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Hello,
Just got in some curly maple to build uke's with. The plates are 1/8" thickness. The moisture content is 14%.
If I stack them to dry will the ends split? Should I seal the ends with wax, shellac. Do I need to seal the ends?
This is my first time getting in wet wood.
thanks...

14 percent is not what I would call wet but it is far from dry enough to build with. I would seal the ends just to be safe. Plain old latex paint works for me.

Cecil

Hello, Richard,
I'm with Cecil on this. While you're at it, you might "sticker" your stack of plates so that air can circulate between them as they finish drying. It might not be necessary, but it won't hurt and I think it's usually a good idea to err on the side of caution. It will probably help them finish drying a bit faster, too. Best of luck with it.

@ only 1/8" thick it's probably not necessary, but it can't hurt to seal the end grain. I use Anchor Seal which is a wax emulsion available at any lumber/woodworking shop and might be at your local hardware store.

Thanks a lot for the input.