Woodworm in spalted beech

[Kryten602]

About 2 years ago I placed in a large plastic box in my woodstore some 10" x 12" pieces of spalted beech, about 12 pieces varying between 3/4" to about 2" thick. I opened the box recently and found evidence of woodworm in some pieces. Aside from my stupidity in not taking better care ( I am a novice woodworker ) how can I tell if the danger has passed, how can I treat the affected pieces to kill any remaining offenders and having done so is the wood still useable and how best to finish the wood (Danish oil ?) if damaged pieces are useable for making say boxes for instance?
Would appreciate some advice from seasoned (pun maybe?) woodworkers as this beech tree has some sentimental value and I would like to be able to make something rather than burn it all.
Sincere thanks.
Howard

 

[pollys13]

I seem to remember seeing someone at carving class. Turning the timber upside and taping with a hammer, if they fall out and crawl around you still have a problem, or it might have been dust falling out think that mean't the same thing.

 

[ColeyS1]

Stick the pieces of wood in the freezer for a week or so.That will kill any that are still alive.

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[NazNomad]

Buy some Poundland superglue and inject as much as you can into the holes after you know the worm has gone. it'll stabilize any weakness left by the worm.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Stick the pieces of wood in the freezer for a week or so. That will kill any that are still alive.

It might, but the temperature drop must be rapid - the common furniture beetle can often withstand slow freezing. The freezer therefore must be capable of taking the temperature of the wood at its core down to at least -18ºC (-0.4ºF) within twenty four hours, and then this temperature has to be maintained for a minimum two week period. If the freezer can maintain temperatures as low as –30ºC (-22ºF) the treatment period, once the necessary temperature is reached, can be as little as three days. Slainte.

 

[ColeyS1]

That's some useful information ! I guess the thinner the wood, the more chance there is of successful death. I feel I should check my freezer drawer temperatures now !
I was given a large amount of oak that had several holes in. One thing I considered was placing it all in a room and lighting a few of those things that kill greenhouse bugs. If it didn't kill any, I was at least hoping to pi55 em off :lol:

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[pollys13]

Don't think worm are keen on dry wood.

 

[Kryten602]

Some very helpful advice thank you. I router planed them down to 1/2" thick and there seems to be no dust or activity when I tapped them. They are also completely dry so I think we are good to go. Very much appreciate the help, thanks again to all.

 

[NazNomad]

Some nice looking wood there.

 

[Kryten602]

Thank you Naz. There was one question I was going to ask. I built a box joint jig a while ago, so I thought I'd do box joints (dovetails are waaaay beyond my skills) and my Ryobi router has about 6 speeds. On a scale of 1 to 6 what setting should I use for this beech?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

The rule of thumb with router bits is the larger the diameter of the bit then the slower you should go. However, you're usually OK to go at 24000 RPM for bits up to an inch in diameter. Your straight box joint cutter won't be this big so it's safe to operate at 24k. This is likely to be what your speed setting 6 is but just check the manual to ensure the max speed setting is indeed within the safe range of the bit you're using (it almost certainly will be)

The next decision is whether or not that speed setting is so fast that it burns the timber. Go too slow and it will leave a scraggy cut. So you need to experiment with an off cut to see what finish is left by say.....speeds 4,5 and 6. Spalted beech can also get a bit soft and punky which would push you in the direction of faster. So mess around with the faster settings to see what works. Good edge but not burnt is the holy grail. Also factor in feed speed because that's a great contributor to burning. Don't hangout in one spot for any longer than is absolutely necessary and watch the corners in particular

 

[Kryten602]

Excellent advice thank you Bob. I'm using a 1/2" straight bit and I used a mid speed (3-4) for some 1/4" oak and that worked fine but this beech is a bit softer. I'll try some off cuts first as you suggest. Thanks for your help.

 

[nick winfield]

I think the holes in your oak are powder post beetle ,freeze or microwave or spay with insecticide , we use permethrin insecticide at work

 

[Kryten602]

Thanks Nick. I haven't seen any evidence in 3 weeks of any activity, including dust. After the it was router planed and had plenty with the palm sander which has serious vibrations, I still don't see anything. I do think the critter have fled. I've cut the box joints, glued it together and am just doing some of the finishing touches. Out of interest, does Permethrin affect the finish or colour? I was planning to give it 2 or 3 coats of danish oil when it's finished.

 

[nick winfield]

its what we call a micro emulsion ,clear doesn't colour the wood kills on contact worm coming out beetle laying eggs ,beetles\worm tend to come out in may

 

[Kryten602]

Thanks Nick - much appreciated.