[BZawat]

Went to pick up some lumber from a local sawyer the other day and this cookie came with the deal. It's Chinqapin Oak, about 5" thick x 22 long x 16 wide. I have no idea the MC as my meter has died, but it feels like its got a lot of H2O in it still. Here are some pics (without & then with DNA to show the grain), then a question. I cleaned up the chainsaw marks with a scrub plane and a belt sander first, btw

I'm expecting this to crack like hell. Any way to mitigate it at all?

 

[qbilder]

Pentacryl, and do it fast. Otherwise, it will crack all ways but Sunday.

 

[65BAJA]

It's ET. Phone Home!

 

[Dominick]

It's ET. Phone Home!

Laughing!!!! Or is it a praying mantis?
Looks cool Brian. Will make for a cool table top.

 

[BZawat]

Haha phone home indeed! I had alien-looking mantis on the brain when I saw it, coincidentally enough lol.

I have zero experience in this area guys, and I wonder what you think about whether its safe to cut that sucker in half; I'd love to get matching end tables out of it. I'm just afraid that with all the wild grain it would go to pieces during drying, being only 2.5" thick. (I am going to order some pentacryl tonight tho. Thanks for the tip!)
Should I dry it in its current 5" thickness, then cut it after it stabilizes some? I imagine it may take quite a few years to air dry at that thickness though.
Any thoughts?

 

[Dominick]

If time is what you have than I'd leave it and let it dry Brian.
Here's a like I've found interesting on PEG.
It's long. http://owic.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs/peg.pdf

 

[BZawat]

If time is what you have than I'd leave it and let it dry Brian.
Here's a like I've found interesting on PEG.
It's long. http://owic.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs/peg.pdf

Thanks for the read! Good stuff, very informative. And I'm a nerd so its right up my alley lol!

 

[Da Aardvark]

Beautious !!
Normally you don't see those browns in oak.

Listen to Dominic on the drying tips. Some cracking will likely happen either way, but that can add to the look, and the cracks can later be epoxy filled.

Once totally dried, you can consider slicing it into 2 pieces but ya gotta get there first.

 

[Post Oakie]

Doubt you'll have much luck with stabilizers such as PEG with any wood from the white oak group. The pores are sealed off (tylosis), and it just won't penetrate into the wood, even with the end grain.

I agree with Aardvark. Best bet is to let it dry a couple of years, split it if you want two matching pieces, and let the cracks be part of the design. Bronze powder or turquoise powder mixed with epoxy give stunning effects.

 

[Post Oakie]

Doubt you'll have much luck with stabilizers such as PEG with any wood from the white oak group. The pores are sealed off (tylosis), and it just won't penetrate into the wood, even through the end grain.

I agree with Aardvark. Best bet is to let it dry a couple of years, split it if you want two matching pieces, and let the cracks be part of the design. Bronze powder or turquoise powder mixed with epoxy give stunning effects.

 

[BZawat]

Thanks. I didn't even think about how white oak's tyloses would affect PEG absorption. You're a day too late, unfortunately, as I put it in a pentacryl bath yesterday morning. Oh well. I guess we'll see what happens and consider it a lesson learned.