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rotten wood

1K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Lazyman 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I had a chance to get some short logs but passed because they were quite rotten and cracked and I have never worked wood like that. I should have grabbed one anyway. I just had a thought, if I did get a log that old is there anything that should be done to protect them. It seems point less at that age but I was wondering. Thanks Mike
 
#5 ·
Reading the wood (looking at it) to determine what we can do with it just part of woodturning. Sometime hardest thing to do is walk away from free wood. On the other hand its the smartest thing we can do! While sometimes salvaging worthless wood; has its place first have to ask yourself is it worth it!

The most correct answer is both yes & know: if turn nothing but bowls & platters maybe not; if like spindle turning maybe. Only answer that fits is it worth my time!
 
#7 ·
End sealing is not a set & forget it proposition regardless of what you use to seal. Have to keep checking you stored wood. If leave bark on and store out side even with end sealing could end up with bugs & deterioration.

Store my sealed blanks blanks off the ground in covered wood shed, tarp covers front and tied down. Some times end up with larva, if leave bark on. Not a big problem on my blanks because leave them bigger than will actually need. Not so much if remove bark before sealing & storing.

If left out side bark on exposed to the elements rain, snow, sun, wind, & on the ground wood just going to deteriorate no matter whether end seal or not. Of course bugs going to have a field day!
 
#8 ·
Not much point in treating it if it was already badly cracked. By now the cracks will likely run so deep that nothing you do now will matter. Without seeing it, it is tough to say whether it would be worth messing with. 10 years in contact with the soil or even on a wood pile would render it pretty useless in most places except maybe the desert. It is probably mostly rotted and full of bugs after that long but unless you try a piece you never know. You can deal with bugs and even cracks by filling the tunnels and cracks with epoxy or even CA if they aren't too wide, but if it is so punky you can stick an awl or ice pick into it for example, you would probably have to stabilize it with cactus juice or something to make it usable.
 
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