How long till it checks

[mike567]

I felled a tree today that was in the footprint of the future workshop.:wsmile: After I cut the stump off low and even, I noticed the coloring in the grain at the stump. I want to turn some of this. I'm not sure what the wood is. :dontknow:It may be a maple. White and wet as heck.
How long until this starts to check? The log is 10"-12" in dia. and about 20" long. I don't have any wood sealer. I do have some latex paint that has frozen and separated. :wsad: Worthless for paint, but would this work for a sealer?

 

[NCTurner]

Seal ASAP and the paint will work, but not sure about the seperation, as long as the latex gets in the grains and stays it should be fine.

 

[scsmith42]

Seal ASAP and the paint will work, but not sure about the seperation, as long as the latex gets in the grains and stays it should be fine.

+1

 

[TexasTimbers]

It's better than nothing, but remember latex paint is engineered to do exactly the opposite of what an end sealer is designed to do; latex is designed to breathe so that moisture does not get trapped between it and the painted surface.

When you seal the end grain of lumber/logs, you want to stop the moisture from escaping the end grain as much as possible so that it will be slowly forced out of the long grain. Latex paint may work passably on some species but for the ones more prone to checking, it may or may not do much good.

If you want to be certain you are giving your log the best chance, spend a little dough and get some log sealer or if you won't do that at least go to Wal Mart or wherever you go, and buy a box of that Gulf Parrafin wax. It's real cheap. Heat it up in an old pot and apply it liberally. just pour it on because parrafin wax is going to harden on a brush almost immediately.

Since you have already probably painted it, just pour the wax right on top and hope it sticks to the paint. Probably will.

 

[fergy]

It would probably be a good idea to use a double-boiler for the wax, if that's the way you are going, since it can catch on fire.

 

[Dragon]

It would probably be a good idea to use a double-boiler for the wax, if that's the way you are going, since it can catch on fire.

Good safety tip there. Wax is flammable when liquid, that's why it's used in candle making. Not flammable as in the context of gasoline or paint thinner but it will readily light up if it comes into contact with a hot enough surface or flame.

 

[TexasTimbers]

I should have mentioned that, I suppose I take for granted no one at ncw.net would be unaware of that necessity. :new_blowi :mrgreen:

Parrafin wax has a flash point a little below 400°F - so you would have to be pretty wreckless to blow it up. But, put it on your little coleman and get to sanding on a project, and then get focused on sanding and forget the wax . . . . . . ka-bang.

Mike, use a double-boiler and don't sand anything while you wait. :gar-Bi

 

[mike567]

I made my first trip to Klingspor Saturday after work. I like that place!! I picked up a gallon of end grain sealer. I have already painted, with the latex, the smaller of the two pieces I ended up with. Today I will apply the sealer to the larger log. Thanks ya'll.

Will the sealer work over the latex, or would this be a waste of sealer? @ $16/gal I don't want to be slopping this stuff around willy-nilly.

 

[TexasTimbers]

Mike,

I haven't ever tried it over latex, but i think it'll stick provided it's dry and clean.

Might as well take some steel wool and scuff the paint a little, wipe it off (don't use mineral spirits of course) with a dry rag and then apply the sealer.

Might seem like overkill to some but since you are taking the time to do it right - why not take an extra few minutes to be sure. :thumbs_up