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Cut blanks are the hardest thing to save. Leave them in log form if you can however then you have bug problems to deal with and I haven't solved that problem yet.
The best bet is to put a tarp over the logs to keep them out of the weather. Sun and wind will make them split in no time. You will have to cut 3 to 6 inches off the end when you then cut a blank but they will last quite a while like this. The cheap blue tarps don't last long. I found a UV inhibitor tarp from www.TEKsupply.com that will hold up for a long time. I don't have the link anymore but call them or write them and they can give you the part #.
I don't store them this way for very long because I don't have the room to store logs very well and the bugs get in them pretty bad.
If you have the place to store the logs on concrete under a roof they will last the longest especially when covered to keep the sun and wind off of them.
So I cut the bowl blanks and seal them either 2 coats of Anchorseal or dip them in Parrafin wax that I melt in an electric skillet. Wax works the best in my tests and Anchorseal works better than all the cheaper alternatives. I have found that everyones environment is different so your results may vary depending on local. I use the electric skillet because the wax's flash point is 480 degrees so don't get it anywhere near a flame. The melting point is about 140 to 160 degrees, well below the flash point so I simply hot glue the temp dial on my skillet so it can't move. To do larger blanks I sit a coffee can in the skillet and fill it with wax. This I can carry to the larger blanks and paint the wax on.
For short term storage I simply cover the end grain areas. For longer term I cover the whole bowl blank. You still will occasionally lose a blank so it's good to check them regularly and turn any that start to crack, you'll just have to make a smaller bowl out of those.
The best bet by far is to rough turn the bowls and seal the end grain areas. Some can get buy with just stacking them in room with little air movement but I haven't had good luck doing that. Must be the weather in Tennessee.
The best bet is to put a tarp over the logs to keep them out of the weather. Sun and wind will make them split in no time. You will have to cut 3 to 6 inches off the end when you then cut a blank but they will last quite a while like this. The cheap blue tarps don't last long. I found a UV inhibitor tarp from www.TEKsupply.com that will hold up for a long time. I don't have the link anymore but call them or write them and they can give you the part #.
I don't store them this way for very long because I don't have the room to store logs very well and the bugs get in them pretty bad.
If you have the place to store the logs on concrete under a roof they will last the longest especially when covered to keep the sun and wind off of them.
So I cut the bowl blanks and seal them either 2 coats of Anchorseal or dip them in Parrafin wax that I melt in an electric skillet. Wax works the best in my tests and Anchorseal works better than all the cheaper alternatives. I have found that everyones environment is different so your results may vary depending on local. I use the electric skillet because the wax's flash point is 480 degrees so don't get it anywhere near a flame. The melting point is about 140 to 160 degrees, well below the flash point so I simply hot glue the temp dial on my skillet so it can't move. To do larger blanks I sit a coffee can in the skillet and fill it with wax. This I can carry to the larger blanks and paint the wax on.
For short term storage I simply cover the end grain areas. For longer term I cover the whole bowl blank. You still will occasionally lose a blank so it's good to check them regularly and turn any that start to crack, you'll just have to make a smaller bowl out of those.
The best bet by far is to rough turn the bowls and seal the end grain areas. Some can get buy with just stacking them in room with little air movement but I haven't had good luck doing that. Must be the weather in Tennessee.
