green wood sealing

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markgum

markgum

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Apr 8, 2008
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Keenesburg, CO
I was talking to an old industrial arts teacher today. He suggested using "PEG" for sealing wood to prevent cracking and checking. He said he thinks it stands for Poly Ethylene Glycol (I'm not a chemist spelling expert..) He also said it could be illegal to use it now but he thought it might be antifreeze. He said it forces the water out and causes the wood to turn to a real hard almost plastic like texture. He said he saw it a lot in small / thin wood turnings. Just curious if anyone can confirm this and if it really is antifreeze?
thanks.
 
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PEG has many uses in the medical and food world. It can be found in many laxitives and is an ingredient in both toothpaste and Dr. Pepper. Your spelling was pretty good.

Rockler sells it in a 10 lb container.

It generally comes in the form of waxy flakes that you mix with hot water. You then soak the wood in it.
 
If you cut your green wood 7/8" X 7/8" and in long pieces you will not need to seal the wood. I've been cutting my wood for blanks like this for over 7 years, it might check a little on the ends but not much. After a month or so I cut them to blank size and let dry 2 months more. I have never sealed wood, I cut it green. Big pieces of wood can take a year or two to dry, small pieces dry much quicker.
 
Would not be using 'PEG,' Polyethylene Glycol for sealing wood you want to turn. In order to stabilize a piece of wood must submerge it in a PEG/water mix. PEG, permeates the entire piece of wood. Will find it hard to finish your turned project due to the PEG. Also there are cheaper alternatives. Rockler wants $41.99/ 10 lbs tub.

If you have to have a commercial product Anchorseal a wax emulsion which is cheaper and better end sealer than PEG. Same can be said for store brand "Green Wood End Sealer," available at most woodworking supply stores. You only dip or paint the ends of wood, not the entire piece. Normally $10.99/ qt, or $22./gal, 5 gal pails more economical for some folks.

Cheaper solutions are wood glue & water mix, canning wax, and latex paint.

End sealers allow escape of both free and bound water in a piece of wood, allowing it to reach MC for the area you live. Peg, essentially replaces water in wood with polyethylene glycol. I wouldn't even coat the ends of a piece of wood with PEG.
 
PEG is currently being used to stabilize a viking ship that was found at the bottom of the sea. The boat is sprayed with PEG for 24 hours a day, so that the wood will shed the water that it's holding ,and take on the PEG instead.

PEG is expensive though, isn't it?
 
Have seen and read about Elmer's white glue mixed with water and painted on end of logs. May take a couple of coats. Also seen yellow carpenter's glue used full strength.

Am partial to canning wax, latex paint, for wet wood depending upon size of log. If the log has been around for awhile, may or may not seal the ends when cutting pen blanks. I don't seal roughed out bowl blanks, prefer to put them in a brown grocery bag for awhile.
 
Instead of fussing with laxatives and Dr. Pepper (isn't it a laxative too?), just do it the simple way and buy some Anchorseal. That's what the professionals use. It is not expensive and goes a long way.
BTW, what is the problem with that PEG that makes you think it might be illegal?
 
Rifleman1776 said:
BTW, what is the problem with that PEG that makes you think it might be illegal?
Click to expand...

Te 'environmental' disposal of it is probably the hard part. Not sure what the true chemical properties would be once it has had a piece of lumber soaked in it for a few days, but I'm sure we can't just dump it down the storm drain..
 
Mark ...
1st. Thanks for the B'Day message.

2nd. Go to Steven Russell's website and read his excellent article on BOILING WOOD. I believe you will find the method to be right up your alley. I boil my green bowl/pen blanks prior to turning and have yet to have one of them split, check, crack, etc.

His site is here:
www.woodturningvideosplus.com/woodturning-education-articles.html

Look along the left side for BOILING WOOD. Read, re-read, and re-read again. Then try it for yourself.

I use a turkey fryer from Northern Handyman along with propane gas. No problems at all. Just remember to never use the pot for food again. Mine smells just like spalted wood and it has been scrubbed with everything under the sun. I always boil the same color wood together, i.e., dark with dark and light with light. I guess one could boil mixed and try to get a different color on the surface. Steven talks about the color changing only on the surface and not throughout the wood. I have never had a problem with wood changing in the least bit.

Oh yea, I would advise you to LEAVE THE PEG ALONE. :eek: It causes a hell of a problem when it comes to finishing anything. It saves the wood, BUT it makes finishing with most products impossible. I have never been able to get a wax finish to work after PEG was used. :mad:

If you follow Steven's directions closely I doubt that you will ever have a problem again with green woods - regardless of the species. I have been using his idea for several years and everything works perfectly. :biggrin:
 
Fred---I did the Boil your blanks thing last year.
It is be far the best thing I have ever seen for curing bowl blanks after roughing them down. I use a 20 galon drum full of water and a wood fire.
I buy Anchorseal in 5 gallon cans to seal logs with. I even go as far as taking it with me and seal the logs right when they are cut.
 
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