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End Splits on HIckory

Started by Kirk_Allen, October 13, 2004, 11:22:25 AM

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Kirk_Allen

I just finished planing about 500 bf of Hickory and have noticed that of all my wood, Hickory seams to have the worst checking.  In some cases as much as 10" from the end.

Is this a common problem with hickory?  All the ends were sealed with Anchorseal twice.

The wood was stickered and stacked and then stored in a barn out of the weather.  In one year the moisture was down to 12% but the ends on all of them were checked very bad.  

I have not had this problem with any other species.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks
Kirk

Tom

I have had pretty good luck drying hickory in my pole barn and there have been minimal end splits except for those pieces that got direct sun.  most of my hardwoood is stacked well inside of the barn, away from the weather.  Rain still blows through but hasn't seemed to hurt anything.

Most of my hickory was cut 5 and 6 quarter though.  perhaps that had something to do with it.

Kirk_Allen

Thanks Tom

After looking at all that I have on hand (2000 bf) it appears that the 4/4 stuff has the most problem so you may have hit the nail on the head.  It is acutally 1 1/8".

All the 5/4 or larger dont have any checking.  

I wonder if putting end sealer on the first several inches of the boards after they are cut would make much of a difference.  

Thanks
Kirk

Den Socling

Yes. Coat more. If the ends are splitting it's because they are drying too fast.

beenthere

The end drying may have started in the log ends. That is a good place to start with anchorseal and the sooner after the log is cut to length, the better the end sealing will work. Moisture is lost from the log ends right away, and the checking will begin then, the way I understand it.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Tom

The hickory in the barn was cut in 93 and I used some old paint I had gotten from somewhere.   The ends are painted and I painted back from the ends about 3 inches.  It's been so long ago that I don't remember if I did any of it intentionally or not.  Whatever, it must have worked.

Most of the hickory I cut now is for customers. Seldom do I cut for myself anymore......no where to put it. :D

I did write the type of wood on each piece and the date and on some I even put where the tree was located and who owned it.

OLD_ JD

by ready some old post i find that one interesting...whene i was kid i was working in saw mill where we wax the end of maple square before inter in the dryer...wonder if that could be done whit hick??...m'y wort the try :-\
canadien forest ranger

Larry

Anchor seal twice as soon as you log the hickory.  When ya stack get the sticks close to the end of the board and the checks stop at the stick.  Sometimes I have even doubled the sticks at the board ends.  Lot of weight on top helps to keep the boards flat on the sticks.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

HORSELOGGER

I did a job a few years ago, where I took 20 small hickorys down, sawed em and turned em into flooring. The logs were felled in Feb, sawed in april and put into the kiln within a couple of days of sawing. I remember the boards from the previous days sawing were checking the next day, and the loss was pretty high to end splits.
Heritage Horselogging & Lumber Co.
"Surgical removal of standing timber, Leaving a Heritage of timber for tommorow. "

NESL_Supply

 :P Anchorseal generally has to be applied to the log end when it is fresh cut, it is a little too late once it has been turned in to lumber, unless you clip the ends of the logs, most of the veneer mills i have graded for in the past usually clipped the ends of the logs frequently. I would say to coat the end of the log, saw it and then re-coat the end of the lumber. Anchorseal is not all that expensive when you figure in losing a foot of the end of every pieve you cut, it more then pays for itself. I know our losses have gone down significantly since we started using the anchorseal several time. Thanks, Joe

Kirk_Allen

Quote from: Kirk Allen on October 13, 2004, 11:22:25 AM
 All the ends were sealed with Anchorseal twice.

I guess I should have clarified that better.  The logs were ALL sealed twice within 5 days of cutting the trees. 

I think I have isolated the issue to the species of Hickory.  The Pignut Hickory has not been a problem  The Shagbarck Hickory is the one splitting but only those boards that are 1 1/8th or less.  The heavier 5/4 and larger are fine.


Tom

Not having an answer to the Hickory problem I just wanted to interject this.  Stickers placed close (within 3" ) of the end of the board will help with combating end splitting because the sticker slows the drying.  This is a good reason to be meticulous about the bucking of logs and the trimming of lumber when stacking.  Not only does the stack look nicer but there are benefits as well.

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