# best for sealing wet wood



## bitshird

when sealing wet wood, I've tried enamel paint,  Minwax exterior Poly, Latex paint, and now I guess I'm going to try melted Paraffin wax, I don't have any local places to get Anchor seal so is melted wax good enough?


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## 1080Wayne

Ken  I have seen mixed results with wax on wood I have bought , but of course I don`t know the conditions under which it was applied . It may have been applied too late or maybe too cold on the pieces which checked . The advantage of Anchorseal is that it is a water based wax emulsion which penetrates well . A double coat of solvent based contact cement has also worked for me , but is a bit more of a pain to apply .  Wayne


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## Art Fuldodger

If a block was treated when cut, and completely waxed, I don't recall ever having one that split or checked, even on SOPPING wet wood shipped from Australia, then having sat in a warehouse for a while (potentially a couple of years).

But, if the block is only partially covered, then it's a bit more of a gamble (depending much more on the type of wood, wetness, etc.) no matter what you've used.

One of my friends got a hook-up with a local candle maker, and gets all of the wax left over from production quite cheaply.  It's colored and fragranced, but it works just fine.  A while ago, he dropped off a good-sized load of blocks (of various sizes) that he had held on to for a year, and they sat in my garage for a year.  None of them that I've turned have had any checks at all.


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## Wildman

I use both candle & canning wax, to seal the ends of wood depends upon size. Also use latex paint on the ends of whole & slit logs. If cutting into blanks might not seal ends if wood has been laying around for awhile.  

I never cover the entire piece of wood in wax. How would or could  completely sealed wood reach EMC?


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## Dario

bitshird said:


> I don't have any local places to get Anchor seal so is melted wax good enough?



Anything that reduces the drying rate will help.  You can wrap the ends with plastic if you want.  I tried that and it works (poked a few small holes on the plastic to help it breathe a little).  You don't even have to do anything on the bottom end if you are standing them up (not elevated).

Do you know that they deliver/ship anchorseal?  That is how I got mine.  :wink:


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## rjwolfe3

How does Anchorseal compare to Rockler's Green wood sealer other then half the cost?


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## Dario

rjwolfe3 said:


> How does Anchorseal compare to Rockler's Green wood sealer other then half the cost?



Not sure but I know that Woodcraft's is similar and could be re-packed anchorseal.


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## Art Fuldodger

Wildman said:


> I use both candle & canning wax, to seal the ends of wood depends upon size. Also use latex paint on the ends of whole & slit logs. If cutting into blanks might not seal ends if wood has been laying around for awhile.
> 
> I never cover the entire piece of wood in wax. How would or could  completely sealed wood reach EMC?



  Rough it out, so it's at a thickness where the wood can move without checking, then let it finish drying.  

  I'd rather have wood which was mostly dried, but some kinds (like eucalyptus), I have trouble finding totally dried blocks that aren't split like crazy, so I buy the ones that have been fully coated.

Besides that, the wax is rarely a perfect seal, even if it didn't have any holes in the wax, then from being moved around, there will be places where the wax has been dinged/flaked/knocked off.


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## Skye

I've only done this a little, but I've had really good results with *Killz*, you know the wall paint primer stuff?

You getting into bowl turning or are you talking pen blanks?


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## bitshird

No bowls yet, I'm pulling down an elderberry bush/tree it has about a 6 in diameter trunk and several off shoots /crotches just a few inches above ground, there might be a few good blanks there, some of the branches off of the base are 3 to 5 inches in Dia. most likely only about a foot or sixteen inches will be worth any thing, if any of it is. It's probably going to be alot more trouble than it's worth, but I have a lot of time to use up any way.


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## Dario

The base/root ball could possibly be hiding some nice wood.

Small ones like that you can just wrap the ends with multiple layers of paper.  Secure with tape or twine and you are set.

Any paint will do also but you can't see the wood like anchorseal would let you.


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## GouletPens

Dario said:


> Not sure but I know that Woodcraft's is similar and could be re-packed anchorseal.


 I use the WC stuff and it works well. check the website they might deliver.


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## Skye

In that case, I'd probably buy a gallon or two of DNA. Cut the blanks. Drop them in the DNA and leave them overnight. Pull them out the next day. Air dry for a few minutes, then wrap them in newspaper, secure with some tape. Stack them like a log cabin somewhere climate controlled, leave them alone for a month or two.

I did this with some really green oak and had very minimal twisting or cracking. You can still seal the ends with paint if you want, but I don't think it's needed. YMMV


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## Wildman

Anchorseal, Rockler & Woodcraft green wood sealers are wax emulsion products which work great as end sealers. That stuff doesn't like freezing weather though. If it freezes may not be usable.


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## GouletPens

Wildman said:


> Anchorseal, Rockler & Woodcraft green wood sealers are wax emulsion products which work great as end sealers. That stuff doesn't like freezing weather though. If it freezes may not be usable.


 If you're keeping your wet wood in freezing weather, wouldn't the moisture in the wood itself freeze and crack the wood? Just wondering.


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## marcruby

Ken;

I hunted around a bit and found these folks who will ship the 5 gallon container for free.

http://cspoutdoors.stores.yahoo.net/anchorseal.html

Costs a bit to start out with but the nice thing is that a lot of the time you can just dip the wood in it.  I won't say anchorseal is the best, but it works!!

Marc


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## 1080Wayne

`If you're keeping your wet wood in freezing weather, wouldn't the moisture in the wood itself freeze and crack the wood? Just wondering.`       Brian   Trees go into winter with somewhere around 30% MC , and will survive -40 or more .   Wayne


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## rjwolfe3

Marc,
Thank you so much for that link.  Just ordered some.  Hopefully it will come soon.


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