We used to seal Maple "music wood" with wax on the end grain, and it had to age up in the rafters for a minimum of 7 years, usually longer. A lot of it was sold to a guy named Paul Reed Smith, and he made really nice guitars out of it. A bunch went to a guy in Massachusetts who made high end Cello's. I think the wax just retards the aging process so it might not crack. If it's Maple, be sure to peel the bark when it's green. I had a really big birdseye maple burl that I aged about 10 years, and then spent a week trying to pick all the bark off! That's been my only experience with burls/figured wood.
