I have heard you can just paint thee ends of logs to keep them from drying too fast and cracking. My question is will spray paint work?

It may but you have to put it on thick and might use a can per log to get then sealed.

What Dan said "put it on thick" definitely. I tried paint in early years and then  moved to wax or paraffin. Saving logs sometime works but for best results cut the pith out of the log and you will save more wood from cracking. Logs usually split from the pith outward. Even first cut with the saw you will see a crack emanating from the pith. That crack is what you use when splitting logs for rails or firewood as the beginning for wedge. Also when you cut the log in half try to go along the crack to reduce further splitting.

   There are other products such as Anchor Seal which are wax emulsions but not cheap like I am.

3 hours ago, Gerald said:

but not cheap like I am.

Frugal, Gerald. Frugal!

John

I agree that wax is better. I am like you: I tried paint and lost a bunch of turning blanks, but never the waxed ones. I took  an old electric BBQ starter and sat a pan on it filled with wax from the grocery store. I drove 60 miles round trip to Wood Craft store to buy their expensive sealer, but they were out of stock, so that is when I went to grocer and got plain ole canning wax.

I buy some big Christmas candles for  50 cents at the thrift stores.  Makes my logs look pretty.

Several years ago, I was given some wood cut in pieces about 10 inches long. I was told to get some commercial sealer, which I did. I was also told that latex paint applied heavily would work as well. I stored the wood for a year or so and got it out one day..........all were cracked and unusable. 

I bought some blanks at Rocklers and they were sealed with wax. I asked why. I was told it was to stabilize the wood and was told to cut off the wax on the ends and wrap in paper for a couple of weeks before using. I got several and did as instructed. A couple worked as I was told. A couple cracked anyway.

The only time I've done this was when I had a very large oak in my yard cut down and sawn into lumber. I had painted the ends of the log with latex paint before the Woodmizer guy showed up to make not be a log. This actually worked well for me, and I only used the latex because it was what I found in my shop. Disclaimer: Later I did have those planks kiln dried at a local mill, might have been why it worked. I think if I was trying to save turning blanks I would do something more sophisticated.

Edited August 5, 20178 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

I use anchorseal2 on bowl blanks. Gerald has it right to cut the pith out. Still, unless the blank is completely covered in wax or other sealer you're on the clock and eventually they will still begin to split, at least in my experience. I prefer to leave the logs as long(length) as possible and only make blanks when I'm ready to turn them. I'm turning some walnut this week and logs have been on the ground in a shady area for about five years. Of course there is some spalting and I lose a foot or so off the ends. Walnut can lay a long time and still be usable. Maple or cherry, not so much.

 

Steve

Wood is a lot like concrete- it is going to crack, but we try to control the cracking anyway. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes we are not 

Those blanks you buy completely covered in wax are like buying green wood or at lease should be used as such. To turn it is not necessary to cut the wax off nor let it sit . Just turn either to thin finish (if you do not mind a bit of warp ) or do first turn and use normal drying technique then the second turn. Treat the wax like it is bark.

A thick latex works good....