Wood slices...

There was a thread here just the other day about newly cut slices starting to crack, if that is what you are worried about im afraid that there isnt a lot that can be done. New so called (green) wood cut into slices will develop cracks quite quickly so if the ones that you have brought have been around a while and have not cracked then you should be ok on that score.

If you wanted to you could varnish with a Matt varnish which will enhance and bring out the features of the wood.

For wood slices not to crack the whole cut tree trunk has to be seasoned - left to dry over many months / years before cutting. There are short cuts to this process involving kilns and moisture removal.

Different wood species will crack more than others.

To test if they are have already been coated with anything a quick test is to wet an area and if it gos darker then it dosen't yet have anything on it.

If they are rough cut then before varnishing, some hard work and time sanding them will enhance the wood feature even more.

Over the years I have done a lot of work with natural wood and furniture around my house.

I googled wood slices cracking the other day. I think keep them somewhere dry and cool. I think it also said that cracks if bad can be filled with a clear resin and then sanded down. Would suggest a further read because I can't remember it all.

I don't mind them cracking, I think it adds to there character. but I've read that the bark can drop off after time so to treat the slices with polyurethen?? probably spelt that wrong.

Polyureathane (also spelt wrong) is a type of varnish. the bark falling off is part of the process of drying out, and the varnish wont help much here.Over time as the wood drys it shrinks leading to cracking and the bark falling off. Some slices may have been from pre seasoned trunks and the bark can come off in half rings and then glued back on and then the surface of the slice sanded and varnished and the bark sealed, and you would never know the bark has fallen off in the past.

Leave yours and if the bark falls off you can glue it back on.

Can you flash a picture

Thanks for the tip