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Advice for a couple of Osage staves

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Pat B:
Keep us posted on your progress.  :OK

Ruddy Darter:
 No worries, will do.   :D

bownarra:
Never let drying staves sit in sunlight...they should be in the dark ideally. Also your lean to will experience wildly fluctuating temperatures with that clear roof - not a good idea for wood storage.
You could leave a sapwood ring no problem. Danish oil is no good for sealing the stave. Pat suggestion of shellac is a good one.
It will check further if it is asked to dry too fast and there is still a high m.c.  . Checking occurs because the outside wood is drying too fast for the inside to keep up and/or the stave is too thick. your is too thick!
I'd chase the back ring. Seal heavily. Then rough in the belly taper  and again seal. Then simply weigh the stave, mark the date and weight on it. Then every few days weight it again. Watch what happens with the weight as the water leaves.

Ruddy Darter:
Ok, thanks bownarra,
when I get a chance to work them down some I'll find a place for them in the garage. Thanks for the weighing tip, and I'll look out for some shellac sealer.

 R.D.

bownarra:
Some people may say yes but I would say no! Those products are pretty thin and meant for filling pores before doing something like a lacquer finish that requires a flat surface (filled pores).
Get some shellac 'buttons' and a bottle of meths to dissolve it. Cheaper than buying made up products and even a small pack will last a long time. You can then make it up nice and thick which is way better for slowing moisture transfer from staves.
Shellac makes a great finish by itself too once you get the knack of applying it correctly. You also have the option when using button lac to try French polish finishes. Basically a small amount of shellac on a pad then add a drop of oil to the pad. Rub into the wood with a circular motion. Makes a really beautiful finish and isn't that hard to learn.

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