Storing Green Wood in water

[Lazurus]

Watched a clip on You Tu8e last night and the guy mentioned when he had green logs he rough turned to cylinders and then stored in a 50 gallon water container with a small amount of dish washer detergent to prevent checking. I assume the detergent is to keep the water a little cleaner and prevent algae.

I do the usual sealing with wax etc. but still suffer splitting especially is the recent hot spell. Has any one tried the water storage method with a good result. The guy on the clip said the piece he was turning had been stored that way for some months, it certainly looked in good condition and only required minimal prep. prior to hollowing.

Stu

[Paul Hannaby]

A long time ago I tried the LDD (liquid dishwashing detergent aka washing up liquid) mix. After a while the only conclusion I reached was that it was causing my chuck and lathe bed to rust! I was getting the same percentage of bowls splitting as they dried so I don't think it solved anything.

Keeping a piece of wood under water will stop it drying out and splitting - until it comes out of the water. Then it will probably have a higher moisture content than it did when it went in so if anything, it might be more likely to split!

I know there are benefits to storing wood under water as a way to condition it prior to seasoning but I think in this instance, the storage times are much longer.

[Bryan Milham]

There is another version of this using a thick solution of dishwater powder.

People will try anything to hurry or beat nature, if it works once it must be the golden answer everyone is looking for.

Another is Boiling the wood.

The only thing I do know that works is PEG (polyethylene glycol), and I think that wood that was dried using this stuff is starting to have problems now, and it was not being able to get a great finish on it originally.

[Lazurus]

Was just looking for a way to keep my green wood "green" My logpile is splitting badly in the dry weather and my thoughts were to keep the logs saturated to prevent this until I can use them. Its been so hot here in Norfolk that the wax I put on some of them melted and run off...... Still shouldn't moan about a hot summer I guess.... 

[afrancis]

Think yourself lucky. Here in Scotland we have had the coldest and wettest summer for 40 years

[Eric Harvey]

if you have some shady spots,that might help,Norfolk here also,and even in my shady spots behind my shed,wood still splitting from the heat,a chap at the Bury club swears by boiling it,depends how you process it I suppose,cheers,

Eric.

[fuzzyturns]

I think it also depends a lot on the type of wood, since each species has different ratios of shrinking. I had success with smaller logs by keeping the bark on, sealing the ends with PVA glue and then wrapping them with shrink wrap with some string to keep it on.
Once you've rough turned your items, I believe the most important thing is to keep the wall thickness even all around the piece (especially the foot/tenon and even more important if the pith is still in).
Having said that, I rough turned some plum end grain bowls, and they have all split terribly. Looks like some more segmented work coming up soon.

[Lazurus]

I always finish turn from green wood so its for keeping the raw log useable for longer, I just hate seeing a log split prior to getting a chance to use it.....

[Mark Hancock]

Putting logs in running water (such as a stream) prior to air drying is a way of seasoning timber. Look up Water Seasoning:

WATER SEASONING.

Logs are often stored under water. The tendency to crack that exists when they are exposed to the hot sun, and the danger from insects and from rot, are counter acted as long as they remain thus submerged.

Woods keep safely under water, and, at the same time, undergo changes that render them more durable after they have been removed from the water. They dry rapidly when brought again into contact with the air, and are then durable in proportion as they have been washed by the water. Water seasoning is usually combined with natural seasoning.

The water acts, first by excluding the air, and second by leaching out impurities. There is no reason why wood should ever decay while it remains under water. The softening or physical disintegration that may eventually take place is not decay. Logs are sometimes found buried deep in the mud of swamps. Pieces cut from such logs are often particularly prized because in the course of immersion they have been so thoroughly cleansed and rendered durable, and also because they have lost much of the natural tendency to warp.