Walnut check cracking/splitting prevention ?! Tips ?

[RunningRoot]

On a big old growth tract right now( 412 acres ) and it's god quite a bit of big nice walnut on it.. I can't wait tell winter to cut them so I stared felling then yesterday.. 
My question is this..

Is there any techniques to help prevent them from splitting out in this summer heat ?!.. a lot of high end veneer in this and I don't wanna cry if they start splitting down the middle on me, lol.

I've been dropping them and topping them making my top cuts in the middle of knots and leaving them lay at the stump for a couple days to let the bark shrink and tighten up, this has been helping quite a bit but wanted to hear what others do ?!
I'll post some pics of some of these beauty's as soon as I get the time..

[Ianab]

End coating the logs with a wax emulsion like Anchorseal.

This slows down the drying in the exposed end grain of the wood, so it doesn't dry out, shrink and crack as quickly.

But you have to do it as soon as the logs are cut for best results. Once the cracks have started they are difficult to stop.

[WDH]

Anchorseal, Anchorseal, and Anchorseal.

Like Ian says, Anchorseal the ends.

[coxy]

cut them down and don't top them let the leaves suck out the water for a week  or two or till they are dry and crumble in your hand  that's what I have to do with the hickory around here other wise its pre split fire wood

[RHP Logging]

cut them down and don't top them let the leaves suck out the water for a week  or two or till they are dry and crumble in your hand  that's what I have to do with the hickory around here other wise its pre split fire wood

I have never heard of that.  Makes sense though.  Ash is pre split firewood too. Cherry opens up as well.

[killamplanes]

Yes this time up year cut a walnut leave it lay week or 2 before topping. I actually leave the high end walnut trees stand and cut everything else and come back in winter when markets open up then go back and cut good stuff. It sucks but here its the difference of easily 2x the money a bdft..

[treeslayer2003]

cut them down and don't top them let the leaves suck out the water for a week  or two or till they are dry and crumble in your hand  that's what I have to do with the hickory around here other wise its pre split fire wood

I have never heard of that.  Makes sense though.  Ash is pre split firewood too. Cherry opens up as well.

yeah i have to do what coxy said even on good poplar. if i had some real nice walnut, i would try and wait until at least august if i could..........i know how it is though, gotta cut whats in front of you.

[Autocar]

If there that good I would let them stand till mid September bad time of year to cut high value walnut.

[RunningRoot]

I'd like to wait tell winter.. but the L.O. is selling the farm and the new owner has made it clear him and his family are tree huggers.. he told the L.O. that if he doesn't cut it before the sale he'll let them " go back to the earth "

[killamplanes]

Cut fast and hard . If u can put the logs in a building away from weather and sun it will help. We do that alot this time of year

[Clark]

I'd like to wait tell winter.. but the L.O. is selling the farm and the new owner has made it clear him and his family are tree huggers.. he told the L.O. that if he doesn't cut it before the sale he'll let them " go back to the earth "

That is easy enough to work around with a contract. In this state, a timber sale contract stays with the land, not the landowner.

Clark

[John Mc]

I'd like to wait tell winter.. but the L.O. is selling the farm and the new owner has made it clear him and his family are tree huggers.. he told the L.O. that if he doesn't cut it before the sale he'll let them " go back to the earth "

That is easy enough to work around with a contract. In this state, a timber sale contract stays with the land, not the landowner.

It sounds as though a contract on the timber might put the deal to sell the land in jeopardy?

[danbuendgen]

No one has mentioned log savers yet. Buy them by the bucket full and buy a special hammer to put them in. They work well. I would shop around for the best price. But here is something to check out at least:

http://uccoatings.com/products/logsavers-flitchsavers/

[Corley5]

Talk to your veneer buyers.  Up here they want to see the logs and they'll coat them after they've bought them.   

[coxy]

No one has mentioned log savers yet. Buy them by the bucket full and buy a special hammer to put them in. They work well. I would shop around for the best price. But here is something to check out at least:

http://uccoatings.com/products/logsavers-flitchsavers/

they work good in all logs around here but hickory when the hickory splits it will brake the plastic ts or the s  if you try to pound the metal s irons in it will re split them in a different spot  so 99% of the hickory stays in the woods for deer food 

[OH logger]

i like and my venner buyer likes the 3" by 5" truss plates actualyy better than flitch savers for walnut this time of year. sometimes in the summer the flitch savers can split the log when put in. the truss plates are cheap at lowes and eay to pound in. let the tops attached in the woods as long as possible and when you have to skid them leave them plied together till the venner buyer comes and smile cause walnut is awesome!!

[coxy]

wow never thought about the plates  thanks for the tip

[mesquite buckeye]

Find a pond and store them till it cools down. ;D
Too bad you can't wait till summer is done and gain one more ring. :( ;D

[Nemologger]

If I cut walnut this time of year I never top them for about a week , Wax the ends and use log keepers on cracks.

[killamplanes]

I also usee truss plates. After they have been priced and scaled hammer them on. Sometimes buyers get real nasty if they are put on prior to them looking at them. They can cover defects like of center hearts, double hearts, rot etc.

[Veneer1]

I am a veneer buyer in Iowa.  Where is the job located?  If it's in IA, IL, WI, or MO I'd be interested in them. 

In the summertime it is best to keep them tree length, then I can mark my lengths and the logger can buck behind me.  Any shade is also helpful if possible.  This helps keep the moisture in the logs for as long as possible. After the trees are bucked then I wax the ends.  Wax and flitch savers are definitely a must in the summertime.

[Bill Stokes]

Ill have some in a couple weeks in Illinois if you'd be interested lmk thanks 

[Bill Stokes]

Oops just seen it's an old post lol

[John Mc]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Bill.