green timber

[weisyboy]

i have recently come into pssesion of a large lump of camphor laurel that was badly cracked ar ether end and i painted the ends with wax and also filled the cracks scince then the cracks have closed up and a large amount of wax has been squeesed out of the end.

has eny one else had this happen?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Yup. That's timber movement. It goes both ways... expanding and contracting, but the cracks are still there of course.

If 'tis a big enough lump, 'tis probably a good idea to split it in two along the worst of the cracks.

[cedar n silky]

Timber improvement?:rolleyes: I like that word, Skew.
Further to the camphor, don't have it sitting around too long, as (as I found out) the powderpost borer love it:eek: . At least the sapwood. I did notice though, that they stopped at the heart wood (the nice brown part in the centre of the log).
If you plan on keeping it a while, maybe get rid of the sapwood, or store it or paint it with an insecticide. I have heard of Borax being painted on timber to prevent borer attatck, but maybe even keep it in a paper bag (or box)with Napthalene flakes (moth balls) might do the trick?
Maybe some other people on the forum have ideas on avoiding the critters getting into your treasured lumps of wood?:)

[Ianab]

Yup, thats normal and expected.

2 things explain it. Wood shrinks as it dries, and endgrain wood dries faster then the rest. So cracks open up in the end of the blocks as it dries out, then they close up a bit as the rest of the wood catches up and shrinks too. Cracks are still there :( , but not as noticable.

So the idea of endcoating with the wax it to get it on straight away, before the cracks start. That slows down the endgrain drying and lets the block / board / slab dry more evenly = less endcracks.

Cheers

Ian

[TTIT]

I have heard of Borax being painted on timber to prevent borer attatck, but maybe even keep it in a paper bag (or box)with Napthalene flakes (moth balls) might do the trick?
Maybe some other people on the forum have ideas on avoiding the critters getting into your treasured lumps of wood?:)

Borax works well - it somehow makes the wood taste like crap to the little blighters. Mix it with hot water and douse the timber liberally. MUST be hot water so my dear old Dad told me and he protected many tons of Camphor from the nasty bludgers!:D I was spraying all my wood with it for a while but then got slack with a couple of loads - guess what I found when I lifted the covers off the log-pile the other day - :o:o:o:o

[OGYT]

"Borax works well - it somehow makes the wood taste like crap to the little blighters. Mix it with hot water..."
TTIT, do you know how much borax to how much water? (could have said that a little easier... but didn't know how... ratio, I guess)
That would beat injection after the fact. :o)

[TTIT]

TTIT, do you know how much borax to how much water? (could have said that a little easier... but didn't know how... ratio, I guess)
That would beat injection after the fact. :o)
Sorry Al - no actual recipe :o . Depends whether I'm just spraying 'clean' wood or soaking the logs in a bath to try and kill any existing bugs at the same time (insecticide added). If I'm spraying, I put a tubful (about 2 cups I think!) in a 16 litre sprayer and none of the wood I've coated has shown signs of bugs. :D

[OGYT]

"If I'm spraying, I put a tubful (about 2 cups I think!) in a 16 litre sprayer"

Thanks... that's close enough for me.