Update: The day I filmed this I moved all good cookies to the basement next to the de humidifier. (1 week in). all Titebond glue and all beeswax/beeswax w/ mineral spirits are all 100% crack and check free... I will update again later with a mositure meter reading. At the time of when they were cut they were so wet they were too high to read.. I am feeling pretty confident with these results to make wood cookies and give them away with these methods. Hope this helps someone in the future as I have learned a lot and enjoyed the results. 👊🏻😉
Great comparison. It's down to the Mineral Oil/Beeswax vs. Titebond glue. Titebond is the better option for simplicity, especially of you are going to sand the glue off when you eventually do your project. No prep time needed, just squeeze it on and spread it out. For long-term storage of wood, the Mineral Oil/beeswax treatment may be better, as it will flex with the changes in humidity.
Can I use this on a two week old Oak/maple stump? I'm very impatient and I want to get going on the project. Also, once I put the wax on does it stay on or will I need to end up sanding it off?
I use homemade food-grade mineral oil/beeswax paste to seal my carved spoons, mortar and pestles, and whittled projects. It can also be used to keep your hands smooth. 🙂 Thanks for this comparison.
just getting into wood carving and was curious about the best ways of sealing ends - this was very enlightening. Thanks for taking the time and showing all these real-world results.
Thank you for this. I've been turning wet oak, and when finished making boxes I store in sawdust and wood chips. Dries slow but no cracking, very happy. I weigh on a scale and check with a moisture meter every few days. When it stops losing weight I know it's dry.
That is awesome.. I cant claim this brilliant Glue idea as my own.. But i too have found it works awesome and had to share and test everything under the sun to make sure we had the best results!!!! Thanks for the reply! -Brian
Haven't read all the comments below, but the beeswax/mineral spirits seems awfully close to what I make, which is beeswax, mineral oil, coconut oil and olive oil together also known as fixin wax. It has many uses and yes can be used like chapstick for you lips or cracked knuckles. It is good for leather, wood and even putting on high carbon steel to keep it from rusting. Since I am into knife making and I am trying to use my own wood for knife scales, once I have chosen the type of wood I am going to use and cut a block, I apply the fixin wax to the block to help prevent cracking in the drying process of the wood.
I use grandma’s old candles, boil them bubbling hot then dunk the end grain in. For larger stuff I use a huge brush, dunk in bubbling hot wax and immediately brush on end grain. Cheapest and best option for me great results. I use a big propane burner and huge pot. Sometimes in thrift stores you can find bags full of broken candles for extremely cheap. I think it’s important for the wax to be bubbling hot it seems to work better than just melted wax okay bye
In my barn I have over 30 logs that I sealed with titebond....persimmon, oak, cedar, hickory, hornbeam, ash, pecan, sycamore, walnut, cherry and a few unknown logs that caught my eye while out cutting firewood. The glue has performed well with only a few logs that have minor checking after 3 years. It"s about time to buy a lathe.
Someone at my woodturning club (Gulf Coast Wood Turners) suggested diluting the Titebond with water first. I used 50/50 ratio last evening and coated the end grain on some pearwood logs with it. I'm heading to the shop now to apply 2nd coat. I'll try to report back on the results.
Tung oil, both sides with a brush has worked well for me. Titebond, I will admit is, the bomb. Maybe if deluted some with a solvent and it won't be so rough. I've also used shellac with a brush (not from a spray can) and have had good results. All in all it depends on the control of climate where you're drying. As well as the consistency. Air flow plays just as much importance as climate control.
problem I had with the glue was the logs were seeping so much water that it took overnight to dry one coat. I put 2 coats on and will see how it works. You are not the only one to recommend the glue and so it must work. Wood turners use it too. For what you are making, I think a little checking will add to the looks, making them look vintage.
I use paraffin wax and mineral spirits. The paraffin wax is about three dollars a pound at local grocery store. Paraffin is barber then Bee's wax so I shave the wax and use more mineral spirits then I would use with Bee's wax. I use this to seal the end of logs to make them dry slower. I do not use this as a finish. I cut my logs into lumber and when I use my boards I cut off wax ends so they don't affect my final finish.
thanks for fantastic info. we got up to 30 inch cookies so brushing is only way to seal . i see lot people say they dunk 😳 , we dont have pot big enough 😆
An old-timer told me , bout 40 years ago or so, that he used paraffin dissolved in gasoline (carefully), said he'd use it to make a rain coat out of old thrift-store jackets. I've never tried it.
@@WoodenCreationz yeah, been flipping through, learning tons and writing things in my journal! The humor and clear but relatable explanations really tie everything together to make amazing to watch videos! Thanks man, clicking the bell for more!
I want big money for this tip: On the back side of your project piece, drill at least a dozen tiny holes half-way through the pith. The culprit is the pith.
I have been trying to find a method of sealing the wood so it won't crack and a method I think I will try is melting candle wax and pouring and sealing the exposed wood with that and see how I get on with that.
Chad you are correct... Sadly you can't just grab and fresh log and make something awesome with it out cracking.. Hopefully my tests help someone else in the future. Always appreciate your comments and enjoying your new position on the Making Time podcast bud. Enjoying your thoughts and experience. -Brian
Im making drink coasters out of some wood cookies. Ive had the best luck with 2 part epoxy. Im interested in trying that bees wax, but, lets say i put a warm mug on the coaster, the beeswax remelt right?
I'm buying a bunch of big tree rounds for knife and axe throwing targets. I hadn't realized that cracking was virtually guaranteed. Do you think it's a bad idea, or do you think with bees wax and mineral oil, it could work. Any other ideas appreciated. I was thinking if I cut them in half and then put them back together it might help?
You know what I didnt.. A quick GOOG.. and it states it does work as a drying agent. But it may still check and crack. My guess is.. it soaks in and does help dry, but isn't enough to totally plug the ends of the log and allow the moisture to dry out on the bark side rather than the cut end side. Just a guess but worth a test.. Thanks for the comment.
@@WoodenCreationz my pleasure; if I may share my two bits worth of experience, if you arrive to full saturation of the wood (on parquet I reach that level with 3/4 coats of it) it become waterproof and “sealed” despite the pores remaining “open”. Still didn’t try for drying out wood, but if you’ll give it a try, I’ll be happy to know the results :)
Hi. Very good info . Appreciate all the testing you did. Where abouts are you located ? Reason I ask is I live in Manitoba , Canada. We are currently in winter . My issue with end sealants at this time is the cold weather / wood . They don't penetrate , now . If i wait till spring checking will have done its damage by then . I tried bringing 1 log into shop to warm it up & apply sealant . When it went back out side it cracked badly. -25 at the time . Any info you or your dad have would be very much appreciated. Thanks Doug
I have some ponderosa pine cookies that my husband cut last Thursday. Should we sand them before treating them? Also, how soon after cutting them should they be treated, as we need to cut more? Will they be ready to use by mid-August, i.e. will they be "dry"? Thanks for your quick response & your helpful video!
Does this basically work by slowing down the drying? Or does it completely seal the moisture in, preventing the wood from drying at all? It seems like if it's the latter, if you ever sanded the beeswax/glue off, the wood would still check.
Do either of your methods (Titebond, beeswax w/ mineral oil) provide a finish that can be left outdoors? I want to seal some big cookies for a garden path.
I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not sure on that answer. I haven't tried it... But my dad does put titebond 2 on his logs and sets them outside so he can turn them later on his lathe at a later time. there is a little bit of cracking and checking on the end of the log. but it prevents the entire log from splitting so he can later turn a bowl. Titebond would probably be the better of the two out of the beeswax. Beeswax the looks the prettiest especially when you hit a little heat to it. Either way comment and let us know if you try either of these options and get any success! 💪🏻👈🏻 Brian
Yeah, just seal the wood. Not the bark. You want the moisture to slowly evaporate through the bark so don't coat it. 😉 If it drys too fast it cracks and checks... If you sealed the entire thing it wouldnt be able to dry out. 👊🏻
WoodenCreationz thank you, I’m planning on making a coffee table out of part of a big tree stump, but it’s fairly wet and is going to take a while to dry out
Hey bud, thanks for this video. I am looking for a non commercial method to end seal logs, cookies and smaller "unique" pieces of wood. I am in the middle of processing firewood for next year and, when cutting it up, whenever i find a nice piece i put it aside. We have some bee hives so I would like to use the wax and mineral oil method for end sealing. I see this video was posted early last year. Did it still hold up long term? Did you get to checking with a moisture meter? Thanks again. Subscribed!!!
Hey Glenn!!! I looked at these wood cookies yesterday and they all are still perfect and have zero checks or cracks. I used the titebond to make a buddy his logo on one yesterday... They have been in my storage room in the basement since I made this video so it's extremely dry. I haven't tested it. But bees wax and titebond glue are both perfect and a low cost way of doing it. Again... If you ever cut wood.... Get it done the same day you cut it... It can dry over night to 48 hours and start showing checks and cracks soon after. Ty for the sub and welcome aboard!!! -Brian
@@WoodenCreationz Thanks. I`ve used a commercial end sealer already and have already learned lots about sealing and also about storage once the sealing is done. Seems extreme temperature fluxuations are not ideal and many of my pieces developed checks on one side only. One final question if you don`t mind. What is your ratio of wax to mineral oil?
Hey great video I'm a newbie at wood sealing so I have a few questions - What is the mineral oil/beeswax ratio? How do you apply? What's the best way to dry if you don't have a dehimidifier?
You will have to play with the ratio. My dad mixed it up. It seemed to be a 50/50 ration. Its the consistency of Vaseline. It wiped on with a rag. He uses it in turning to apply to things he makes and provides a very nice waxy to to the touch, but not wet feel. The best method for drying I have found. Is bring it inside. If you have AC in your house, it will dry nicely. Some people have created a box with a light in it for drying wet wood, especially with turning. But once you seal the wood... i have had zero issues.. Now with that said.. I did bring in my 1st wood cookie, not sealed when I did this and it cracked and then the cracked sealed back up.. So your gonna need to put bees wax or originial clear titebond on it, to prevent cracks and checks. Any anyone reading this.. Its August 19th 2018 and wood cookies in this video still have zero have cracks. (Just looked at them) and all look identical to when i put them in there in april. So i highly advise it. Hope this helps Diane and others reading it.
Hey Brian... I am no expert. But Spar is going to be better for outdoors than poly. Poly will look nicer but probably wont hold up as well in the weather. Hit it with spar and be prepared to sand and hit it with Spar again the following year.. Its just something we have to do... Paint holds up better but doesnt always show off the nice grain!
I'm wanting to seal the ends of my redwood cookies, but I want to be able to sand off anything I seal them with. Do you know if you can remove or sand off the beeswax or Titebond? Thank you!
Very useful info thank you. A friend has just installed wooden countertops with live edge so will try beeswax/oil to seal. Question- what is the best way to preserve bark on edges so it doesn’t fall off please? 🦆💕
Your video was very informative🙂. I would like to woodburn or etch cookies. I am a novice, can you tell me approximately how long after applying the sealer i can do that? Thanks so much for the information🙂
Depending on the thickness a couple weeks to a month or two. Basically I seal them and then I put them down in my basement near my dehumidifier. Your house is going to dry them faster being you have an air conditioner that's drying the moisture out of the wood. It's messy and you don't want to bring in bugs but it's one way of speeding up the drying process. Another good thing to own is a moisture meter. So far to this day there is zero cracks in all of these pieces of wood! Hope that helps and I appreciate the comment!
I reached out to them to see if they would like to send me someone in return for the review but they never got back to me. Its pretty pricey stuff but I too have heard it works well..
Anchorseal is great but as WoodenCreations says they are proud of it. Only reason I have some is an old school teacher fellow woodturner had a couple gallons his wife gave to me after he passed way.
It’s when the wood drys too quick and begins to split the wood. A log is really wet when cut. It needs to slowly dry or if it rapidly drys it splits. 😉
@@WoodenCreationz Awesome!! A friend made some wood cookies for a baby shower. They put candle votives on them and some fake greenery. They looked really nice but they are unfinished. He gave them to me after the party and I need to know how to keep them nice without a gloss finish on them. I prefer a matte finish. Thank you for your suggestions!!
Yep a board covered in beeswax would be fine.. In regards to one using wood glue... I probably wouldn't do that if it was me... I would seal it with beeswax... Let it throughly dry for a few months... Then sand and scrape and get it back down to bare wood... Then use a butcher block or solution made for cutting boards... 😉
Correct, if the moisture is released too fast on the ends that were cut the ends will crack. If you seal the ends the moisture cant escape out the ends rather has to dry out on the sides of the wood preventing splitting and checking.
They have calculators and moisture meters to help determine how dry the wood is... Your going to want to seal it and probably wait probably 4 months with it drying either in a dry area or stickered... but seal the ends as fast as possible and it will stop the cracks and checks.
You may... Listen for a chainsaw and you will be in business. This was a tree the electrical company was taking down in someones yard and we asked them if we can have the log. They loaded it for us. My dad used his grizzly bandsaw to cut this. He used the carter sled. If you are looking for boards, pallets are pretty good, but a lot of work. I have a local wood flooring place that throws out scraps for free.. Also you can hit up cabinet shops in your area. Dig wayyyyyyyyyy back in my videos and you will see one of my first videos on where to find free wood... Outside that.. I havent bought any oak.
