Thread: Gallipoli Pine

You can use any of the plant mould stuff you can get at the hardware/nursery. Don't use bleach or chlorine

That blue stuff can be really pretty as long as you don't let it get out of hand. Maybe it could be used to your advantage somehow?

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Luke

Zinc salts are another option. They're colorless and if you can get some zinc acetate it'll stop any fungus type critter in its tracks. Desenex foot power, zinc undecylenate, would also work. Don't use zinc chloride (corrosive) or zinc oxide (water insoluble) though.

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

That blue stuff can be really pretty as long as you don't let it get out of hand. Maybe it could be used to your advantage somehow?

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Luke

Cheers Luke. There is already a section of stain running through the log, I think from a broken branch. I will try and make a feature of that.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

You can use any of the plant mould stuff you can get at the hardware/nursery. Don't use bleach or chlorine

Originally Posted by rob streeper

Zinc salts are another option. They're colorless and if you can get some zinc acetate it'll stop any fungus type critter in its tracks. Desenex foot power, zinc undecylenate, would also work. Don't use zinc chloride (corrosive) or zinc oxide (water insoluble) though.

Thanks Neil and Rob, I have some of that mould killer that I bought for the mango blossoms, Mancozeb I think it is called.
Another product I have in the shed is "Wet and Forget" for killing mould and mildew on concrete, I wonder how that would go.

I hope to slice the log up today. It will be good to see what it looks like. Pretty plain I suspect, but the sentimental value is priceless.

Originally Posted by Ironwood

..Another product I have in the shed is "Wet and Forget" for killing mould and mildew on concrete...

Basically just weak bleach/chlorine sort of mix, so not too good for the timber, didn't work to well on my paving either

Ok, thanks for that Neil, I'll give that stuff a miss. Will use the other stuff I got for the mangoes. I didn't get a chance to cut the log, the sun was out for the first time in two weeks, so I fired up the mower and mowed the lawn. Will get to the log tomorrow .

Originally Posted by Ironwood

...the sun was out for the first time in two weeks.. .

I wee bit steamy too I would imagine

OK, I got most of the log cut up. I broke it down into a few shorter lengths with the Stihl 023, but couldn't cut the last piece because the pull starter bvggered up inside, so I left it as is, just knocked the bark off. Not sure what I will do with that piece yet.
It is the bit in the first photo, about 130mm diameter x about 400 long.
The lower part of the trunk had quite a few grubs, I am wondering if they caused the tree to die, or they came along afterwards. The tree seemed to die from the bottom up, the lower branches went brown and slowly worked up to the top over a couple of months.

I cut quite a few pen blanks, as I think this will be the most benefit from the timber. The other bits were left as you can see in the photos, maybe a few small boxes out of them.

I gave it all a good dunk in a bucket of the fungicide solution, hopefully it will stop more blue stain from forming, as you can see there is a fair bit already happening in the timber.

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Looking good. Yes shame the blue stain has already got in. It doesn't take long unfortunately in most of the pines and other light softer woods

Some bark beetles bring the blue-stain fungus with them when they infest a live tree. Other beetles (primarily) are attracted to dying trees.
While you cannot undo the blue stain, drying the wood will effectively stop the spread. Fungi need moisture to thrive.
The epidemic of Mountain Pine Beetle in BC has left us with 18,000,000 ha standing dead pine which isn't worth the gas money to cut down.
I've built a few things (gun cabinet, book cases, wet bar) as the stain contrast was quite appealing.

I found it cuts funny (powders), drills funny, glues poorly and looks like Hello (dirty) when covered with any and all transparent finishes that I've tried.
I run a compressed wood pellet stove to heat my home (2 x 1200sqft) for the winter. Burn about 10,000lbs or less. Just went through 2 tons of
pellets, maybe 50% bug wood (as we call it.) Damn dirty burn to clean out every 500lbs.

I'm told that the mechanical properties are the same as clear wood. Very hard to believe.

I like the look of your pieces which show some clear and some stained wood.

Thanks RV. I am sorry to hear of all those Pines of yours dying.

I am not too displeased about the stain that is already there, it has given a bit of character to an otherwise fairly bland looking timber, but I hope it doesn't get worse.

The appeal of this timber is not from its looks, but the history behind the tree. Most people in Australia would know of the "Lone Pine" and its significance, but I will add this link for a bit of reading for anyone who wants to brush up on the history of it.
There is plenty more out there on the internet as well.

Australian War Memorial's Lone Pine a living memorial to Anzacs - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)