How best to preserve a Bog Fir rootplate

[difflock]

7 minutes ago, Macpherson said:

Just a thought....depending what the root is from it may be full of natural ' creosote ' if it was a pine I think these roots were dug out at one time and used to produce pine tar....but very nice anyway.

All the bog timber hereabouts is  referred to as "Fir", and from the fibrous stringy nature of the wood, clearly conifer of some sort.

over where I was born, it was all Oak.

mth

 

[Macpherson]

I would imagine that going back a long time Ireland and Scotland would have been inhabited with similar species.... on Rannoch moor for instance I know the roots of the ancient Caledonian pine forest can be dug out, so if it's old enough to be buried in a peat bog ....who knows.

I think the programme I saw about the pine tar was from  Scandanavia,   Cheers.

[difflock]

[difflock]

 

Edited February 25, 2019 by difflock

[wicklamulla]

yerra gas man Marcus, them pics are both interesting and funny.

[difflock]

I really really want to preserve the natural colouration, but that I presume means using vast quantities of resin*

Which, for 1 I resent paying for.

The other option is creosote which will leave it "near enough" but I will lose the pleasent reddish colour.

Or gallons of Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain, in Red Cedar perhaps

Or allow it to naturally oxodise to the silver grey such pieces exhibit in the various piles in the Moss.

*I could make up formwork and pour concrete to the rear, and only use the resin for the front, but that still leaves me with the surface finish issue as I do not imagine it would look right glassy smooth.

Having though as I typed the above, tending towards the Osmo solution, and I can still creosote the back for some economy.

Regards,

Marcus

P.S.

Ratman mentioned using oil somewhere above, thanks.

Edited February 26, 2019 by difflock

[Conor Wright]

Nice piece. You could try raw linseed oil (dries glossy as it self levels due to its slow drying) mixed with a dash of 'japan drier' a mix of naphta and cobalt, it adds sheen, speeds up the drying and hardens the gloss finish, but be wary of adding too much as it may darken the wood..
it's a technique I have never used myself so cannot advise on the finer details but it should be sufficient to hold the woods colour and add a shine at less cost than a resin bath.

[difflock]

Since the piece is very 3D and the finish is naturally rough, with bark still clinging on despite vigorous pressure washing, I  cannot cannot seek to achieve any sort of gloss or satin finish, I merely wish to preserve the natural reddish colour.

Anyone want to comment on the effect of using oxalic acid to restore the natural colour of timber, if it happenes to  oxodise on me before I get it sealed? 

Or how dry does it need to be before I start applying the Osmo oil product?

I would have thought it needed to the near the end of the summer, hence my concerns re oxodation.

regards,

Marcus

[Conor Wright]

Keeping it in the dark so it does.not bleach may help..
I wonder could you use an airless sprayer to apply a thin coat of lacquer?
I imagine it would need to be down to approx "firewood" levels of dryness ie 20% ish.. much more and It may discolour behind the finish.
Whatever you choose to do with it I hope it works, it's a top class piece! Much better on show than under the driveway!

[Gary Prentice]

On 25/02/2019 at 20:03, difflock said:

 

Nervous of letting it dry/get too dry though.

mth

I'm not sure that that would be much of an issue. I've some cypress root that was growing between the bricks of a small brick planter. I bought it home and threw it on the window sill. Full sunlight and a radiator below. 

 

I can't distinguish any ill effects of rapid drying apart from a few minor cracks originating from axe wounds incurred getting the root out.