Sealing Log Ends | A Recipe For Preservation | Michael Dutton

Hi World, its me again (Michael, although known as Misha to friends)

I post these recipes here freely for everyone to use, and hopefully the knowledge will be passed on to future generations. These recipes are not intended for personal profit or gain but are freely given to the general public to empower them with the knowledge to maintain their own timber products at lower cost and higher quality than commercial products. The added satisfaction of carrying out the whole process by ones self is also very rewarding.

I have a wealth of knowledge stored in my head, and as i will not live forever, i would like to pass on this knowledge to others and hope that in turn they will also pass it on. I do this not for profit but for the benefit of others, after all there are no pockets in a funeral shroud.

Well heres another recipe for the preservation of your Log Cabin or Log Home that address’s the problem of water wicking into the log ends or through notches and thus promoting the risk of rot. The water penetrates the logs through capillary action and if not permitted to dry out then rot will set in making for costly repairs. This recipe will seal the ends of the logs and completley prevent water penetration, and if used during a construction then applying to the notches will also prevent water penetration at this point also the recipe is very similar to the hard wearing finish that i posted earlier, however this is aimed at preventative mesures to increase longevity of the log life.

2 liters mix;
1. 600 grams of raw linseed oil
2. 500 grams Gum Turpentine (The real stuff)
3. 60 grams Beeswax
4. 60 Grams Carnauba Wax
5. Pigments if required (Natural Earth Pigments)

Method;
Melt the wax in an old saucepan. One melted remove from heat and slowly pour in the Gum Turpentine. Pour the Linseed oil in an recycled 2 liter plastic bottle followed by the Wax and Gum Turpentine mix. Close bottle and shake vigourously. As the liquid cools the waxes will partly solidify, but this is not a problem.

Application;
Heat the mix in a metal paint kettle or saucepan. You will know when the mix is ready as it will change from a thick creamy liquid to a smooth runny liquid. Apply to the log ends (and notches if a new build). If pigmented it may be applied to the whole log to give an even colour. Use an Oil Sash brush to apply the mix and blend into the grain ends. If along the log length then long even strokes to dissipate brush marks and spread evenly. If mix in container starts to thicken again, then reheat a little. Mix will thicken when applied to the logs, but is easily spread with the sash brush. Apply on a dry day. The downside to this recipe is that it may take a while to dry, from 48 hours to 7 days depending on the climatic conditions. Windy days are best for drying as the oil needs lots of oxygen to polymerise and dry. The wax will harden more as the oil drys and the gum turpentine evaporates from the mix. Re-apply the mix once every 15 to 20 years, although intermittent application of Linseed Oil mixed with Gum Turpentine (70 parts Linseed Oil and 30 parts Gum Turpentine) does no harm and is very healthy for the wood.

The good thing about this mix is that the carnauba wax is very hard when dry, so unless you have insects with pneumatic drills they will not get past the Carnauba wax as it is almost as hard as concrete when dry, although it can be buffed and polished once applied in several layers. Carnauba Wax is one of the hardest waxes known to man and is a totally natural wax from the surface of palm tree leaves. It is also a main ingredient of many other products such as Car polish, floor polish and others to name but a few.

Well I hope that this recipe is of use to Cabineers out there.

Regards

Misha (Michael)
The Tsarina Imperial Dacha Company in Scotland

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