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16th September 2014, 11:35 PM #16
smartarse.
no, (incase your not having a lend) I've got into bandsaw milling. Its a horizontal bandsaw mill. You have to run water on the blade when its cutting green timber as a lubricant, else the blade cakes up……. also have to treat your timber after cutting it, else down the track borer chews it up…..
But….
- I seem to be having a skin reaction to even the mildest of preventive chemicals about (borax)
- and before that it occurred to me, while I was milling, that you could hit two birds with one stone (not that I'm into throwing stones at birds) by mixing the borax in the water. Lubing and preventing borer at the same time, and avoid having to brush the borax on latter. So I looked it up and someone had that idea already. But then I spoke to a bloke who believed it wouldn't work because the borax when cold is in a crystal state which would get everywhere in your mill. But then other blokes, who have been doing it for decades says mixing it in is a good idea ????
So, I'm trying to work out the truth. Are the blokes who have been mixing the borax in the band sawmill lube for decades, been doing it unnecessarily and simply can't face being wrong. Doing it for decades because it made sense…became a habit and just kept doing it…and now can't admit it because of the fear of looking a fool doing something wrong for decades.
OR….
They have actually been doing it for decades because it actually works.
******
And love to hear from a bloke who has successfully avoided chemicals altogether in borer prevention. Especially the use of camphor. Because as you know camphor annoys the pests. Line, say blanket boxes, with it. Because if it works, all I'd have to do, is screw camphor offcuts into the walls of my timber storage area and never have to worry about skin irritation again…..hang camphor from the ceiling. Stick it in every little nook and cranny.
Solve anyone thinking my timbers full of chemicals as well, and get alarmist , even though borax (apparently) is really harmless .
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17th September 2014, 10:12 AM #17GOLD MEMBER
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No on the camphor. Maybe a pyrethrin spray might work for you? - again all natural, low toxicity etc etc. Not that theres anything wrong with the camphor idea because it should work but something you can spray on would seem easier if it doesn't burn you.
Yes to it working. We use it as an overspray on just about everything here thats not proceeding directly to pressure treatment, as well as diffusion treating the cabinet timbers with it. Trust me - it works, and I've got the "full of holes because it didnt get sprayed" packs to prove it. Lyctid susceptibility is misleading... borers seem to love some species more then others and I'll swear that once it warms up the little buggers are strung out behind me like in the Pied Piper story when I walk into the scrub with a chainsaw. Borers are active in the mill yard but we have no issues with borers, termites, or other insect pests in the shed. Borates are also antifungal which is why we spray it on the class 1 hardwoods, otherwise they get a green slime stuff on them that doesn't affect the timber but makes it harder to sell. Except for H3 treatment on some rainforest scantling species the only insect and fungal control I use is borates, and with the $ tied up in timber here I'd be crazy not to use a product I feel confident with.
I don't know about putting borates into the mill water on a band (or any other saw). Theoretically I guess it should work but I suspect that you'd have issues because either the solution has to be weak or when it cools it will settle out and clog up the lines possibly. I also doubt you could effectively get enough borate onto the timber - most of that water is carried out the cut with the sawdust I'd imagine. Personally I'd suggest that if you're going to do it do it well, and spray it on or dip it so that the timber gets thoroughly wet. To my mind once you've spent the money to saw the log not doing everything you can to keep pests out.
If your timber storage area is enclosed enough to line it with camphor effectively would you be able to just shut a door and let one of those household bug bombs go on it occasionally? Most of those are pyrethroid based now I believe, and it would treat your timber surface and maybe have some residual effect without you having to actually handle the chemicals in their "wet" state.
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17th September 2014, 03:30 PM #18
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17th September 2014, 11:35 PM #19
Appreciate your thoughts. I like your ideas.
Was Kinda hoping to avoid all chemicals. Even bug bombs. This decision might bite me latter… but uno.
It occurred to me today, that I could make the stickers out of camphor. Separate the boards with camphor. That way Camphors right on every board. Don't think camphors got much in the way of tannins for staining the boards too…..so hoping that'll be a simple solution. Just rip up the stickers out of doggy camphor slabs….. But I have no idea how well it will work….uno, how close the camphor really has to be to the timber your protecting to be effective (?).
Another one I was thinking about is Ventilation. Maybe something you've noticed helping in some way. I've avoided mould problems repeatably with simply fanning the stacks. Which has been great keeping mould off jacaranda and camphor. Just cheapo $12 fans. And fans draw very little electricity. Maybe that could work with avoiding borer as well ?
Have you ever noticed that timber stacks in more ventilated areas attract less borer ? …… Guessing it might be a hard one to deduce if your in the habit of treating the timber. That be a good one for me if that was true.
Hoping the best chemical free prevention will simply be camphor stickers and fanning the stacks.
cheers
Jake
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28th September 2014, 10:06 PM #20SENIOR MEMBER
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Just spotted this thread and thought I would chime in. A good mate of mine was working for a pest controller doing termite treatment. One of the eco friendly products they used was some Boron based treatment. The stuff is being used commercialy for termite treatment (this was in Hervey Bay) so it must be ok. The installers would just soak some material in this liquid and place it in the ground/around pipes etc. They did it with bare hands.
Does anyone remember making slime in school with borax and PVA?
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7th October 2014, 12:20 PM #21SENIOR MEMBER
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I use soluble oil , seems to make the blade work easily , need to spray for pests , or cut more timber to feed them , cheers Bob
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