# Cracks / no Cracks



## MovingTimber (Sep 6, 2021)

For open discussion
The general rule is don't remove bark before drying for at least 8 months ~1 year
The exception is i removed bark for fresh wood for several sticks and didn't encounter cracks
Some other say remove the bark from the middle and leave for drying

Why for sometimes i have cracks and for other no cracks
To note that i leave to dry not directly in the sun and not in hot nor cold conditions


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

I go with the general rule of not removing the bark these days and have had no problem with cracks in the shanks. Early on, I tried removing the bark and had several split on me.
That said, I think that there are factors which can give different results such as type of wood, drying conditions, weather, time of year they were harvested, maybe even how quickly or slowly they grew.
It isn't an exact science, so go with what works best for you.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 23, 2021)

welcome to the forum, MT.
you have some really nice projects in the works. I see from your flag icon that you are in Lebanon - we like to see members here from all over the world.


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## MovingTimber (Sep 6, 2021)

dww2 said:


> I go with the general rule of not removing the bark these days and have had no problem with cracks in the shanks. Early on, I tried removing the bark and had several split on me.
> That said, I think that there are factors which can give different results such as type of wood, drying conditions, weather, time of year they were harvested, maybe even how quickly or slowly they grew.
> It isn't an exact science, so go with what works best for you.


Thank you for sharing your experience


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## MovingTimber (Sep 6, 2021)

John Smith_inFL said:


> welcome to the forum, MT.
> you have some really nice projects in the works. I see from your flag icon that you are in Lebanon - we like to see members here from all over the world.


Thanks for the encouragement John
Will be sharing some new things soon once i deliver them to their requester


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## BigJim (Nov 25, 2021)

I tried cutting my hiking sticks longer and cut the cracked ends off, but I had a couple that cracked from top to bottom. I wonder if it would work like the green bowls a wood turner makes. The will take a green bowl or plate and put it in saw dust in a brown paper bag for a good while to keep them from cracking. Just a thought.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 23, 2021)

there was a member on another woodworking website that forced colored stones like turquoise dust into cracks and then used epoxy to hold everything together and sanded it all smooth. they were beautiful.
there are all kinds of ways to "embellish" what we call "faults" to save a project.


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## BigJim (Nov 25, 2021)

I recall seeing that also John, it has been a while but that would sure be a fix to an otherwise messed up stick. That would be sorta like the river tables are made without the rock or stones.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 23, 2021)

I found one example by Steve (welikecamping) on WoodWorkingTalk.com. there are many others, but this was just a quick find.. so just because you have some cracks or other "imperfections" in the project, doesn't mean it's ruined.
embellishments are limited only to your imagination, skill sets and available tools. be careful of the material you choose to do the inlay with - it must be able to be sanded smooth. artificial turquoise is plastic and sands easily. colored glass will not sand at all. some natural stones look great, but will not sand smooth.
you could probably cruise through the cheap "costume jewelry" section at WalMart and get some colored plastic items that appear to be "solid" (not painted) and break them up to experiment with. Mother-of-Pearl and Turquoise sounds like they would look good together.


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## BigJim (Nov 25, 2021)

That is some really pretty way to dress up a split.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 23, 2021)

anyone that wants to try this style of embellishment - put on your dark shades and your big floppy hat and browse through the ladies costume jewelry dept. and gather up some baubles that can be easily crushed up into small pieces and also sand smooth easily without any melting. (hand files come to mind vs power sander).
take a grinder and cut some grooves in a pine board and practice to see what works and what doesn't.
I would also invest in some quality "casting resin" vs epoxy because it is more clear after curing. (but much slower). superglue also works well - but is a might expensive in larger quantities.

disclaimer: I do not have any personal experience with dark glasses, floppy hats and the ladies departments.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

That is definitely a more attractive way of filling cracks and voids than the sawdust and superglue method I usually use.

I filled a large void with offcuts and sawdust a while ago and didn't have to resort to a floppy hat and sunglasses


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 23, 2021)

[email protected] floppy hat.
that's a pretty cool idea Dana - I've not seen that before.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Thanks, John. I started a conversation about it around 8 months ago, if you want to check it out. I think it was called apple root crook.


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## BigJim (Nov 25, 2021)

dww2 said:


> That is definitely a more attractive way of filling cracks and voids than the sawdust and superglue method I usually use.
> 
> I filled a large void with offcuts and sawdust a while ago and didn't have to resort to a floppy hat and sunglasses
> View attachment 27960


That is a fantastic idea, it looks really good, I love it.

John, I have seen your floppy hat, pretty cool.


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## dww2 (Feb 4, 2017)

Thanks, Jim. I was really happy with the result. As I mentioned in the original thread, some of my inspiration was a Canadian Youtube woodturner named Jim Sprague.


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## valky307 (Nov 23, 2021)

I get cracks and splits at times when drying out various stock. If the area is vital to my crafting I 
simply glue it heavily and tightly clamp or bind it and it usually turns out stronger than the wood graining itself. Keep in 
mind my work is rather rustic and so I'm not too concerned about detail and perfection.


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## CV3 (Jan 30, 2014)

Sticks react temperature Humidity and air flow. Rapid changes one or more of these will effect expansion of the wood fibers. This is most notible on the ends of the sticks at first. Covering the ends of sticks put up to dry with paint or wax helps with a slower more even drying. and will minimize checking or craking. Where you live also make a big differents. Dry climate will dry notably faster and checking will be harder to prevent. Wet climates like lower Alabama drying is slow. Much of the time we have 90%+ humidity with Dewpoins in the upper 70's to 80%+, Air you can ware. nothing drys fast.


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## MovingTimber (Sep 6, 2021)

Thank you all for the constructive comments. 
For thr crack in picture i showed, i had left the tips with 2, 3 inches of bark but it was no use. 
I guess i can try the teak oil directly after pealing to test if this can be helpful from preventing such cracks


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