A problem with my basswood stock!

[sandman]

I went to cut a piece of basswood to turn when I discovered some very disturbing evidence.

Teeny tiny pin holes, the largest about 1/32" and little piles of wood powder by every hole. :confused:

A web search of wood powder pinholes came up with an instant answer...POWDER POST BEETLE! :eek:

The little devils! :mad:

All of the solutions to this problem called for chemicals and sprays I did not want to use and since I will be turning them on the lathe, stuff I probably shouldn't breath.

So I experimented...

The first thing I tried was rubbing alcohol...it penitrates real well 'cause it has little or no surface tension and drys withing a few hours.

Well the results were immidiate! Hundreds of little tiny beetles coming out of all of the pin holes staggering and coughing...I was almost sure I could hear them coughing.

I called the pest control 800 number on the web site I found and talked to a tech. He insisted, "yea, that will kill them and they will probably die happy!"

Now that may not kill all of the larvae., but he did come up with a solution the make sure they don't come back.

Since I told them most of the stuff i turn will be under 13" or 14" lone put them in the microwave for a minute or two on high.

It works!

I immediately sent my wife to the local Dollar Store and at 2 bottles for $1 I think $8 just saved $180 worth of wood!

I told her to pick up some Margarita mix too...just in case. ;)

So from this day forward all basswood parts ordered from Roachwerks will be have all the pin holes filled and be microwaved before shipping!

[GregGleason]

I called the pest control 800 number on the web site I found and talked to a tech. He insisted, "yea, that will kill them and they will probably die happy!"



"I'm a sandman. I've never killed anyone. I terminate BEETLES when their time is up." Logan from "Logan's Run"

RoachBeetlewerks

[brianc]

LOL!

You could probably charge a premium to contest flyers - that stuff
is now much lighter! Wonder if there is a 'Beetle grade' basswood
or such. ;)

[jetlag]

Kind a like your own natural lightening holes drillers! :rolleyes:

[ghrocketman]

I actually like and EMBRACE chemicals that kill all but very few essential insects such as honeybees which I hate nonetheless but accept they are needed for pollination.
If I could still legally get it, I'd blast my home/shop area with DDT if I had the problem Sandman has.
Methoxychlor is almost as good, which no longer can be legally produced. Last I checked it was still ok to use up existing stocks. Short of that, Vapona (dichlorvos) is still available if one knows where to get it.
As one could probably guess, I'm not a very big fan of any mamby-pamby"alternative" or "green" supposed pesticide solutions. I like the atom-bomb approach to dealing with bugs ! :D

[sandman]

I actually like and EMBRACE chemicals that kill all but very few essential insects such as honeybees which I hate nonetheless but accept they are needed for pollination.
If I could still legally get it, I'd blast my home/shop area with DDT if I had the problem Sandman has.
Methoxychlor is almost as good, which no longer can be legally produced. Last I checked it was still ok to use up existing stocks. Short of that, Vapona (dichlorvos) is still available if one knows where to get it.
As one could probably guess, I'm not a very big fan of any mamby-pamby"alternative" or "green" supposed pesticide solutions. I like the atom-bomb approach to dealing with bugs ! :D

When I turn stuff on the lathe there is a lot of sawdust...hense the name "Sandman".

Unfortunately I have to breath that same air.

Right now my shop smells like a hospital.

Not great but I can breath it.

I may use a bug bomb or two "just in case".

[ghrocketman]

I could see how breathing the air full of sawdust created from wood treated by what I call "good" insecticides (that the enviro-whackos call bad) could be hazardous to your health. Use of a good residual insecticide (of which there are hardly ANY around anymore) at all cracks/baseboards/openings inside and out of the structure without actually treating the wood most likely would prevent FUTURE infestations. I definitely would NOT use any of the good old pesticides directly on wood that is to be machined.
While I do not mind casual exposure to what some term "hard" pesticides, I certainly would NOT be breathing them into my lungs in particulate form.

[luke strawwalker]

I actually like and EMBRACE chemicals that kill all but very few essential insects such as honeybees which I hate nonetheless but accept they are needed for pollination.
If I could still legally get it, I'd blast my home/shop area with DDT if I had the problem Sandman has.
Methoxychlor is almost as good, which no longer can be legally produced. Last I checked it was still ok to use up existing stocks. Short of that, Vapona (dichlorvos) is still available if one knows where to get it.
As one could probably guess, I'm not a very big fan of any mamby-pamby"alternative" or "green" supposed pesticide solutions. I like the atom-bomb approach to dealing with bugs ! :D

Agree GH...

I've had lots of balsa fins and stuff come with those tiny holes in them... never really seemed to be a problem-- they fill well with Elmer's CWF...

At any rate, good to hear your wife saved your wood, Sandman... :)

Later! OL JR :)

PS... I preferred Chlordane...

[ghrocketman]

CHLORDANE ????
Sheesh !!!
That stuff made DDT seem like powdered sugar; FAR nastier lasting effects to HUMANS than even Dieldrin or Aldrin. Of course the same idiots in the EPA (the absolute FIRST gubmint agency I would completely SHUT down if I was in command) that banned new production of DDT for consumer use in 1972 allowed Chlordane to be produced for consumer use through 1988.
DDT is actually VERY low on human toxicity whereas Chlordane is very HIGH in human toxicity. Boo-F'n-Hoo that DDT supposedly (the data even on that was CRAP) thins eggshells as long as it REALLY kills bugs for a LONG time.
In the 40's and 50's there was actually a COCKTAIL that contained DDT. It was called the Mickey Slim (NOT Mickey Finn) that considted of a pinch of DDT in two jiggers of chilled Gin.
Amazing what bars could legally serve patrons back then, and amazing how STUPID the customers were. Most laws back then were not hell bent on protecting the moronically stupid either nor were there GESTAPO like drinking and driving laws either.
The effect was supposedly like that of drinking Absinthe, which was banned at the time.
While I have absolutely ZERO fear of DDT used properly or even as a dusting powder on humans, I CERTAINLY would not willingly drink that crap to catch some sort of idiotic enhanced buzz.

[blackshire]

I went to cut a piece of basswood to turn when I discovered some very disturbing evidence.

Teeny tiny pin holes, the largest about 1/32" and little piles of wood powder by every hole. :confused:

A web search of wood powder pinholes came up with an instant answer...POWDER POST BEETLE! :eek: -SNIP- The first thing I tried was rubbing alcohol...it penitrates real well 'cause it has little or no surface tension and drys withing a few hours.

Well the results were immidiate! Hundreds of little tiny beetles coming out of all of the pin holes staggering and coughing...I was almost sure I could hear them coughing.

I called the pest control 800 number on the web site I found and talked to a tech. He insisted, "yea, that will kill them and they will probably die happy!"

Now that may not kill all of the larvae., but he did come up with a solution the make sure they don't come back.

Since I told them most of the stuff i turn will be under 13" or 14" lone put them in the microwave for a minute or two on high.

It works!
Maybe a local lumber business that prepares pressure-treated lumber would (for a small fee) let you include large batches of basswood and balsa fin stock and blocks in the treatment chamber when they prepare batches of the lumber?

[DaveR]

Maybe a local lumber business that prepares pressure-treated lumber would (for a small fee) let you include large batches of basswood and balsa fin stock and blocks in the treatment chamber when they prepare batches of the lumber?
Not sure but I think pressure treated lumber contains Arsenic with the exception of the newer "Yellow Wood".

[sandman]

NEVER turn pressure treated wood on a lathe!

The alcohol seems to have worked...no evidence of adult or larvae.

Well none alive anyway. ;)

[ghrocketman]

Awww, c'mon noww....whats wrong with a lil' ARSENIC anyways? It came from the earth right, so it must be a good NATURAL element.

[sandman]

Awww, c'mon noww....whats wrong with a lil' ARSENIC anyways? It came from the earth right, so it must be a good NATURAL element.

So does asbestos!

[Shreadvector]

So does asbestos!

And so does a pyroclastic flow. http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/7153-volcanoes-pyroclastic-flow-video.htm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyroclastic_flow

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/west.indies/soufriere/govt/images/051296/volcano_5fps.mov

[DaveR]

NEVER turn pressure treated wood on a lathe!

That's what I thought....

[ghrocketman]

Haaaaaayyyyyy Nowwwwwwww !
There is NOTHING wrong with AsBESTos !
Anything with the word BEST in the name MUST be good...too many mamby-pambys worry about things like a lil' mesothelioma anyways.
AsBESTos is just like SmoKING....that is good too.

Too many people put FAR too large a premium on safety and wimp-out playing it safe; instead, people should EMBRACE the risk of hazardous materials !!! :cool:

As far as the pyroclastic flow goes- people that live near active volcanoes, earthquake zones, and coastal areas where flooding occurs or are of high probability of hurricane damage are FOOLS that need to have beau-coup $$$ insurance policies. I for one am SICK of my tax dollars subsidizing the dwelling area choices of those foolish enough to live in those areas.

No insurance ? TUFF ROXX, YOU LOSE, period !

[Shreadvector]

Haaaaaayyyyyy Nowwwwwwww !
There is NOTHING wrong with AsBESTos !
Anything with the word BEST in the name MUST be good...too many mamby-pambys worry about things like a lil' mesothelioma anyways.
AsBESTos is just like SmoKING....that is good too.

Too many people put FAR too large a premium on safety and wimp-out playing it safe; instead, people should EMBRACE the risk of hazardous materials !!! :cool:

How about chimpanzees as pets?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chimp%20attack%20photos&btnG=Google+Search

[ghrocketman]

If someone wants to risk having a Chimp as a pet they alone should assume ALL liability for having it and those it comes in contact with. If it MANGLES/MAULS/MUTILATES someone, don't look to the taxpayers to subsidize the treatment of the agrieved party, EVER.

Do I think it should be illegal ?
Nope; like most other things I don't think it should be even regulated other than the owner faces strict INDIVIDUAL liability for anything that happens.
If nobody is hurt other than some fool hurting themselves, no foul.
Betcha you can figure out how I feel about drinking and driving laws from that last statement.

[Shreadvector]

If someone wants to risk having a Chimp as a pet they alone should assume ALL liability for having it and those it comes in contact with. If it MANGLES/MAULS/MUTILATES someone, don't look to the taxpayers to subsidize the treatment of the agrieved party, EVER.

Do I think it should be illegal ?
Nope; like most other things I don't think it should be even regulated other than the owner faces strict INDIVIDUAL liability for anything that happens.
If nobody is hurt other than some fool hurting themselves, no foul.
Betcha you can figure out how I feel about drinking and driving laws from that last statement.

How about allowing people to refine and enrich uranium on their own property?

How about personal breeder reactors?

[ghrocketman]

Fred-
I believe in that ABSOLUTE right of innocent UNTIL proven guilty. Hence, I believe one SHOULD be able to do whatever one wants until it POSITIVELY has a DIRECT, permanent, adverse, irreversible, measurable, incontroversible, physical impact to one not involved in the activity.
Notice I did NOT say a GREATER chance or liklihood or leave any room for those sort of ASSumptions, it actually HAS to happen.
Short of that I would just as soon have a FREE-4-ALL, you mind YOUR bizzness and I will mind MY OWN with no need for anyone butting in.
In essence, I believe that one should be able to do WHATEVER THEY PLEASE on their own property without any buttinski interference. Don't like what I'm doing ? Don't participate, but mind your OWN bizzness.

[blackshire]

Not sure but I think pressure treated lumber contains Arsenic with the exception of the newer "Yellow Wood".They still use that? I thought a safer substitute had been developed. The residue on the pressure-treated lumber I've seen recently looks different from that on the lumber I used 20 years or so ago.

[DaveR]

They still use that? I thought a safer substitute had been developed. The residue on the pressure-treated lumber I've seen recently looks different from that on the lumber I used 20 years or so ago.
Yep, it's still available, at least here anyway (I was at Lowe's today during lunch). I think the safer substitute is "Yellow Wood" (surely you've seen the bad TV commericals) which is a quite a bit more expensive than CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) treated lumber. Regulation may vary from state to state, I dunno. :confused:

[jamjammer53150]

Something I nver could understand is

Burrying asbeostis ( or mecurery ) in a hole is contaminating the enviroment. Both substances are mined.

The oil thingie . How can a natural substance floating around in the ocean contaminate it ? it simply is not possible . The oil leak is a 100 percent organic (Green) substance . Just leave it be , the planet will heal itsself

[ghrocketman]

Usually the supposed "enviro friendly" alternatives are almost always beau-coup more expensive. Let the tree-hugging left-coast hippies have them. Gimme the good old, WORKS for the intended purpose, CCA treated "wolmanized' wood. Stuff burns great in bonfires too. :p

Jammer, I LIKE your attitude of the previous posting !

[jamjammer53150]

I have (Twitch) roas(Twitc(Twitch)h)ted marshmallows (Twitch) on bonf(Twitch)ires of treaten lunb(Twitch)er , and it didnt see(Twitch) to harm nme none

[blackshire]

Yep, it's still available, at least here anyway (I was at Lowe's today during lunch). I think the safer substitute is "Yellow Wood" (surely you've seen the bad TV commericals) which is a quite a bit more expensive than CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) treated lumber. Regulation may vary from state to state, I dunno. :confused:I don't watch TV, but yes, the "Yellow Wood" is the 'new' pressure-treated lumber I've seen.

[ghrocketman]

Jammer,
We can cure you of that chlordane/arsenic combo induced twitch with several other marvels of modern chemistry...
Let me introduce you to the line of numerous DDT related products that are known to modify that irritating twitch.... :chuckle: :p

Have you read the new helpful pamphlet: "Learning to accept and get along with TCDD, a beginners guide" :p

[chanstevens]

Wow, step away from the forum for a day and look what happens to the thread. Weren't we just talking about basswood and critters? Must be the fumes.

[sandman]

Wow, step away from the forum for a day and look what happens to the thread. Weren't we just talking about basswood and critters? Must be the fumes.

I'm stay out of it! :rolleyes:

[luke strawwalker]

Awww, c'mon noww....whats wrong with a lil' ARSENIC anyways? It came from the earth right, so it must be a good NATURAL element.

No problem with Arsenic so long as you aren't a moron... Oh, but wait, we're talking about 21st century American citizens-- nevermind, better ban the crap!

We sprayed DSMA and MSMA (disodium methanearsenate and monosodium methanearsenate) on cotton for YEARS over the top to control weeds, and never had any problems with it. In fact it was one of the safer and less noxious chemicals I used IMHO. It would take out a lot of grass weeds and psuedograsses like nutgrass (which isn't REALLY a grass but a sedge) which was nearly impossible to clean up with anything else. It would positively ROAST crabgrass in 3 days flat! It WOULD burn the cotton a little, but you generally used it in a light dose, followed by another light dose 3 days later. Worked great!

Yeah, Chlordane was hot, but IT WORKED! Only thing you could spray under a house or in barn and be VIRTUALLY GUARANTEED not to have any black widow spiders or such back for about 8-9 months at least...

Yella-wood treatment has replaced the old arsenic based pressure-treated wood chemicals-- apparently some idiots were worried about kids getting arsenic poisoning playing on treated wood playground equipment-- despite the fact that the kids would have to literally lick or chew on the wood constantly for DAYS to get detectable levels of arsenic in their system, to say NOTHING of hazardous levels... more kneejerk governmental stupidity... This new "yella-wood" crap is corrosive and will eventually eat up hardware attached to it from what I've read...

Heck, you can't even get creosote anymore... creosote wood was one of the ONLY things you could REALLY count on to preserve the wood! Plus it's made from burned tree resins themselves! BUT, oh no! It's DANGEROUS!!!! It's EVIL!!! IT MUST BE OUTLAWED!!!!

Hell, best cough syrup I ever used was Grandma's CREOMULSION-- ya know, that black minty cough syrup yer granny had back in the bathroom medicine cabinet?? I had some mess way down in my lungs and coughed for six months one year, never could shake it... stupid modern crap the Doc prescribed wouldn't dry it up... bout like taking sugar water... finally took Granny's advice and took the black Creomulsion... had the stuff dried up in a week!!! Of course they outlawed that too, and last bottle I bought was some red crap that was about like watered down Vicks 44, didn't work for crap and was no good. If I ever go back to Mexico I'm gonna see if I can get some down there, along with some Merthiolate, Mercurachrome, and some Peragoric... Man that stuff worked GREAT, but it's all outlawed by our moronic gov't...

Stepped on a nail that went through my foot and my other Granny recommended Icthammol... some kind of black ointment. Worked like a champ but hard to find!

Gotta go put some propane in my R-12 A/C in my tractor since the gov't pointlessly outlawed R-12...

Later! OL JR :)

[ghrocketman]

Luke,
You and I sound like we are on the same page regarding the gubmint regulating chemicals.
If the tree-huggers want to not use certain products, I'm all for that. Just dont force the same on ME. You mind your bizzness, I will mind my own.
I just will NEVER support them or the gubmint telling me that I can't be of same free will to choose to USE those products if I so choose.

Ya know there are ways to get things from mexico without actually travelling there....they have this thing called shipping.... :p

I think one not only would have to lick "wolmanized"/As pressure treated wood for weeks, but would also have to smoke the sawdust in a pipe to get As poisoning from it.
Knee-jerk mamby-pamby enviro-whacko left-coast fear-monger KOOKS drive me nuts.
To them I always say "Do as you dammed well choose with your little piece of the earth and allow me the same freedom to do the SAME !"

I get along well with most Texans I have met; most have had that same attitude about individual freedom with minimal gubmint intrusion.

The Creomulsion now available is almost exactly the same as the old formula; they added Dextromethorphan and got rid of the cherry root. Should work almost the same; the dextromethorphan would cause one to cough less, which may reduce ones coughing up the nasty stuff one is trying to remove from the lungs.