thanks roger for all the good advice , i'll save ,use and share it :)sharon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Pye" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 8:39 PM Subject: Re: Prep container
> Dave Robison wrote: > > > We make a wooden box from scrap lumber, it's not even round. Seems to > > work ok. I have made a "barrel" in the past, rip a bevel on a bunch of > > wooden slats and band them together into a cylinder. Using regular > > (Doug fir) lumber, it's only good for about one season. So hasn't been > > worth the trouble. > > Douglas fir is very similar to Radiata (Monterey) pine, may even be the > same. When supplied by the lumber yard it is too high in water content, > usually around 12% if not more. Timber is a living substance so it > should reflect the prevailing ambient conditions. Coating with poly > products suffocates it through changing the composition of the outer 5mm > to a hard impenetrable surface, the inner wood slowly dries out, > crumbles, and the item falls apart. Softwoods rarely last more than a > few years if coated on all four sides. Paint (other than poly based), no > matter how many coats, protects timber and allows it to breathe. > > Pine may be seasoned with sodium bicarbonate dissolved in tepid water, > one tablespoon to 750ml (medium sized dog food can), stir well, apply > with a 4" brush, one coat is enough. The bicarb dries the timber by > driving water out of the cells. There's also an actual colour change to > yellow. Allow to dry (doesn't take long). Coat it on all sides with a > 70/30 mixture of gum turpentine and boiled linseed oil. (That is, 70% gt > + 30% oil. Linseed oil comes in two sorts, boiled and raw. Don't use the > raw, it doesn't dry out.) Use a 2" brush and then rub in with a > lint-free cloth. Allow to dry 24 hours. Seal with a beeswax polish. > > Gourds and pumpkins may be protected with the same turps/linseed oil mix. > > I've made caskets in the past for pets (deceased, of course) from > recycled cedar because it resists rot and soil organisms. Could be useful. > > roger > > >