ANCHORSEAL 2 Log & Lumber end Grain Sealer - Prevents up to 90% of end Checks (Drying Splits) on Cut Ends of Wood & Decks. Green Wood Sealer for Turning Blanks & Bowls.

I'm going to hazard a guess that 90% of all bowl turners use Anchor Seal 2. I have had less than 2% of my green bowl blanks and/or rough turned bowls crack when I use this product. Some apply just to the end grain portions, but I just coat the entire blank or bowl. This applies so easily and quickly that it's a no-brainer to use every time. It eliminates cracks and checking by slowing the moisture loss from wood. The good news is that wood still dries - it just takes longer and keeps the wood stable. The photos are freshly sealed bowl blanks and a sealed rough turned bowlPro:• It works to prevent cracks 98% of the time• It's inexpensive - a little goes a LONG way• Easy to apply and requires little to no clean-up• Dries clear, allowing you to identify wood speciesCon:• It is one additional processing step (yeah, I know I'm stretching here)Tips:• Dedicate a paint brush (doesn't matter what kind - I use synthetic) so it's always near the can and handy.• Store brush "wet" in a sealed ziplok or wash quickly in warm water.• Use a mat (rubber, synthetic, plastic) to catch drips and smears when applying and don't bother to clean after use.• Apply liberally to coat thoroughly (a gallon covers hundreds of bowls or blanks).• If you mark your blanks or bowls with wood species and/or a date - do this before you apply Anchorseal 2.Brilliant chemists could tell you the exact composition of this product, but between you and me, think of this as liquid wax. When applied, it looks like milky white paint, but within 12-24 hours, it dries pretty much transparent and feels waxy. I generally dedicate a paint brush to this task and you can wash it out in warm water after each use or you can slide it "wet" into a ziplok, seal and it stores just fine for months. I also have a rolled up piece of rubber mat that I throw on my workbench when I "paint" blanks or bowls. When I spill product or rest a "painted" side on the rubber, I just leave the Anchorseal on the mat and don't bother to wipe or rinse off between uses. So clean-up is non-existent.I have to admit I'm a zealot for this product...now if someone would just create a self-sharpening bowl gouge.

I may not be using this product for which it was originally designed, but so far it seems to work well for me.Most of the reviews I read for this product indicate use for green wood, but I like to use it as further protection for woods that are already "stable".I have both kiln-dried and air-dried woods, and many of them are exotics which represent a significant monetary investment.Dealing with seasonal changes can tax any wood product, and no matter how well I try to control climate in the shop, relative humidity swings of 20% or even greater are not uncommon during drastic weather changes.Sometimes Mother Nature moves at a faster rate than the climate controls can keep up. It can especially be bad if the big doors are kept open while moving items in/out.Had a couple of times where it took a few days to get back where I wanted, and I'm sure it's an indicator that my climate controls are not suitably-sized for my area. Still, my present equipment serves me well enough, and I certainly don't wish to invest in construction of a lab environment.So even with "kiln-dried" wood, the stock is still at risk if the storage environment is not kept reasonably stable. Of course, different species of wood absorb/lose moisture at different rates than others, but I don't like taking chances with ANY of it.To me, the purpose of coating is not to completely prevent moisture exchange, but rather to retard it. (Fast rates of exchange are what have given me the most problems.)Once the moisture content of the wood is at the level I want, I like to keep it there as much as possible during fluctuations in the atmosphere. (On some pieces, I'll even coat the entire piece, not just the endgrain.)In the past I have used leftover paint, polyurethane, or dipped in hot wax to protect end grain. All worked fine, but presented compromises.Somehow it just doesn't feel right taking an expensive piece of ebony, rosewood, etc. and putting paint on it, wondering if all paint can be removed without excessive wood waste.The hot wax works great and removes easily with scraping, but application is inconvenient, especially if coating a large piece.This Anchorseal goes on very easily, doesn't stain the wood, and cleans up easily.For me, it is a better alternative than the coatings I previously used.Concerning performance, only time will tell, but I suspect it performs every bit as well as my previous methods.

bottom line: big storm, huge, knocked down oaki sealed it with this stuff where i cut the trunk....no cheeking.it is a pollomer non-toxic wax in polypropelene for a carrier (the later is used in medicine injected in people and it etible, totally safe, this is ecosafe and you can use it to water proof lumber ends to prevent damage while the wood dries

This is an OK product for covering the end grain of wood to prevent splitting, but much better if used with aluminum roofing paint. I tried it on a stack of 1000 board feet of oak and maple. I also used aluminum roofing paint (that silver stuff). After 14 months of drying, the end grain results are interesting as listed here:- Two coats of Anchor seal: pretty large splits, but about 50% less than if no seal were applied.- Two coats of aluminum paint: splits were about 40% shorter than using Anchor seal.- One coat of aluminum paint, let dry two days, then one coat of Anchor seal applied over it: Almost no splits at all.I applied the coatings to the log ends two days after cutting the trees to allow for some initial moisture seepage from the logs. If you apply too early on wet wood during the growing season, then the high level of escaping moisture will cause the sealers to peel away from the wood. In my northern area, it is better to wait three days.In the future, when I mill more wood, I will use the mixed method of using both Anchor Seal and the aluminum paint since I got almost perfect results with it.

I know this stuff is pricy but it works well Im a bowl turner and leave my blanks out side to dry but I put this on all my ends and they don't crack out like a lot of other stuff I have used and it goes a lot farther than I though it would