Lilac wood

[Hawk]

Over the past couple of days I thinned out the lilacs in front of my house,  they were out control from when we moved here in 2016.

Some of the were quite large around  (2 + inches), so I saved out a few thinking I can do something with them. I'm thinking bandsaw thin sheets to used as a laminate for a scrollsaw project for my wife.

So....any thoughts as to how to go about this or ideas on projects.

Chris

[BrianA]

Seal the ends to prevent or slow down cracking

[Scrappile]

You have to carefully let them dry or they will warp and crack... If you cut them in strips, do not make the very thin and stack them to dry properly or warp, twist and crack.. I am no expert by any means but there is lots of info on the internet for drying wood properly... It takes quite a bit of time.  When dried, bird houses, ornaments, etc. 

[Hawk]

3 hours ago, BrianA said:

Seal the ends to prevent or slow down cracking

Thats the plan, going to seal the ends with wax. I figure at least a year before I can do anything with them.

[TAIrving]

Read more about it here Lilac | The Wood Database (Hardwood) (wood-database.com) 

[barb.j.enders]

My lilacs have never gotten that thick.  Nice opportunity.

 

[Wichman]

A couple of notes;

     It is preferable to cut the logs into planks before drying. If allowed to dry in the log form internal stresses are not released until the log is cut, allowing undesirable warping. The thinner the planks are cut the less likely they are to cup or twist while drying ( I just went through this with some elm, in the stack a 2" thick plank cupped badly while the 1/2" thick planks, above and below, did not cup ). The thinner the wood the shorter the drying time. My wood was down to 10% in 6 months, but I'm in SE Idaho and it's pretty dry here.

     While  you are cutting the lilac, especially while green, you will want to wear a respirator rated for organic vapor. Years ago I worked some green lilac wood and the vapors ( which smelled like the flowers ) gave me a buzz.