Can I keep this cookie from splitting while it dries?

[Joe_]

I would like to make a rustic end table from this cookie. I do not have any access to a kiln and I was planning to put it in our attic to dry. Is there a way to keep it from splitting while it dries? If I would coat it with lyn seed oil occasionally would that help? Or would it prevent it from drying properly? I guess you can't see in the picture, it is about 4 inches thick.
 

[WDH]

First off, the attic will get too hot and speed the drying too fast and you will get major cracks.  Best to go to UC Coatings and get some anchor seal and double coat both sides.  Then, leave it outside under a cover shed, carport, etc, but not in a heated and cooled space.  The humidity will be too low and the cookie will dry too fast.  You need for this piece to dry very slow, not fast.  You could also take a cardboard box, fill a third of it with sawdust, add the cookie, and add more sawdust to fill the box.  Then, set it under the aforementioned shed (not inside a heated and cooled space) and forget about it for a long while.

There is a treatment where you soak the cookie in a chemical solution that replaces the water in the wood cells and helps prevent cracking.  I have not used it, maybe some others here have used it and will chime in.  From what I hear, though, this chemical, pentacryl, is expensive.

[Joe_]

Thanks for the info... I have zero experience drying wood. So I appreciate the help.👍🏼

[D6c]

You might look into this stuff.  Keeping that from splitting as it dries would be very difficult.

https://www.preservation-solutions.com/wood-treatment-products/wood-treatment-faqs/pentacryl-faqs/

[Den-Den]

In the past, I have said that all cookies crack.  That was not accurate (but nearly all of them do crack).  I recently cut some catalpa cookies that dried without cracks.  A couple years ago I cut some large pecan cookies for a friend warning him that they would crack.  They dried with only a little warping and a few small checks, no major cracks.  I suspect the fact that the tree had been standing dead for a year had something to do with it.  If anyone comes up with a reliable, reasonable cost method of drying cookies, they can make good money with it.

[Ianab]

I recently cut some catalpa cookies that dried without cracks

Some of the softer and lower shrinkage woods will stay together more often. I've cut some Deodar Cedar cookies for the kids at Lil's work to play with, and they dried intact, I think that those woods are more able to deform a little and take up the shrinkage. Harder woods, especially ones that shrink more, almost alway crack.

[WDH]

I suspect the fact that the tree had been standing dead for a year had something to do with it. 

I have found that to minimize cracking, letting logs age before sawing the cookies makes a significant difference. 

[Josjurgen]

Hi Joe.
Perhaps this PDF may help.

http://owic.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/pubs/peg.pdf

Stay safe everyone
Cheers
Karel

[Brad_bb]

I suspect the fact that the tree had been standing dead for a year had something to do with it.  

I have found that to minimize cracking, letting logs age before sawing the cookies makes a significant difference.

I've definitely found that to be true of standing dead ash.  Most of the large cookies I've cut last summer have not cracked yet.  

Drying slowly is key. Avoid anything that speeds drying like the sun, conditioned spaces, hot spaces.  Sealing the end grain will slow drying too, forcing water to go out the sides.  Even with all that, some woods will still crack.  You've got a chance with walnut.  

Even if it does crack, to me, it's not the end of the world.  You can epoxy fill it, or make and fit a pie wedge into the check after the cookie is fully dry.  Drying outside or in outdoor conditions (like inside my pole barn, will bring the moisture down to around 12%.  If it's a project going inside, then you'll need to dry it down to 6-8%.  You may get a check from that if you put in a kiln.  

I've never used Pentacryl wood stabilizer, but you might want to watch some youtube videos on it.

[Jeff]

I dont think you will have an issue with a cookie with an undulating border such as that. Cookies crack because the greater length of the outside perimeter shrinks at the same rate as the interior. With the irregular edge you get all sorts of stress relief points. You see cypress cookies all the time without cracks and I'm sure that is the reason.

[burdman_22]

Old thread, but didn't want to start a new one. If I have a 3 ft oak cookie thats 3 inches thick, how long might it take to air dry if I coat both sides in anchorseal?

[WDH]

A long time.  I coated some 2.5" thick cherry slices and it has been a year and they are just getting air dried.  The issue is the anchorseal is drastically slowing the drying down.

[xlogger]

I've had good luck with cedar. Just finished about 150 of them and letting them dry now. I've got a small walnut log that I'm going to make a jig so I can angle cut it and try that.

[doc henderson]

I cut a bunch of oak cookies years ago.  I think it is unlikely that they will survive.  mine were thinner, an inch.  I did coat them with boiled linseed oil.  they turned black and split in at least one area from center to outside.  there may be a sweet spot for thick ness vs diameter, but i do not know what that is.  The larger the diameter, the more stress.  lots of threads on this.  there are many tricks that have been tried and with variable success.  I have some cotton wood that I put in my container.  2 feet by 3 inches thick.  they have dried without much defect.  I did walnut, the I submerged in denatured alcohol for a bit and then dried inside a box in my shop and had good success.  these were 10 to 12 inch diameter, 0.75 inches thick.  you have options to fill with epoxy, or make a cut in line with the split, and joint the edges and glue back together.  I tried the peg, and it is expensive and worked "OK".  go slow, but you may be just putting off the inevitable for years instead of weeks.  

[Nebraska]

I cut some Green Ash cookies for a coworker Thanksgiving  time for her Christmas projects.. After reading here I realized I had a little denatured alcohol on hand so I just soaked  them with it and just put them in a heavy contractor garbage bag.  I poured what was left of the alcohol on hand  in th bag and closed it. I made a trip to town a week or so later picked up a gallon and poured more in on each of them and left them. Pulled them out around Valentine's day and left them sit, 2 or 3 have cracked the rest look ok.  I had no real plan for them so I will sit them on a shelf in the basement  and see what they do. It was mostly to see if I could make it work and learn how with my mill so I guess I won.  8)

[Texas Ranger]

If time is considered, bandsaw from bark to pith in a single straight line, fill it when dry with two part are a pie cut of the same wood.  Drys faster,

[metalspinner]

I'm going to try boiling some cookies. This works well for green, rough turned bowls to relieve stress and helps to dry quicker. Couldn't hurt to experiment with end grain pieces.

[UncleMoustache]

I'm going to try boiling some cookies. This works well for green, rough turned bowls to relieve stress and helps to dry quicker. Couldn't hurt to experiment with end grain pieces.

So did you ever try the boiling?  Inquiring minds want to know.   :laugh:

[metalspinner]

It's only been a year! Can a guy have some time
To get to his projects?!?🤣🤣🤣

[UncleMoustache]

Sorry to pester.  I thought that perhaps you might actually be one of those mythological men who actually complete a project once in a while.  I've heard of such people, but never met one....   :D :D