dry basswood?

[jimp]

Hi All!
I got a chance to get some basswood from a tree that came down in July. It was a bit of a struggle to get to it and get a chunk cut off. My chainsaw was JUST long enough to get halfway through it.. Anyways, now I have chunks of basswood. Would I be better off to let it dry as it is with the bark still on it and rough cut chunks or should I shape it down to block form before it dries? THANKS!!
Jim

[mdallensr]

Leave the bark on and seal the ends ASAP. Use some paint, wax, or commercial wood sealer. A cut log like you have could split the same day it's cut, so get something on the cut ends. Good luck.

[Robson Valley]

Usually, wood splits because one part is drying out far faster than other parts. Since the ends are huge areas of cut-open wood cells, sealing the ends slows down that rapid water loss. IMO, leaveing the bark on is a toss-up between slowing water loss and generously offering the bugs & fungus a juicy new place to live and thrive. Another downside is that you can expect the wood to dry about 1 inch per year (outdoors but under cover) to a moisture content of 12-14% or so. Indoors that could be as little as 2%.
I really like to carve in Western Red Cedar, notorious for splitting. If I got green log, say 48" x 30",
a) I can't lift it, bark on or off.
b) as the core is commonly rotten, I'd split the log into two long halves, hog out the rot, peel off the bark and paint the ends. . . . even acrylic exterior house paint is good.
c) leave it out in the weather, probably as ballast on top of the dog houses for the big wind we get.
d) think long and hard about what to carve. I'm not into monumental work.

If in doubt, paint the ends first and ponder the rest.