You fellows who live in colder climes and split rounds for firewood know
much more about this than this Florida Cracker, but I wonder if we ought
to use 'assisted natural splitting' as a adjunct to drying wood more
often.

I notice that some short logs like cherry, acacia, dogwood and red gum
if left in the sun and rain will often develop one large deep split
along the entire log. Doesn't always divide the log in halves, but often
into a bowl blank and/or spindle blanks.

Do these large single natural splits relieve enough of the internal
stresses so that the split could be rived thru and the two pieces left
to dry without further harassment with coatings, soap, alcohol, boiling
toasting or microwaving? Not only in drying wood, but many times in
life it's best to stay out of Mother Nature's way in her efforts to
heal.

In deciding which end of a straight grain spindle to drive from the
headstock for the best direction to cut downhill, does the direction the
fibers grew up the tree's trunk or out its limbs have any importance for
woodturners?


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter


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