I am using wood slabs ( 2" X 9") for wedding centerpieces. I have a friend who will cut them 6 months early. He says that unless I wax them that they will all crack badly. What would I use to preserve them? Is this necessary? How would I best store 20 of them? Sorry, I don't know the type of wood (from Missouri) that he will use. I will be bringing them to Florida.
Wood – How to preserve 2“ x 9” wood slabs in the Florida climate
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Per the question, I used Minwax until it faded, but it was still quite obvious and visible (close to the last pic in the question post).
Then, taking a page from the "mayo and ashes" tip, I mixed 1-part mayonnaise (Hellman's) to 1-part baking soda (not baking powder; I used Arm & Hammer brand) as a cigarette ashes replacement. I rubbed the mixture along the grain directions using a paper towel and some pressure.
The stain faded, then vanished. The resulting wood is smooth, and considering the baking soda is abrasive, appears unscratched. After wiping off the mayo mix, my table may smell like a turkey sandwich, but it's beautiful again.
Now all I have to do is polish off all the Minwax buildup from my earlier cleaning attempts.
I would never have thought of going with the grain had I not spoken to the lady from Restore and Adore, and had the baking soda idea fell through, I would have gone with the "last resort" 4 0 steel wool with a lot of Minwax applied.
Pic of the repair:
The attached pieces and legs may have exacerbated the effects by not moving with the seat but a piece of pine of that size was probably destined to crack regardless. You can try to weep glue down into it (run a line of yellow glue over the crack then blow it down into the void with an air nozzle) and then clamp out the space but it probably won't be permanent and you could damage your finish with the clamp pressure. Were it me, I'd fill the crack with tinted epoxy and let the piece wear the crack like a badge of honor. Think of a piece reclaimed pine:
- Tape off the crack with painters tape. You don't want epoxy all over the finish, just down in the crack.
- Mix a 5 minute epoxy to the manufactures specs, then add 5% by volume a Van Dyke Brown (or similar) aniline pigment. Most manufacturers will recommend a product compatible with their own on their website, I recommend West System.
- Apply the mix carefully over the crack and then force it down in with a putty knife or shim. Trowel off the excess as neatly as possible and let dry. Repeat this step as necessary (sometimes is sinks in after application) until the epoxy fills the void flush with the surface.
- Remove the tape preferably when the epoxy is still sort of gooey and let dry over night. (yes it's 5 minute epoxy but trust me)
- Sand off the residual epoxy with 220 and a light touch and then scuff sand the entire piece with 280.
- Apply a light fresh coat of your original finish.
Hope this helps, cheers!
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Best Answer
Paraffin is a low temperature wax (around 100 F) that is inexpensive and can be melted in a pot (or disposable aluminum baking pan) to allow dipping. Its brittle at room temperature, so your slabs must be handled gently after dipping.
It is best to dip just the end grain ends of the piece and leave the other 4 sides alone. Keep them out of the heat and sun, a root cellar would be perfect. (probably not an option in FLA). Perhaps a cooler, this will let them dry very slowly, a key to minimizing splitting.
Addendum:
It is usual to make the original piece a bit oversize and then mill it to the final size after it is dry. This is why a 2 x 4 is 1.5 x 3.5, a combination of shrinkage and final sizing.
This will allow you to trim the top and bottom so that they are parallel and will hold the vase steadily. A block plane or sander can make one side flat and a thickness planer will make the other side parallel to it.