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Sawdust in the van

John Torchick

John Torchick

Joined
Jan 24, 2010
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Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
Our turning chapter had a Turn-&-Learn session with mentors and newbies like me. Learned a lot and need to get turning! Anyway......a member had several pieces of cherry he was giving away. I got three pieces and put them in my van. I forgot about them (senior moment?) and got them out yesterday. I noticed little piles of fine sawdust on the carpet and on the bark. I put them on some old 2x4s outside. Is this something to be concerned about? Unwanted critters?:confused: Don't want to get them in the house or in my other wood. Also, do you turners store wood inside or outside or both? Thanks in advance for your help.
 
Sawdust

Sounds like powder post Beatles. All wood that is not kiln dried should be stored outdoors. You can bring all kinds of things into your home including termites when wood warms up. I have on several occasions found a termite colony in a log I had ripped.
 
Yep, that's what it is. They need to die. Put them in a plastic bag with moth balls and it will take care of them. They will infest other woods if you stack them together.
 
I put them outside. I have some 5 gal. buckets that might hold the three pieces. I'll make sure I have a supply of moth balls. How long should I leave them in the buckets? Thanks for the advice.

Dean, we don't get quite that cold here in SE TN. Lived in Cincinnati where it got to -31 below.
 
John I've never actually done it but if I remember correctly my friend did it for 24 hours. He had a finished piece and didn't want to try any of the more drastic measures like Microwave or freezing.
 
John Torchick said:
I put them outside. I have some 5 gal. buckets that might hold the three pieces. I'll make sure I have a supply of moth balls. How long should I leave them in the buckets? Thanks for the advice.

Dean, we don't get quite that cold here in SE TN. Lived in Cincinnati where it got to -31 below.
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Two weeks good. One week probably good. Put the moth balls in a tin lid, because they might go through some plastics. Carries other handling cautions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naphthalene I use it to keep critters out of the garbage cans.

Frass may be your "sawdust," or it might be wood dust, depending on critter. http://www.upcrc.com/guides/wdamage/dwood.htm is a worthwhile look. As is http://www.livingwithbugs.com/damage_tb.html . Places where the ground freezes deep, like here, are termite free, but have to suffer through what we are suffering now. Russians called it "bezdorozh'e" - no road season. Ground frozen six inches under, water lying on top six deep. Makes a gravel road a real thrill. http://mlook.tv/Lppv-2e_Nl8/off_road_sibir_bezdorozhe_sibiri.html
 
I am not sure, but borax powder works as well, and doesn't smell. They track it in, and it kills them. I think a 'mix' of sorts is available at most big box stores. Old timers used to use diesel fuel on the myrtle wood, but I don't think I would try that one. They might also drown if you sank the logs in water. If you turn it and chase the holes with thin CA glue, that does the jog pretty well also.

robo hippy
 
MichaelMouse said:
... Frass may be your "sawdust," or it might be wood dust ...
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I was about to mention the same thing that it wouldn't be sawdust unless they are toting around little battery powered saws. :D

robo hippy said:
I am not sure, but borax powder works as well, and doesn't smell. They track it in, and it kills them ....
Click to expand...

Maybe for the type of critters that traipse in and out and don't wipe their feet. For borers like powder post beetles that spend most of their existence tunneling, they seem impervious to everything that I have tried.

I did once incorporate one of these beetles as a deign element in a platter. I flooded the area first with thin CA to glue everything in place and then encapsulated the critter in thick CA. It was next to the rim of the platter and made for an appetizing conversation piece. At least, it was better than "juicing" my face shield.
 
Bill, hope you didn't serve hors d'oeurves on that platter! :eek:
MM, I keep the moth balls in gatorade containers and have had no problems. I'll keep the moth balls in them and put the container in the bucket. I'll put plastic wrap over the bucket before snappipng on the lid. That should be, as my grandfather would say, Little bit good, a whole lot a dxxx sight better.
 
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Just a few points:

"Moth Balls" made from para-dichlorobenzene (or formerly naphthalene) are volatile fumigants that require the material to "evaporate" (actually, sublimate) and contact the insects with the PDB vapor; para-dichlorobenzene is a neurotoxin and should be treated as a toxic chemical, and inhalation of the vapor should be avoided. The atmosphere needs to be fairly concentrated with the chemical (i.e. in an enclosed container) for it to work effectively. I would make sure there was sufficient time for the fumigant to work, particularly if the vapor needs to permeate through lots of wood. A week or more at typical room temperature would increase the chances of getting deeper penetration of the vapor into the wood, but realistically there will be a limit as to how much vapor penetration there is, which will also vary by wood species and thickness.

Borates need for the material to contact the insects directly, making their use against wood-boring insects somewhat questionable. I am not sure I would rely on insect movement to distribute enough of the borax powder to make it very effective. This might work for ants or cockroaches, but I'm not sure beetle larvae would be very good borax powder carriers!

By the way John, if "Happiness is sawdust on the floor.", then what's the problem? ;)

Rob
 
Nice thing about using the volatiles is that they will totally dissipate after you're done treating.
 
John,
I know shavings make you happy, so I've attached a picture showing the result of rough turning just one bowl of fresh, green poplar, to make you ecstatic. Admittedly, I had to take more off the top due to the pith remaining from a poor chain saw cut, but still, it's a blast. Highly recommended.

Dean
 

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Dean, I'm drooling down the front of my shirt. That is a lot of wood on the floor. You could glue it together and make a sheet of OSB.:p
 
Down the road a bit is a kiln that treats wood that will be used for pallets. Because they will be sent worldwide they have to really heat treat them to kill all bugs. I had a neighbor that took down some old oak barn beams he wanted to use for trim in his house but they had powder post beetles in it. They gladly put it in a corner of the kiln and solved his problem.

Dave F.
 
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