It Matters How You Dry Your Wood

Some means of drying wood are either ineffective, expensive, or destructive. Let's take a look at how to dry wood effectively, inexpensively, and non-destructively.
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[@johnnycorn7225]

Awe love the kitty sidekick!! My two cra cra Labradors have a special interest in my workshop activities as well lol. Fur babies FTW!! Really excited to use some cheery i found thats almost ready!!!

[@tessyts]

I find many videos hard to understand due to distorted hearing in one ear and constant buzzing in both but I could understand everything you said. Look forward to seeing more videos from you and learning more about wood working. Thank you.

[@sheilamaclean968]

Just what I needed to know, picked up some lime and poplar lengths of branch and put them in my damp shed - the dampness may help slow down the drying but now I'll do the candle wax end treatment, I've got so many have burnt candles that have lost their scent so this is a great way to re-cycle them - thankyou!

[@huskiefan8950]

Just brought in some lilac pieces last week, for some small projects. Took all the bark off all the pieces, and in 3-4 hours every single piece had cracked DAMN NEAR to the very center! Absolutely terrible cracks, broke my heart cause it had beautiful grain. Lilac wood does this especially bad, from what I've seen. I say that bcuz Ive done the same thing with ash pieces and had no problem. Live and learn

[@kllgrogto5838]

This video should have many more likes!! I've been looking for this info and this video just has everything i wanted to know

[@postiesteve]

I agree. Very clear and easy to follow

[@postiesteve]

Thank goodness. A nice simple but clear explanation on how to seal end grain. Thanks

[@ether8494]

Great tips thanks for sharing 😊👍

[@Sonturist]

Just had a cherry and polar cut in my yard, thanks for this.

[@antcommander1367]

good to know that using parafin wax can help to dry wood without crack's. i usually use thighest leftover sealant paint that i've got, which isn't working always

[@lizzii-armstrong2047]

I'm so glad I came across you I need help Been walking in woods and found a pretty good size log but I want to put it on my wall.. do I clean it dry it out or do I leave it to dry it..please reply

[@russbowman6801]

A thought here. The wood could be weighed with marking and date on the end. When dry, it should be lighter. How to figure percent moisture in the wood from the change is another matter to solve though.

[@ataarjomand]

Excellent. Thanks a lot.

[@juandominguez3403]

thanks for sharing.

[@timbutler3733]

Good video, thanks

[@mrscary3105]

Thank you

[@williamleightii4546]

Love the calico kitty

[@techywill]

If I apply wax to the ends, but remove the bark, would that cause any issues? Should I leave the bark on or would it be OK if the wood is less than two inches in diameter (walking stick)?

[@bchearne]

I like a double boiler for melting wax to prevent overheating. Pretty dangerous if you do overheat it

[@blchrisco]

What are the parameters for your wood drying room? Like temp and humidity?

[@royalmaster203]

thanks

[@ravindrav496]

Hey hi...have just got silver oak logs about 8ft for log fence..got them 2 ft into the concrete for posts...now will be getting the rest of the logs sliced into half for the horizontal supports..what is the best way to treat them ..they are still wet though

[@patsyclark9979]

I have some new cut disc or cookies about 7" across and 3/4 " wide from a Cedar limb that I am painting art pictures on one side and wanted the back side to be natural and have the cedar odor. If I paint the picture with acrylic paints and seal painting with Liquitex varnish will it keep cedar from splitting

[@aurtisanminer2827]

I found blocks of paraffin wax in the canning section of my local grocery store for about $6.

[@thewretchedpleb7484]

Probably have already messed it up (since I peeled the bark and pulp already) but I started a first attempt to make a club yesterday. It's drying now, and I plan to let it dry another couple of days before I sand it anymore, let alone applying any polish or finish. Seems that the knots are where the moisture is draining the quickest but the ends are still a concern. There any point in trying to dry it over a longer period still? Cause I'm guessing the damage is done since it's already peeled and partly sanded. Might not make a good club, at least for more than one or two swings. But I'm hoping it'll at least make a good walking stick. Hasn't been any visible fraying in the grain yet, I expect it will crack up some though. Any thoughts? Basically meant to ask if I had already ruined the piece, or if it might still work out alright. The material is pecan wood which I know nothing about so I don't know how that might affect it either.

[@absurdistcat]

todd cabaniss - A few months later, how is it?

[@stuckmannen3876]

GUYS, I THINK THERE IS A CAT ON THIS GUYS LAP!!!!!!😮😮😮😮😮

[@ivandibujo6535]

Hi, thanks for this info, preety great to find it. My question is the following: is there any way to calculate how long for the log needs to be in drying process before start working with it?

[@kennanblake1562]

If it's still green or freshly cut, it's about a 6 month drying process. Roughly. It reqlly depends on the wood, the humidity of the room, and the temperature of the room you're storing you wood in. From my experience 6 months to cure wood properly is it. Sometimes you can get away with shorter depending on your wood and drying room.

[@kennanblake1562]

And I know, 6 months is a bummer if you have a good peice of wood you really want to use, but that's just how it is lol.

[@kennanblake1562]

Sorry this is a lot of text, but for example I just grabbed a peice of walnut, and cut off the end to make a coaster just for fun. It's been in storage for roughly 4 and a half months and ended up separating the grain in less than 12 hours. Patience is key!!

[@ivandibujo6535]

Great to know this info. I'd like to know the measures you refering to, though. The log I have is almost 5 feet long and 1 feet thik. My idea is to dry it properly to cut boars and do boxes. Is a white berry log

[@kennanblake1562]

@@ivandibujo6535 I like to wax my ends like he does in the video, and store them indoors preferably for about 6-8 months before I even think about using them. Especially for boards, you want that thing nice and solid. Can't afford any splitting. Don't worry though, if you seal the ends with wax and store properly for the given amount of time there's no reason it should slit/separate on you. Cheers and good luck with your future projects! Also there are a lot of woodworking forums where you can search your question and get second opinions! I'm no expert by any means, this is just a hobby of mine for a handful of years now and my personal take on what's worked for me.

[@danhard8440]

so I just watched this vid and its been almost a year so how good did it dry and did you wait or have you used it already?

[@TheLoneWoodman]

+Dan Hard Hi Dan, I've still got most of it and it's still drying fine. No checks or cracks to speak of except one round cookie that I soon after noticed had insects inside which ate many holes through the wax rendering the wax pointless, and it checked badly. But that's the only one. I'll take some pics and post them on my Instagram for you to check out. Give me a minute. Instagram name is TheLoneWoodman.

[@rohitagarwal3589]

So should we apply an insect terminator before applying wax for drying?

[@amitsharma2603]

@@TheLoneWoodman Do we need to protect wood logs from insects, when drying wood logs outside? If yes, any suggestions?

[@neckcutter2592]

1 year per inch

[@idahopotato5837]

Latex paint works good and easy.

[@marystachowiak7272]

What's the best way to fix splits in driftwood I'm drying? It's shaped like a 6' needle, the thick end has internal splits...

[@TheLoneWoodman]

+Mary Stachowiak Hi Mary, if you're able to close the splits with clamps, I would apply wood glue to the splits and close them up with the clamps overnight. If you are unable to close the splits, I would just apply a lot of CA Glue (super glue) in the area of the splits to prevent further splitting. CA Glue is widely used in wood turning to stabilize weak or broken wood. Wood filler is okay to fill cracks or knot holes, but it is not meant for structural stability like the CA Glue can provide. I hope that helps!

[@snteevveetns]

Interesting idea… but I can’t do this in the forest with my 20” round 10’ long oak logs… lol

[@sitgesvillaapartmentneilsc7924]

why not just use white wood glue and a bit of water to thin it? wax seems a very expensive way of sealing the wood compared to white wood glue. Forgive me if there is a reason not to use it I just dont know.

[@motleypixel]

I use two coats of Tightbond I wood glue, 24 hrs between coats. I do so for two main reasons: 1. I just don't find myself needing to end grain seal a lot of logs/boards. 2. I typically end up buying too much glue anyway (by the gallon) so it's a good use of the extra I wouldn't use anyway. I've read that was, wood glue, and that more expensive sealkoat (forgot the actual name) all work about the same.

[@Koiriboy]

Waits for the cat, ok ready

[@nitrousblast1]

I can’t seem to find an answer to how soon after cutting a tree should it be slabbed. Wondering if you might have an answer. Seems like it would dry faster cut into slabs

[@johnnycorn7225]

Basically as soon as the tree is cut let it bleed out the moisture for about a week and then slab it up. Definitely dries faster( cookie slices wrapped in aluminum foil dry best and fastest w less cracking) when slabbed. I'm now gonna build a diy kiln and start slabbing for profit, so worth it. Check out Izzy swan for sawmill hacks too

[@snteevveetns]

It’s 1 year per inch of thickness for drying… internet said so, must be true.

[@ruttur1072]

Does wood glue instead of parrafin wax work?

[@FixitAll]

I was seal fresh cut cherry logs with wood glue and after two week i found greed mold spots all around glue seal. I don't know why.

[@grantfullbrook2324]

Where u get the blocks of wax from.

[@jamess2169]

Not sure. I would like to know the same

[@TheLoneWoodman]

I got it from Amazon. Link in the video description.

[@johnbesharian9965]

@@TheLoneWoodman, Should've, but I didn't know it came in blocks that large. Good to know. Should be a lot cheaper than the $45.00/$50.00 a gallon (last I checked) sealant sold for the purpose.

[@BenSamara]

Minimum 6 weeks. And it depends on the size of the stumb

[@murphacus]

U got a 👍 b4 u even spoke just because of the cat

[@AnimeSunglasses]

Greetings, my fellow cat-activated woodworker!

[@bobomonkey702]

Can’t you just paint the ends?

[@TheLoneWoodman]

Yes, with thick latex paint.

[@islandwills2778]

I think your waiting 2 maybe 3 years for this wood to dry

[@toddledgerwood5771]

Island Wills I agree. Depends on the wood though. I turned a piece of Apple that I dried for three years and it still cracked. Now I have a moisture meter. After I cut my piece I check both sides and if it’s 12 or lower on both sides I turn it.

[@jacobb.]

Jerk cats

[@Wvp094888]

That cat needs to go.