I went through my cutting stock blanks phase, big logs but lots of inclusions that kept showing up in the blanks, lots of work for a marginal return.
I slabbed up a big cherry log and cut the stock blanks green, all the nay sayers here told me it was impossible to cut green cherry stock blanks without having terrible checks and warpage. Not so fast! I have been cutting up logs for bow wood for the last 28 years and learned a thing or two.
For cherry and walnut stock blanks I let the surface dry for a couple of days and then give the whole blank a coat of shellac with a few extra coats on the ends. The shellac doesn't stop the drying process, it only slows down the rapid surface drying that causes checks.
I cut four marginal cherry stock blanks and one crotch wood walnut stock blank, all were shellacked and stood up in the corner of my shop. A year later I didn't have any warpage or the first drying checks in the wood. They are now 4 years out from being cut and still don't have any checks or warpage, they have a few knots and inclusions so I haven't used them for any projects so far.
On good blank and one full of wind shakes on one side that would be gone on a finished gun because the blanks are 3" thick. These blanks have been shellacked.
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The blanks have too much of this stuff hidden below the surface.
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I did all my initial cutting with a chainsaw and finished the blanks up on my bandsaw.
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