Wood Preserving ??

[Dan Mosley]

Brother in law had come to visit and brought me quit a bit of wood for turning. I had told him that I may lose some of it even after using Anchor seal because I have to store it outside in the shade and after a period of time, and 2 coats of anchor seal on the ends they will eventually have some cracking/checking.

So, I got home from work yesterday and he told while I was gone he was bored so he cleaned up the shop and told me he had a great idea for saving all the wood. He took me around to the side of the house and showed me how he had put them into plastic trash cans and filled them with water.
I was a bit concerned about this because I have never put them under water before. His theory was that when he was watching TV and swamp loggers was on that the logs have been submerged for many years and they have never cracked....................hummmmmmmmmm

I guess I could give it a whirl...........just never submered any of my stock before..................LOL

I do not mind the delay in drying because I will use the wood for vessels and turn the walls thin, put aside to dry, and I have several projects in the drying phase now. With thin walls it is not long (weeks - a month at most) and they are dried. I just don't want them so wet that it iterferes with the turning. I have had very wet wood in the past and it shreads instead of cuts - so I have to let them sit for a time to get rid of some of the excess water in them before they are any good on the lathe.

He filled 3 trash cans with long logs of maple and myrtle - so I think im going to leave one of them in water as a experiment and take the rest out and cut into blanks and seal them up. I usually do this with 2 coats of anchor seal on all cut areas and lay them on a wood bench in the garage. If they are still in log form - I seal the ends and stand them up under some trees in the shade on the concrete driveway (limited storage).

I have tried different ways to preserve them but over months I still lose some - not alot but it happens....................

 

[Rob Wallace]

Something to keep an eye on.....

Dan:

I'm just speculating here, but as you go through your submerged log experiment, I would suggest that you keep an eye on the "sunken" logs, in particular, the water in the trash cans. Your signature or profile do not say where you are located; if you are in a cold region, the lower temperatures may buy you some time, but I think you will likely see some growth of bacteria and water fungi (Oomycetes) in the water. Unlike most natural aquatic systems, you are creating a closed-system, stagnant, semi-aerobic "broth" of sugars and other materials that will leach out of the wood into the water. I'm just guessing, but I would predict that over time the water will begin to cloud with the growth of microorganisms, and could get pretty foul-smelling. (The fresher the logs, the more sap, etc. would be available, promoting bacterial growth.) Also, the warmer the water is kept, the more rapid the microbial growth will be.

If this happens, you might be able to slow or reduce this effect with a water change (one or more), or add a bit of bleach to the water to eliminate some of the microbial growth. If bacterial/fungal growth is allowed to continue in the water, there may be some effects on color of the wood (again, speculating), although likely not to the extent of true spalting. (Who knows - maybe a color change in lighter-colored woods like the maple might be interesting?)

Please let us know how this goes. I am curious to learn if this is a viable method of extending the "life" of cut wood before turning. Other observations about different characteristics of the wood (e.g. color differences, cutting ability, retention of bark, etc.) would also be helpful to know. Thanks for posting this, and good luck with your experiment!

Rob Wallace

 

[MichaelMouse]

Having left a few weighted pieces of firewood in the rain barrel on occasion, I can tell you that anerobic conditions at the bottom of Lake Superior or the mud of some stream are not achieved that way. If you start with still cold water and put inert gas over the top, might go better for you, but it'll look bad and smell like kimchee soon if you let oxygen get to it. The wood will be relatively good, but what was in it will make an unholy mess.

The stuff the beavers weight down in the river is pretty sound after a couple of years, but the water there is dark, acid, and cold.

Dry wood keeps almost forever.

 

[John Torchick]

Keep it covered to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the water.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Tell your BIL that he is spending too much time watching television especially when he starts acting out what he sees. Now, on the other hand, if he has been watching Dirty Jobs, send him my way -- I have a septic tank that needs to be dipped out.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Keep it covered to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the water.

Two-three drops of cooking oil will do for the larvae, even though the females will still lay eggs.

If you're far enough south you could put a couple gambusia in the barrel and harvest hundreds. Better than goldfish in stock tanks....

http://www.alabamavms.org/gambusia.htm

 

[MichaelMouse]

Now, on the other hand, if he has been watching Dirty Jobs, send him my way -- I have a septic tank that needs to be dipped out.

Do you know that a willow will send out roots seventy feet if it can creep into a septic tank? No way to clear it initially but draining, getting inside and hacking away. After that, bit of copper sulfate....

Septic tanks are anerobic environments, right? What do you think?

 

[Gil Jones]

I cannot speak for all wood species, but I have been soaking (in well water) two chunks of Grapefruit wood 10"D x 16"L in open sheet-rock mud buckets for over a year with no cracks or apparent rotting. I change the water every 2-weeks, and add a few ounces of bleach to the fresh water. No smelly water nor obvious growth in the buckets, and no color change in the wood. I started out with three chunks, turned one last summer, and it was rather like a piece of green wood. Took it out of the water and let it dry for a week before turning. No troubles or cracks so far.
Gil

 

[Dan Mosley]

Gil - thanks - changing the water and bleech is a good idea......and thanks to all for your comments