Post #447509 by Tikilizard on Thu, Apr 16, 2009 12:42 PM

First off you should have left the bark on so it could dry evenly. The same day it is cut you should put on a end-grain sealer, like Sealtite, to prevent quick drying and cracking on the ends. Since you took the bark off you can also seal the entire log allowing it to dry very slowly. I usually let my wood dry for two years indoors where the A/C, sun and heater can't get to it (the closet). The slower the wood dries the less it will crack. Another extreme trick you can do is drill the pith out of the center from the bottom up about 3/4 to the top. This takes alot of effort and a long drill bit. Wood will almost always split from the pith out into the heart wood.
I think the best thing for you to do is just carve away on this one and seal it with a poly as soon as you are done carving. A great thing about tiki's is that cracks give it character.