Drying logs for rough furniture

June 7, 2010 7:48 AM

I nabbed some short logs from the city brush collection site and want to use them as porch furniture. What should I do to dry and preserve them?

I'm not sure of the species, but it's some kind of hardwood. I've got four logs, the biggest of which is probably 10-12" across and 16" long. I'd like to dry them out and use them as small tables and stools on the front porch.

Is there anything I need to do before they start drying? How long can I expect it to take? Should I then cover them with polyurethane, or will they last for years uncoated?

posted by echo target to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

It really depends on how nice you want them to look. If they won't be sitting on damp ground or exposed to frequent cycles of rain and direct sun, they will last (i.e. not rot) a very long time without any special treatment. They will, however develop a fair number of cracks visible on the cut surfaces, radiating out from the center. You can minimize the cracking by coating the ends with something fairly impermeable like paint or melted wax, but this will slow the drying substantially. It will be years before sealed pieces of that size are fully dry, but that may not matter for your purposes.
posted by jon1270 at 8:14 AM on June 7, 2010

Put them up on something that will allow air to circulate beneath - like an old pallet. Keep them in a sunny location. Place a plywood board or tarp along the top of the logs over the winter and anytime it rains, but don't drape a tarp around the sides, as that just traps moisture. After about a year your hardwood would be considered "seasoned," meaning it won't be green enough to weep, peel, or shrink much any more.
posted by Miko at 8:58 AM on June 7, 2010