I was making a natural edge vase from a log so I had end grain on each side.   I almost had it done and was just finishing the inside with my scraper.  I don't know if I got a catch or if it was under stress but it split at the top with about a 3/8 gap and tapers to just a small crack down to the pith which is half way down the vase and then a couple of more cracks running from the pith.  I decided to oil it with linseed oil just to see what it would have looked like.  Then I thought I should have mixed some turquoise and epoxy and filled it in which would have looked really cool.  Is it too late to do that since I put one coat of oil inside and outside. 

I still have the tenon on the bottom.

The wood is Shoestring Acacia

After you fill the cracks, wrap it tightly in saran wrap  to keep it from continuing to move apart till the filler cures.

Then, I agree with Chris to hand sand it.


Seeing as how the look you were going for didn't include a piece missing from the rim, you might consider carving the edge all the way around. Maybe an undulating shape, or something.

Consider the mistake as an opportunity for something different.

Of course, then show us how it  came out!!

Richard Wilabee wrote on Sep 9^th, 2017 at 1:20pm:


It cracked because of the pith. When I do natural edge bowls I make don't include the pith.

If I remember correctly the shrinkage ratio table from Bruce Hoadley's book great reference book Understanding Wood, on average wood shrinks 50% more along the growth rings than across them (some woods have a higher or lower ratio if tangential to radial shrinkage).  And short shrinkage cracks at the pith are not uncommon in freshly cut green wood.  For these reasons, it is generally recommended that bowl blanks should not include a two inch diameter centered on the pith.

The growth ring patterns and live edge give your vase an interesting look, but a crack on each side down to the pith is likely the norm for your blank.  If you had successfully stopped with adhesive the crack when it still was short and tight, another might have formed nearby due to the degree of shrinkage stress, at least in woods with higher shrinkage ratios.

I like the idea of the leather or copper wire laces.  Would you do that just in the larger top part of the crack and leave the smaller cracks alone?  Would you use like door bell sold wire and strip the insulation or use something with a larger gauge?

I would use larger than door bell wiring, maybe 16 to 18 gauge or leather. Drill holes like for a shoe, Google should be able to find examples