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+--- Thread: preserving Ohia logs (/showthread.php?tid=11974)
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preserving Ohia logs - unknownjulie - 05-27-2013
Is there something you can put on Ohia logs to help preserve them from all the rain? I have a few left over from the bulldozing and would like to save them for future use. How about Strawberry Guava? Same thing? thanks
RE: preserving Ohia logs - Carey - 05-27-2013
Unless the bark was stripped from the ohia when they were felled, it is a bear to strip the bark from ohia that have been down for a bit....but could be a great summer project for adolescents...
The best thing is to get them off of the ground, stacked log house style (alternating direction) & KEPT DRY.... if for firewood, that is the end of the work
Next step is if these are for long term use - no need if you do not care if they are gone in a few years....
If you want them to last for years & If they are to be used for construction, & will be weather protected.... after THOROUGHLY dry (months of being kept bone dry, esp if in elevated temps) treat with a borate solution to resist termites (they do chomp both woods) Adding a clear wood preservative is always a good finish after...esp one that has a mold/mildew inhibitor.... if not weather protected, they most be treated with a water/moisture inhibitor to reduce rot & decay....
RE: preserving Ohia logs - unknownjulie - 05-27-2013
OH wonderful. thanks! Do you dump 20 muleteam borax in water to make the borate solution? Keeping them bonedry will prove a challenge!
RE: preserving Ohia logs - unknownjulie - 05-27-2013
What about turpentine with lindseed oil or something like that?
RE: preserving Ohia logs - Carey - 05-27-2013
Boric acid is what I meant - I have been using this solution recently, as our "after build" spray to ward of the termites that fly about, and borate is used as a buffer, not the insect ridder - and so "borate" was on my mind...:
http://naimamanal.hubpages.com/hub/Termite-Treatments-The-Homemade-Way
For initial treatment, either buy BORIC ACID (my bad!) solution from the hardware store or use this recipe (JoMax is the brand most have):
Dissolve 4 tbls boric acid in 1 cup boiling water
add to 1 gal. propylene glycol (this encourages the solution to penetrate the wood
put in a garden sprayer and saturate wood, let dry (we have also built trough soakers for larger wood, just to make sure they are well treated!)
ADDED:
OK, that is a recipe I had, but it seems there are MANY different Boric Acid for termite protection recipes, these links have a few more (with different formaulas for higher & lower treatment rates):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gdiy/message/3694
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=26317.0
RE: preserving Ohia logs - kalakoa - 05-28-2013
Home Despot sells the borate solution in 1-gallon "ready to use".
As the logs start to dry, paint the ends with whatever "spare" latex paint you have laying around, this basically equalizes the drying, so the ends don't split.
A cheap "PVC-and-clear-tarp" greenhouse will speed the drying process.
Waiwi needs to be peeled immediately after cutting, and brought in from "the field", the bugs attack it much more quickly than the ohia, trees that bear fruit have sweeter wood.
RE: preserving Ohia logs - unknownjulie - 05-28-2013
Oh, good idea about the paint. I currently have the logs sitting up on rocks, but will work on preserving them. It sounds like I cant just throw turpentine on them, but isnt turpentine similar to the creosol they use on the telephone poles? The creosol also looks like "roofing tar" to me. IS it similar? It seems to preserve the telephone poles fairly well.
RE: preserving Ohia logs - unknownjulie - 05-31-2013
I bought the copper stuff at ACE hardware, just because I had the kids with me and couldnt really imagine having to mix something up myself. I was going to dump some borax in it, but got distracted by the kids, and didnt even purchase that. So..... The copper stuff it is, and I'll let people know how it works and how it holds up. I'll probably just use the logs for some kind of tarp/shade structure for right now. Thank you Carey for the details on the other option. That actually sounds much nicer, and wont color the wood green, but I just dont have the time right now to mess with it.
RE: preserving Ohia logs - Carey - 05-31-2013
Julie, if the copper formulation you purchased is an alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) or copper azole (CA) preservative, be aware that these formulations are highly corrosive to standard steel & galvanized fasteners. You will need to purchase fasteners that can handle the corrosive nature of that formulation if you are building things with these logs, if you want the fastenings to last for more than a few short years (which I kinda think you are, otherwise, why would you be preserving the wood) (we found this out with our metal house, the corrosive nature is enough to cause damage to the house structure....so we are careful not to use that treatment near our house...
I doubt that they are still selling CCA (Chromate copper arsenic), but I would definitely check the label if you are not sure, but most likely not, as that was pretty much removed from the local market a few years ago, due to the arsenic leaching potential
RE: preserving Ohia logs - unknownjulie - 05-31-2013
OH thankyou. I'm at this point just putting up a "shade tipi" type structure. I like to build stuff using levers and without any fasteners. Just super simple. Will have stuff leaning on each other a certain way. Will prob just use deck screws to attach some plastic sheeting. Just temporary, Might do something else later on!