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I've got some Polyurethane (clear, water-based) from an old floor job that I'm thinking of using to seal the ends on some various woods that I've bought from the lumberyard (e.g. blocks of Honduran Mahogany, some planks of Doug Fir that will be tops for something in the future, etc.

Good idea? Or is there something about Poly that makes this a bad choice? Thanks.

Corky,
That will be fine. I have used old poly for this very thing. Not stopping moisture just slowing the loss or gain through the end grain.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Corky-
If the lumber was 'dry' when you bought it I don't think there is much need to seal the ends, though it won't do much harm either.
I think of end-sealing more as a treatment for fresh-sawn lumber, but for that I use one of the 'Log-seal' type of products.

Cheers
John

John, Link,

Thanks, both, for your responses.

I hear you on the "dry" lumber. I think it would be more of an insurance policy. It's definitely already aged some - (may even have been kiln dried) - so may not be necessary.

What confuses me is that some of the wood that I've bought from lumberyards has some end checking on the blocks or off-cuts. If the wood was relatively dry when it was cut at the lumberyard why would this be happening (maybe the answer is that it wasn't dry at that point.) Thanks.

Regards,

There's a product called "Anchorseal", developed for the purpose and cheap. No finish, be it poly or urethane, is going to stop moisture in or out.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Neither will Anchor Seal which is mostly wax. (I have and use Anchor Seal and like it) And wax is a common treatment for the ends of boards however Poly will slow moisture down as well as wax. It needs to be thickly applied and old stuff often is thick. It is a good use of surplus finish that will otherwise be wasted. No need to buy something else and put more stuff in the landfill.
The idea isn't to stop moisture it is to slow it down so that it is more like the sides and the top as far as the give and take of moisture is concerned. Poly will work just fine.
Link

_________________
Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.