Wood Preparation

[Brian T]

Hi
New geezer here. Harvested 17 x 24" logs of alder this afternoon, lots more where that came from. Almost all 5" dia, left the rest in the forest. This is Alnus viridis which turns the most beautiful, bright orange when exposed to air.

I plan to air dry this, outdoors under cover. Weigh each numbered piece every 6 months until I start to see constant weights.

Question: Is there any point (really) in waxing the ends?
Question: Is there any point (really) in removing the bark?
Thanks

[TreeWizard]

Waxing the ends causes the wood to dry slower and helps avoid cracking. I always remove the bark since 1. It will fall off most of the time unless the wood was harvested in the dead of winter when the moisture is out of the xylem and the bark is tight agaainst the sapwood. 2. It is a place for insects to gather and in many cases eat into the wood that I don't want any holes in.

[Brian T]

Thanks TW. I've saved candle stubs in a bucket for years for just this project and it finally came together yesterday. Now that it's pushing mid November and the snow line is down to less than 2,000 feet, the bark is pretty tight. Fresh cut, that wood was white but the cut ends are all bright orange this AM.

BTW, I got a piece of red cedar, 12" x 3" x 10' for $25. Fireplace mantle & buttresses, hope to carve the 3" faces this winter.