Post #127633 by Lake Surfer on Sat, Nov 27, 2004 11:22 PM

Those cracks in the first one are nothing... carve away! All wood will crack... as the water leaves the wood contracts and pulls apart on itself. I don't start carving until the wood is fully dry... then find the best side that isn't cracked the worst....

The first piece looks a soft wood like willow or basswood which dries super quick and cracks quick... was the area where the log was found low lying and wet? Basswood doesn't burn, so that could be the reason it was tossed aside and not used for firewood. It also has that milky white look to it after debarking. Your third one does look like an oak or a maple...

This time of the year around here wood will dry out quick with the low dew points... and if you leave it outside to dry the water and moisture inside will freeze...

Keep them in a dry basement at around room temp with the bark on if you intend on carving them soon... they may mold a little bit but that's happened to me a lot... having a dehumidifier nearby will help dry them out too...

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2004-11-27 23:36 ]