wood spliting

[Wichman]

I have some thin wood, about 5" wide 5/16" thick, that is starting to develop splits along the grain. It's very annoying and some of the splits are hard to see when I start cutting, leading to issues down the line. I am now very disappointed in this batch of wood, and it is worrisome that some items that I have sold made out of this batch will start failing.

Have any of you run into this yourselves? 

Is there a method to tell if the wood is split before I start cutting?

TIA

[Dan]

Check the moisture content before you start cutting. I'm usually good around 8%. Also, adding a finish to your finished project will seal it to reduce moisture changes in the wood. 

[Tom-in-Ashland]

Most moisture loss in wood is from the end grain. And this loss at the end can cause splitting if the moisture content away from the end is high.  That is why when you buy hard wood lumber the ends of the boards are often painted.  I would suggest cutting off the split part and paint the fresh ends. Then give it some time to to lose moisture the rest of the board retains.  Depending on moisture content it may take 1 to several months to stabilize.

[Wichman]

 I have had the wood in question for several years now. The splits that I am concerned with are in the middle of the boards, not at the ends. The wood was intended for wall paneling and was rough sawn for texture. I sanded down several board for use, these also had the splits, and I used a lunchbox planer to smooth most of the rest (some of the boards were to short to put through the planer, but they have splits also). These boards have been stored inside my house where the heat and humidity are somewhat stable.

 

[kywoodmaster]

What species of wood is it?

[Wichman]

1 hour ago, kywoodmaster said:

What species of wood is it?

A mixed bag, all hardwood. Some of the species that developed splits; oak, maple, walnut.

 

I'm thinking that if I rub glue into the splits I can stabilize the splits and make the wood usable.

[Dan]

If you intend to leave the wood natural you could fill the void with colored epoxy. It would add interest to boxes, but not as a backer or fretwork.

[Wichman]

I was looking through the manufacturers website and found a disclaimer: "some of the hardwood thins can be brittle".

I think that's the issue, I ran brittle wood through the planer and the vibration caused the splitting.

Thanks for the input.