This woodworker has a bunch of burls and wants to know how to store them to prevent checking?
Ian Kirby: I assume we mean burls in the round, not veneers. The goal is to store them while retaining the moisture, because moisture loss causes checking. A thorough coating of paraffin wax might do the trick. Or keep the burl in a tightly wrapped plastic bag and store in a cool room.
Ellis Walentine: Nothing will keep green wood from checking indefinitely, so it’s a good idea to relieve the stresses early on. For example, if you plan to resaw the burl into small pieces of lumber, do it while it is still green. Then sticker it in your shop with a weight on top of the pile to keep it from cupping and warping as it dries.
If you plan to turn it in the relatively near future, coat it with paraffin or a product designed to prevent end-checking, such as Anchorseal. I recently got a good deal on Anchorseal from Choice Woods. Be very careful with molten wax. The vapors can catch fire suddenly and explosively.
Rick White: I’d definitely seal it with Anchorseal and then maybe bury it in sawdust to slow the drying process.
