Woodturning Tips - Dealing With Cracks in Wood

When a piece of green wood dries it can often be prone to warping and checking. Cracks are the last thing a wood turner wants to see on a wood blank. This can happen even if suitable precautions have been taken such as sealing the end grain with wax. When cracks do appear it is not the end of the world. There are still things you can do to salvage the piece and make the best of a bad situation.

When it comes to dealing with cracks in wood there are several options available to us. Some turners like to take advantage of the crevice by filling it with a substance that gives an attractive visual effect. This is called inlay and people commonly use gold and silver coloured material. For practical and cost reasons it does not have to be the genuine article. Brass and aluminium powder can make a perfectly good substitute for authentic gold and silver.

Before you start filling any cracks, you should be sure that the wood is stable with no further movement likely and seasoning has run its full course. The best way to tell if wood has finished seasoning is to weigh the item over the course of a number of days. If it still contains moisture, it will be slightly lighter every day. As soon as the weight stops falling then the wood is stable and ready to use.

If you do not wish to use decorative effects there are still ways of rescuing a wood turning blank. The crack can be filled with CA glue which does a great job of preventing the crack spreading. You can also use this adhesive mixed in with a little sawdust which can disguise the crack once the area is dry. Of course, care should be taken to use sawdust from the original piece for colour matching purposes.

In some cases, you may not want a crack on your turned item at all. In this scenario, the only way to remove it is to take some stock off the piece. This can be done either by cutting or sanding depending on how deep the crack is. For shallow cracks this technique does not represent a problem. However, you should proceed with caution as there is sometimes a risk that a crack can spread further into the wood.

The best way of dealing with cracks in wood is to take stock of the situation. Instead of discarding the item, you should seek an alternative solution. You could rescue the piece or use it on an entirely different project. There is always something you can do whether it is to remove the crack completely or to use it to your advantage. Sometimes a crack turned into a decorative feature can add tremendous value to a wood turning.