How to preserve my oak ring?

[slackbladder]

At one time you could get some stuff called PEG polyethylene glycol and this replace the water in the wood with the PEG

don't know if its still available or suitable

Anybody else ever used it

[openspaceman]

 

The trouble you've got with drying something like this is that, ultimately, the outside rings need to be smaller than the inside rings as each cell needs to shrink the same amount and there are more cells in the outside than the inside. There are only two options I am aware of - one is to cut the ring up into segments, like pizza slices - you could try quarters but six or eight would be more certain. Once these dry they will shrink so they are narrower at the outside than the inside, i.e. if you put them back together there will be a gap like a missing pie slice. You can counter this either by planing up the faces to make it smaller overall, or by, say, cutting it into four pieces and taking an extra piece from the next ring down, then once dry, reassembling it as five wedges, one from the other ring.

 

The other option would be to stop it ever shrinking. You can't simply soak in oil - the spaces are currently full of water so the oil can't go in and fill the spaces. The usual thing to soak in would be polyethylene glycol (PEG) which is used by turners on large, full section bowls and similar.

 

Alec

 

I agree on both these observations and you explained that so much better than I could.

 

Good job he missed that iron when he sliced the log.

[slackbladder]

Heres a link which may help

http://www.leevalley.com/en/html/05k9805ie.pdf

[Stephen Blair]

I think it will just dry and the bark will fall off soon. My late mate made a table out a huge scots pine ring, would of been 3 feet across.

He ended up getting a blacksmith to make a metal grid like frame underneath to hold it together. Sorry best I can offer.

[Vertigo Arb Ltd]

Ok your all being really helpful and it's very much apreciated, although I still don't no what to do lol

I think I'm going to strike while the iron is hot and oil it relentlessly because it is quite dry. After about 5 layers I'm going to finish the sanding and then I'm going to finish it.

Any recommendations on finishing?

[wisecobandit]

Personally if you have a number of them I would paint one or two with emulsion paint and stick them away at the back of a shed for 12 mths which will slow down the drying out/seasoning process and limit any splitting or cracks. Not saying it will be perfect but much less likely to split than what your trying to do at the mo. (not knocking what your doing btw and not meaning to sound detrimental)

[muttley9050]

Clive suggested in a similar thread something I think I Will try on similar projects.

Drill a 2" hole directly through the centre to allow for shrinkage. When dry redrill to true hole and fill with a turned oak plug.

[Vertigo Arb Ltd]

Personally if you have a number of them I would paint one or two with emulsion paint and stick them away at the back of a shed for 12 mths which will slow down the drying out/seasoning process and limit any splitting or cracks. Not saying it will be perfect but much less likely to split than what your trying to do at the mo. (not knocking what your doing btw and not meaning to sound detrimental)

 

Yeah that's a good idea I think I was just to keen! Was going to glaze it and inscribe it for an anniversary present next month but may of fluffed it... Down the florist for me!

[Vertigo Arb Ltd]

Clive suggested in a similar thread something I think I Will try on similar projects.

Drill a 2" hole directly through the centre to allow for shrinkage. When dry redrill to true hole and fill with a turned oak plug.

 

That's a good idea mate or even just a nice even well placed hole couldn't look to bad I guess lol

[Vertigo Arb Ltd]

I think it will just dry and the bark will fall off soon. My late mate made a table out a huge scots pine ring, would of been 3 feet across.

He ended up getting a blacksmith to make a metal grid like frame underneath to hold it together. Sorry best I can offer.

 

Father in law is a carpenter so maybe a very thick wooden frame drilled into the back might give it a chance?