Thread: Identification of Treated Wood

Photos would help a lot Christos

Lots of Pine types ............might have been part of a sugar box or someone may have spilt sweet tea over it.

Treated timber must be coloured , I believe , so that people are aware , that it is chemically treated, Pine is normally either light GREEN or a Blue colour, this will be evident for several millimeters into the timber , if not all the way through.

Jeff
vk4

Could be LOSP treated pine. A clear light organic solvent preservative. Not suitable for inground contact but an excellent preservative for above ground application. As it is oil based, it prevents checking, which has always been a problem with CCA treated timber. As the timber is end grain labelled, it is not always coloured. Once the timber is cut, removing the label, the solvent is usually identified by the sweet smell you discribe.

Originally Posted by vk4

Treated timber must be coloured , I believe , so that people are aware , that it is chemically treated, Pine is normally either light GREEN or a Blue colour, this will be evident for several millimeters into the timber , if not all the way through.

Jeff
vk4

Unfortunately not totally true, Jeff.

Copper-chrome-arsenic (CCA) gives treated pine its familiar green colour; it is relatively cheap but does not work on hardwoods. There are well over 100 other wood treatments used, and most of them are colourless, or only very faintly change the hue of the timber.

When I worked in the timber industry many years ago, all imported timber had to be treated prior to importation - AQIS rules - and Aus timbers had to be treated for certain usages. As the dipping station was at the end of the sawing run, many mills, including ours took the easy way out and dipped everything. Timber packs were then wrapped in plastic so that the chemicals infused.

Fair Winds

Graeme

Graeme is correct on this. I work in a plant that manufactures LOSP and other timber treatments and about half of what we send to the mills is clear and you would not know to look at the timber once treated. I guess you might be able to spray some water onto the surface and see if it beads or eventually soaks in. If its treated the water should not soak in but in saying that if it is an older peice the resins and oils may have worn off.

To be safe i would not be using the peice or at least use gloves and full face respirator. It can be pretty nasty stuff (especially if you dont know which chemical is used).

Ben

I will take photos of this when I am next in the shed.

Managed to get some photos of the timber that I was turning.

P1010161.JPGP1010168.JPGP1010158.JPG

After chatting to another person that dropped by he also thinks that this has been treated and found this very heavy compared to Pine.

Lots of types of Pine Christos how did it smell ?..............I know it doesnt have a nose so it can't smell. Has the look of camphor also

It does have a very sweet smell and not that of Camphor. I am sort of familiar with Camphor from the working with wood show last year(2011).

looks like LOSP treated Arikaria to me.