Big Timeline Table

scsmith42 · May 21, 2018, 03:34:56 AM

Robert, I've soaked oak cookies in Pentacryl before, and my best results were when it was soaked for a year. A 200 year old white oak cookie was put in a baby pool, filled until it was covered all the way while it was in the back of a shed.

The ones that I've done for a few weeks always cracked some. The one year soaking did not.

We've also overseen 54" diameter red oak cookies, 16" thick, that had the bottom inside hollowed out until the top was only around 1.5" thick. It too is currently soaking in Pentacryl but it required a lot less of it. A client with a CNC Router did the hollowing.

A third method to help prevent cracking is to drill a bunch of 1.5" - 2" diameter recesses in the bottom side of the cookie - again only leaving about 1.5" between the bottom of the hole and the top of the cookie. This serves to relieve a lot of the stresses. Cookies prepped this way tend to dry in a slight mushroom shape. We use a Forster bit to drill the holes.

Ianab · May 21, 2018, 04:23:19 AM

Yeah Pentacryl and PEG work by replacing the water in the wood. The PEG then stays in place instead of slowly drying out like water will. So in theory the wood doesn't shrink and crack.

But you need a bucket load of it for a piece that size.

Savannahdan · May 21, 2018, 07:15:36 AM

Years ago I tried using a diluted solution of wood glue (Elmers, Titebond, etc.) for sealing and stabilizing wood. But, it was always on something much smaller than what you're working with. There's another solution under Cactus Juice but it's pricing is similar to what the pentacryl is. You get better bang out of all of it if you can put the piece under pressure in order to get the solution infused deeper into the wood. A years soaking should be okay but it's going to get the kids mad at you! :D

WDH · May 21, 2018, 07:34:08 AM

I would cut two. Let them crack. Then, use one to cut wedges to fit the cracks in the other one. Should not take away the effect that you want since you only need one continuous area of rings to show the timeline.

Much faster. Much cheaper. I know that you like fast and cheap ;D.

Texas Ranger · May 21, 2018, 11:11:35 AM

What Danny said, cut a single kerf from outside to pith and let dry, that will handle all shrinkage, and then fill in with cut from second cookie, or depending on amount of shrinkage, fill with bondo.

Bill Gaiche · May 21, 2018, 01:17:37 PM

Quote from: JMoore on May 10, 2018, 02:55:46 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR4kN5Xiw-o Older then I remembered and not the full build but You can see where they attached the support wood.

Great. I tried to find that show where they cut this with a chainsaw, no luck. It was interesting. The one cookie that they cut went to I believe in Georgia for a outside table top at a bar so people could stand around it, drink beer and tell stories.

Just Right · May 21, 2018, 02:30:00 PM

Mr Smith 42, Have you tried a combination of two of the methods you talked about? Maybe the holes and soaking in Pentacryl? Shorten up the soak time?

scsmith42 · May 22, 2018, 05:37:28 PM

Quote from: Just Right on May 21, 2018, 02:30:00 PM
Mr Smith 42, Have you tried a combination of two of the methods you talked about? Maybe the holes and soaking in Pentacryl? Shorten up the soak time?

We have a customer that combined the hollowing of a 16" cookie with a pentacryl soak. It's only been a month so it's too early to tell.
Part of the soak time required depends upon the species being soaked. White oak (which we frequently work with), has closed pores so it takes longer than red oak.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · May 22, 2018, 08:51:01 PM

Quote from: WDH on May 21, 2018, 07:34:08 AM
I know that you like fast and cheap ;D.

I just can't do it. smiley_ignore

YellowHammer · May 23, 2018, 12:41:08 AM

I am an impatient sort, as a couple of my buddies have commented, and I don't want to wait a year or two as this "hunk of wood on a pallet" is starting to draw a crowd of spectators. I also can't see spending a fortune on Pentacryl.
So I put it by the door last week and it drew quite a crowd and lots of comments. During the day, several things occurred to me.

I need to get it off the pallet, and off the ground.
I need to get it in view of the customers as a showpiece, even before it has dried out, as in "now".
Customers like to gawk and count the rings and it attracts them like moths.
The piece is already moving and has developed a noticeable scooping or shallowing toward the center. So it's pretty lively.
The thing is heavy, big and bulky.
I'd like the piece to mature into the full table real time, in front of the customers.

So I'm considering mounting it to a leg set and having it dry in front of the customers for as long as it takes. If it cracks, and it will, I will have to deal with it and several excellent suggestions. Then I will continue with the construction, as time allows, into the full memory table. Kind of a interactive project, in full view of the customers, so they can see it happening. If I'm going to have to wait for it to dry, it might as well be doing something productive.

It occurred that maybe I could drill some holes sideways, 5'4" long, from bark to bark, and put all thread rod in several places and internally clamp it while it's drying.

Did I mention earlier I have no plan and was going to wing it?

I will cut some duplicate cookies for backup and repair and stack them out of sight as suggested.

customsawyer · May 23, 2018, 05:57:58 AM

Neat piece. Going to keep an eye on this one.

WDH · May 23, 2018, 06:40:39 AM

You could use it as a bench as it dries.

PA_Walnut · May 23, 2018, 07:29:56 AM

Quote from: YellowHammer on May 23, 2018, 12:41:08 AMI also can't see spending a fortune on Pentacryl.

It was mentioned above that someone soaks that in a kiddy pool of Pentacryl!

That must take financing terms to accomplish. I swear by the stuff, but WHEW....it'll bust the bank, for sure! I need to reverse engineer the stuff and crack the code.

Yellow, I'd also wrap it in plastic after you've applied the pentacryl. (several time). This will slow it down and you can remove it on SAT's to thrill and awe onlookers! 8)

Just Right · May 23, 2018, 07:53:33 AM

I will be keeping an eye out to see how that customers soak and holes turns out. Thanks.

DPatton · June 11, 2018, 12:22:22 PM

Quote from: YellowHammer on May 23, 2018, 12:41:08 AM
Did I mention earlier I have no plan and was going to wing it?

:D :D :D :D :D That's my kind of plan Yellowhammer.

69bronco · June 12, 2018, 02:14:53 PM

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here's a reference for "bowties ",the bigger one is 6 1/2" the slab is 30". Hope it helps!

btulloh · June 12, 2018, 05:54:14 PM

This is a really interesting thing YH - on many levels. I'm looking forward to watch it unfold.

I think your plan is appropriate, otherwise you'd probably end up with paralysis-by-analysis.

DanG the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

btulloh · September 20, 2019, 03:03:13 PM

Bump.

@YellowHammer - Any news on the big cookie?

WDH · September 20, 2019, 04:59:46 PM

We don't need no stinkin' plan.........

doc henderson · September 20, 2019, 07:07:04 PM

maybe bore into different depths from the bottom and monitor moisture real time with probes. be cool demo. or could let 2 of them dry, maybe guide the crack as suggested by cutting to the center from the outer ring, and when it is done with shrinking, could complete the cut across to make half a cookie in both, then joint the edges and flip around and make a book matched table from the halves of two adjoining cookies. :P

YellowHammer · September 20, 2019, 10:32:44 PM

I put it out in the sun, on a pallet, on the concrete so it would get a little oven baked several weeks ago. I'm thinking its getting pretty dry, but I'll leave it out as long as we are getting these high and dry fall days.

I've got to figure out a way to easily parrallel and flatten both sides. With easy being the key word. This thing is huge and I've got to work both sides. I briefly considered chaining it to my truck and dragging it down the road to flatten one side, but even that's a little too redneck for me. Maybe. :D

doc henderson · September 21, 2019, 12:55:04 AM

I did a 4 foot round stump table for my wife, bottom side with big bar chainsaw, and tuned with a hand power planer, top done with router sled with rails from 2x4 screwed to sides of pallet. 4 " Makita was about 300bucks.

doc henderson · September 21, 2019, 12:57:22 AM

2" ammana router bit, in a porter cable plunge router. either maple or "oak" stump, who can tell!!! @Southside @YellowHammer . :D :D

YellowHammer · September 21, 2019, 07:54:40 AM

That looks like a good way to do it.

Old Greenhorn · September 21, 2019, 07:59:14 AM

Quote from: doc henderson on September 21, 2019, 12:57:22 AM
2" ammana router bit, in a porter cable plunge router. either maple or "oak" stump, who can tell!!! @Southside @YellowHammer . :D :D

Doc, what is the finish you put on that stump? You guys got me thinking on this and I have this fairly large tree over at the Ashokan center. It occurs to me now that I have to make one of these for them to use in their youth education programs. More than just a curiosity for them, this would be useful. I am thinking it would have to be covered with epoxy resin to preserve it, and probably have some good plywood underneath to make it stable. Also, I now have access to a woomizer slabmaster to do the routing and sanding, so the hard part might not be so hard. ;D
Very cool idea.