drying ash sapling

[lokfuhrer]

Any ideas on how long to dry an ash sapling (approx 2"thick, and 5' long) that I cut to make a walking stick? Do I need to seal the ends, and if so, with what? Have used nothing but basswood in the past and would like to use wood from my own property.

[A_Swope]

I believe the rule of thumb is one year per 1 inch thickness. Seal the ends with wax or paint to prevent checking

[Buffalo Bif]

I have had good luck with ash & elm saplings when I seal the ends with housepaint and leave the bark on. I leave them up off the floor in my garage for a year or more. I just dip the ends in a can of off color paint I bought at the local hardware as a wrongly mixed color. My blanks have no checks or splits, even on the ends.

[Hugh-P]

Looks like all answers are basically the same, I dry a number of ash sticks each year, although I strip the bark as it is more difficult to remove after the stick dries. don't cut the stick to the desired length, leave it long, after removing the bark, dry the stick for a day, dip the ends in wax, put the sticks overhead lying flat, supported close to the ends, and let them dry for a year. trim to length, and carve away.

[brent]

If you cut it in the winter after the killing frost, the sap is usually down so the drying process is shortened a good bit. Wax or paint the ends with oil paint to slow the evap. rate. Should stop most if not all checking. Humidity palys a big part in this also.