# Two slabs, two questions



## tinstar (Mar 5, 2014)

Hello all, I've spent the last couple of months lurking and reading. I'm sure this has been covered multiple times but these are my questions.

I have a slab of red oak that will be a live edge coffee table. It's roughly 2'x5'x2". My question is at what moisture content can I put a finish on it. I plan on a metal base so, no glue joints. It's about 18% as of today.

Second question, I have a slab of ash roughly the same size that seems to be infested with a wood boring beetle. They actually look more like wasps. Can this be treated? Or is this piece a waste of time? I'm not sure how many there could be but I've killed 3 adults and 3 larvae. 

Thanks in advance for your replies

Paul


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## cuerodoc (Jan 27, 2012)

Welcome to the forum!
For where we are in Texas, I think that you could try a finish on the oak. I know there are some that will disagree, but if you got it more dry, it'd still pick up moisture from the ambient humidity--so my vote is give a go!
As for the ash---if they're brightly colored--they're not wasps, actually a type of moth (borers), they just look mean. If you rub the wing of one, likely the color will come off (like with any moth or butterfly). There are carpenter bees too--some are metallic colored--but I've not seen them in Ash (but that's me). Just take your slab and put in plastic bag, add mothballs, and seal for a week or so. That should kill'em.


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

Correct, someone will disagree on the moisture content.
My experience on wild grained live edge woods is they will still tend to move (cup/twist/warp). I suggest getting the moisture content down to at least 10% ""Internal Moisture".
Your 18% moisture is likely a surface reading, and not a true internal measurement. You have to cut off a end and measure it to be sure of the pieces true reading. You could be closer to 25-30%.

On the bugs, a kiln at 130 degrees for 24 hours will kill any bug. Don't have access to a kiln? Either do I! So I make a makeshift kiln with a under desk space heater, cover the wood with a sheet of plastic like a pup tent, cut a vent hole in the top to let the moisture out, and put a thermometer in there to watch the temperature. Then let it cook . It's dry heat.
I routinely dry wood at 90deg f, and kick it up to 130-140deg f, for a solid day. About 3 days (at your current 18%) should do it.

So by kilning the wood, you are killing 2 birds(bugs) with one stone.


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## captainawesome (Jun 21, 2012)

I'd like to hear a little more about the makeshift kiln you make if you are willing. Got any pictures of the setup? I have some smaller pieces of green wood that I'd like to try and dry out myself if possible.


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

No pix's 
Sorry.

Simply it's a blue tarp with a small space heater and a thermometer. Moisture meeter for checking the end product.


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## ETWW (Mar 27, 2011)

DA told you right. 18% MC is too wet to apply a finish. The moisture in that board will continue to come out until it reaches EMC...probably around 8% inside your home this time of year. When that much moisture comes out, the finish comes off. Dry the slab until it's at 7% - 8% _throughout _and then finish it.

Heating that Ash plank to 132 degrees or higher for at least 4 hours will kill any bugs and their eggs. Alternately, you could treat it with something like Bora-Care but there is no guarantee it will be 100% effective. I would put it on the burn pile before those critters decide to re-settle in another piece of your wood.


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

Captainawesome
I should ad, that you don't dry fresh green wood in a kiln. 
It's too drastic of a change for it. 
I generally won't put any wood into a kiln until the surface moisture content is down below 20%. 25% if I want to chance cracking or other deformations.
I also start at a moderate temperature of no more than 80 degrees for a number of days. Then I check the m.c. and if it is progressing well, I'll kick up the temp.
Every species of wood has it's own capabilities in drying and I really don't know enough to comment on those points, I just play it slow.
Successes are mixed. I do have about an 80% success rate. That said, even the 20% will be used in some fashion or another.


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## fish-n-fins (Sep 14, 2010)

*simple kiln*

I fashioned a kiln out of crawl space vinyl- dehumidifier on one end, box fan on the other, rolled the seam over a board and clamped it on the ends- worked just fine- brought pictured slabs of oak to 7%- down from air-dried 14%. fnf


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## Da Aardvark (Oct 11, 2012)

Neet method of drying as well.^^^

His slabs have possible bugs, so he's going to either have to treat the wood with a bug killer or heat to over 130+ degrees for awhile.

Funny we haven't heard back since his first posting.


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## fish-n-fins (Sep 14, 2010)

I treated the wood with Timbor just after I stickered- air dried in the back yard for 3 years- no bugs. I did use a small space heater to warm the kiln... just in case :thumbsup:


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