot of my projects are simple and are done with off cuts - working on a budget plus i find i enjoy these projects far more than when i tried to be to ambitious for my skill level.

I'll try the oven for a day on a super low heat, its an unfinished cube so needs squaring up properly anyway

 

[marcros]

If you are using resin, having it nice and ultra dry will help too.