split logs

[Phisherman]

I cut a deep ring around a healthy hardwood tree last year. It leafed out, then suddenly started dropping its leaves last July. I cut the tree down last weekend and cut it into logs. The bark easily peeled off. The logs seemed to be partially dry (we had every-day upper 90-degree temperatures without rain for over a month). Two days later most of the logs are splitting and I have been cutting these into boards. The splitting makes all the work useless. How does one get nice boards without all the splitting? Grrrr.

[J.]

Fell 'em green and use Anchorseal on the log ends. If you resaw the logs into boards while green, treat the ends with Anchorseal. Anchorseal is your friend.

I only girdle trees that I want to cut for firewood. Girdling (cutting a ring around the tree) deprives the upper trunk, branches and leaves with water. You might as well have cut the tree and let it sit in the sun for a year.

J.

Phisherman wrote:

[Leon]

Cut them in to boards while green, then seal the ends.

[Phisherman]

Thanks for the Anchorseal tip, I couldn't find this stuff locally. I tried using paint on the endgrain years ago and that failed miserably. I am now trying paraffin on the endgrain, by rubbing the end gain with paraffin and melting it in with a propane torch. I have the boards stickered and clamped. I have been re-tightening the clamps every week as the stacks dry. Has anyone tried this method to help prevent board splitting?

[J.]

AFAIK Anchorseal is only available by mail order directly from the manufacturer at:

have used primer paint with some success in the past. It didn't work as uniformly well as the Anchorseal but the results were acceptable because it was all I had on hand at the time.

Stacked, stickered and clamped will keep the boards from warping and twisting but it won't help with the end checks very much if at all.

I know a stairmaker who kiln dries his stock in a barn who doesn't end coat at all from what I can see. He just cuts his boards extra long and uses the checked offcuts for fuel for the next firing.

J.

Phisherman wrote:

[Nova]

Anchorseal is also available at a number of different retailers throughout the Unites States. Check the dealer listings as U C Coatings web site by clicking on "Dealer Listings" on the left hand side of their main page at:

[Larry Blanchard]

wood end sealer" - I've had good luck with it but don't know if it's the same formulation as Anchorseal or not.