Should I paint the end grain?

[bkharman]

I just cut a bunch of soft maple down last night for a cabinet door project that I won't get to for a few weeks. Here are some details but I was ultimately wondering if I should paint the end grain of the maple sticks and copes to minimize any movement before I can get to things again.

-this is soft maple from HD. Before you laugh at me, I was there for some Spax screws and saw them unloading 11' lumber in this isle and decided to check it out. These things were dry and straight as an arrow and on sale for $1.72 a foot. I was going to the lumber yard later that day to pick up maple for 2x that price!
-I cut everything down the next day. All stacked very nicely with no twists or bows.
-I am guessing it was all kiln dried as a few of the ends on the stock boards had some minor splits. I had plenty to work with to avoid those parts.
-The longest sticks are 540mm so none of this is lengthy.
-We are painting all of these and picked maple over poplar simply due to this price.

So again, I am wondering if I should paint the ends or will soft maple "stay" in it's current form until I can get to routing and assembling things?  I have a lot of trips over the next few weeks and can't be sure when I can pick the work back up.

Cheers. Bryan.

 

[tjbnwi]

At least prime the ends. Stack the ends even, quick roller over them done.

Tom

 

[bkharman]

At least prime the ends. Stack the ends even, quick roller over them done.

Tom

Thanks Tom,

I was thinking of running some BIN over them... have done that with Pine and Poplar before, wasn't sure about Maple.

cheers.  Bryan.

 

[tiralie]

I just cut a bunch of soft maple down last night for a cabinet door project that I won't get to for a few weeks. Here are some details but I was ultimately wondering if I should paint the end grain of the maple sticks and copes to minimize any movement before I can get to things again.

Just so you have a different and completely contradictory opinion, I wouldn't do anything.
I would let it acclimatize in your shop with some battens between the pieces so if it needs to dry out some more it can.
If it checks or twists, it will do that painted or not.
Tim

 

[mouppe]

I wouldn't paint it. First, it's almost certainly dried to the point where painting the ends won't do anything, and second as has been said, you want the wood to acclimatise before you use it.

 

[bkharman]

Thanks everyone!