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Fungus Attack


knots

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I just discovered a fungus growing on the bottom of my anvil stump. The stump and anvil were stored up off of the floor on a dolly and in a dry environment. It is a new stump so there must have been some residual moisture. I have treated it with a fungicide to stop the immediate infection however am looking for a treatment that will cure the problem permanently. In the past I would have treated it with CCA but that option no longer is available. Any Suggestions ?

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There are a couple of interesting products available down under. They are: Preschem No-Rot sticks, and TWA Woodcare No Rot Rods. They are used by drilling a 40mm deep hole, inserting the rods/sticks and closing the hole with a dowel.

Even though these products appear not to be available in the US, they suggest a possible treatment option. After treating the stump with whatever anti fungal agents, toxic waste, and other agents I can find I will drill holes in the stump, pack the holes with boric acid crystals and dowel the holes closed.

In the meantime I will continue to seek expert advice. mcbruce - Can you send me the name of the guy in the picture I need some one with experience to get this thing back under control ? BTW thanks for the flame thrower idea.

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I would suggest two relatively non-toxic solutions... dish detergent and propylene glycol. I have used dish detergent solutions to soak spoon blanks and turnings to minimize cracking and it also keeps fungus at bay. I like to use Dawn but I think any brand would work. Propylene glycol is available in some auto antifreezes and in anti freeze for RV winterizing. It is pretty low in toxicity and will replace the bound water in wood cells helping to prevent shrinkage and fungal activity (it's also anti-bacterial). If you get it dry enough the fungi will die... but the log may crack severely too.

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I would suggest two relatively non-toxic solutions... dish detergent and propylene glycol. I have used dish detergent solutions to soak spoon blanks and turnings to minimize cracking and it also keeps fungus at bay. I like to use Dawn but I think any brand would work. Propylene glycol is available in some auto antifreezes and in anti freeze for RV winterizing. It is pretty low in toxicity and will replace the bound water in wood cells helping to prevent shrinkage and fungal activity (it's also anti-bacterial). If you get it dry enough the fungi will die... but the log may crack severely too.


I currently have 3 gallons in my store room and a container of joy. This sounds like a reasonable approach. However one clarification ?

Do you mix the joy and antifreeze, using the joy as an agent to make the antifreeze soak in better, or are you suggesting the use of one or the other alone. I kind of like the idea or using the joy as a surfactant in solution with the antifreeze to increase penetration. A tad of fungicide could be added to the solution as well. Even if I do soak the stump I still think I will pack a few holes with borac acid crystals for good measure.

Thomas - No pets around here. But a very good point to make.

ONR - My stump is no longer edible.
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Oh boy! I would hate to advocate mixing the two products as I have NO IDEA what might result. Either is a sufficient approach.

The dish detergent is now fairly established as treatment for woodturners who work with green wood. Most dilute it with plain water at least 1 to 1 (water to detergent). Some will froth the mix to suds and then just brush the suds on the surfaces... I believe this approach to be less effective than soaking. Once soaked for a few days the wood can be removed from solution and allowed to dry. This is anti fungal and anti bacterial but with such low toxicity to humans and pets that you need have little worry.

The Propylene Glycol is NOT the same as the most common auto anti-freezes (which are more commonly ethylene glycols) in addition many of the propylene glycols sold for autos have newly developed and complex additives in them... so I think it better to get the type sold for RV water system winterization... which is deliberately designed to be non-toxic and often also tasteless (should help keep the pets out... and alive even if they sneak in there).

Ron Kent, who is known for his translucent turning techniques, has a bit on his web site about his use of dwd (dishwater detergent) to stabilize wood turnings here:http://www.ronkent.com/techniques.php

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