Sealing end grain

[shendy]

What are people using to seal end grain.

I've some paraffin wax but it's white. I'd rather something clear.

What do you all recommend?

[astra25]

Nothing wrong with white I used old candle wax, you could used thick pva if you want a clear finish.

[Treemoose]

I always just use watered down pva

[Andymacp]

Do you need to seal the end grain if it's drying outside or is that just for kiln ?

[astra25]

Do you need to seal the end grain if it's drying outside or is that just for kiln ?

It's always best to seal and protect yourself not going to hurt, all types of wood dry differently but it's easy to seal and can save waste I seal the log then mill easyer then sealing each border afterwords.

[Mike Dempsey]

I use watered down pva glue. If I cant do it the same day, I tend to trim the board to straighten up the end a bit and then apply it with a brush. Due to the fact the newly exposed surface it wet, the pva soaks in a bit and wont fall off, which sometimes happens with candle wax.

[Big J]

I wouldn't worry about it. Don't know of any larger scale mills that do it and I don't either. We cut over 600 elm boards in the past 3 days - would be quite an undertaking to seal them all!

[shendy]

I wouldn't worry about it. Don't know of any larger scale mills that do it and I don't either. We cut over 600 elm boards in the past 3 days - would be quite an undertaking to seal them all!

 

 

Do you get any issue with splitting? Got some cherry that's split like hell.

[Big J]

A bit here and there, but it's likely to do it anyway. You can have a much bigger effect milling early in winter, stacking correctly (sticks near the ends of boards, large, tall stacks to keep boards as flat as possible) and picking decent logs.

 

As a rule, I don't cut cherry any more. Horrible, twisty, bendy, splitty wood. Not worth the effort.

[astra25]

Iv had no trouble with cherry up to yet haven't milled huge pieces tho.

Shendy ... just seal it will help a bit and hinder non.