You fellows who live in colder climes and split rounds for firewood know much more about this than this Florida Cracker, but I wonder if we ought to use 'assisted natural splitting' as a adjunct to drying wood more often.
I notice that some short logs like cherry, acacia, dogwood and red gum if left in the sun and rain will often develop one large deep split along the entire log. Doesn't always divide the log in halves, but often into a bowl blank and/or spindle blanks.
Do these large single natural splits relieve enough of the internal stresses so that the split could be rived thru and the two pieces left to dry without further harassment with coatings, soap, alcohol, boiling toasting or microwaving? Not only in drying wood, but many times in life it's best to stay out of Mother Nature's way in her efforts to heal. :)
In deciding which end of a straight grain spindle to drive from the headstock for the best direction to cut downhill, does the direction the fibers grew up the tree's trunk or out its limbs have any importance for woodturners?
Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter