Am hoping for some insight into drying a log slice. I have an interesting 4 inch thick walnut trunk (about 70 years old) which I am making into a table. It was chainsawed near the tree base, and stayed outside for about 8 months. Naturally, it developed radial cracks. I made a router jig to flatten one side and get to fresher wood. This done, I chainsawed the other side, and sealed top and bottom with two coats of a wax emulsion.
My question is what drying process to use. I don't mind some cracks in the final product, but want to do final shaping (with the router jig again and then belt sander, I guess) after most of the movement has occurred. 4 years is a long time to wait. I understand that Pentacryl might reduce cracking, but may compromise the finish.
The old rule of a year per inch seems to apply mostly to plain sawn or quartered planks. It would seem that a trunk section would dry faster, as it is lots of exposed end grain.
Any helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated.