# End sealing



## dsmit12 (Jan 4, 2013)

N some threads have have seen people say to seal the ends with wax or something. Where do I get this wax or whatever it is to seal the wood to keep from splitting.


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## scsmith42 (Jan 24, 2011)

Professional logger/millers typically use one of these two end sealers for logs:

1 - Anchor Seal Classic, from U. S. Coatings
2 - Bailey's End Sealer from Baileys-online.com.

I buy Anchorseal by the drum; the last time that I purchased Bailey's it was about $77.00 for a 5 gallon pail. 55 gallon drums were 9 bucks a gallon delivered.

Stay away from Anchorseal II; it does not work as well as the Classic.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Water loss from the cut ends is the fastest. 
Painting the ends is an attempt to slow that down, to even out the rate of water loss
when compared to the loss from from the sides. At home for just a few sticks, most any paint at hand will do.
There's no guarantee. If you need 72" for a hiking stick, cut maybe 84+".
Here at 53N, ambient temperatures and humidity in the first 6 weeks of drying are very important.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Perhaps I should explain.
Just a block down my street is a rustic furniture shop, they make everything out of diamond willow.
In the late spring when the sap is really running, new wood growth has begun and the bark rips off in strips.
They harvest approx 5 cords (4' x 4" x 8') of DW, bring it back to the shop and strip all the bark but they don't
clean out the diamonds. Skinny stuff goes into a dated bin (2012 harvest went into bin 2014) for hiking sticks, canes,
chair legs, staircase railings, etc. The fat stuff, 3"-5", went into the 2016 bin. 
Sometimes they paint the ends, sometimes they don't.
If the next 6 weeks of late spring are damp/rainy and cold, there's very little end grain cracking.
Otherwise, they anticipate losing 12" at each end of an 8' stick.
Spring, 2009?/2010? was hot and dry. They lost every stick they brought in. All split.
Likely the most expensive firewood in the valley.

Outdoors, under cover. Not cooking in a closed up shed. Guess maybe 1" thickness per year.


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## dsmit12 (Jan 4, 2013)

Robson Valley said:


> Perhaps I should explain.
> Just a block down my street is a rustic furniture shop, they make everything out of diamond willow.
> In the late spring when the sap is really running, new wood growth has begun and the bark rips off in strips.
> They harvest approx 5 cords (4' x 4" x 8') of DW, bring it back to the shop and strip all the bark but they don't
> ...


 
So what are you trying to explain? That I need end sealer or not? and what do you mean 1" thickness per year?


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## DaveTTC (May 25, 2012)

dsmit12 said:


> N some threads have have seen people say to seal the ends with wax or something. Where do I get this wax or whatever it is to seal the wood to keep from splitting.


You can use candle wax or even just acrylic paint. There are products 'designed' for sealing. I have not tried all there is. I have used candle wax. 

Inch per year is likely a reference to how long it takes for a slab to dry. A slab 3 inches thick is said to take about 3 years to dry

Dave The Turning Cowboy


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*useful info here*

http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/end-grain-sealers.html


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Use end sealer. Better than nothing but no guarantee.

Air dried, outdoors, under cover (eg stickered and stacked) you can expect wood to air dry to an equilibrium moisture content of 12 - 14 % at a rate of approx 1" thickness per year. Drying from both sides a 2" plank should be OK in 2 years. A 2" diameter DW stick is ready for work in 2 years.


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