A post on oak and woods
 

This is more or less about tomato stakes so I am posting this on the main tomato forum.

Some time ago someone here said they had oak stakes at tractor supply so I thought I would go down and see what they had.
The information at the stand said they won’t rot; well this is sort of true but no completely.
I looked and they had red oak and some what might be white oak, the thing is not all oak is alike some rots very fast and others not so fast.
White oak is one of the best of the oak woods for rot resistance and red oak is just the opposite.
Once white oak is brought down to about 5% moisture or less it will not take in any more moisture, red oak will.
So if any of you guys bought this stuff or use wood stakes you can easily prevent the wood from rotting so fast by soaking it in 1 part turpentine and 1 part pure Tung oil.
The only place I can find real pure Tung oil is a place on line call Real Milk paint company, Link [url]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.realmilkpaint.com%2Foil.html&ei=tIIkSum0LqGqtgeagu3mBg&usg=AFQjCNFLbyCv8cRSN79Z4AKr8nCP9aaVtQ[/url]
Don’t worry about the stuff harming your plants after the turpentine dries the Tung oil that is left behind is food safe so no worries about poisoning your self.
After you put the first coat on and let it dry you can use the Tung oil by its self from then on.
Just treat the wood real well every year with a few coats of Tung oil and wood should last for years to come.
This stuff is what I put on my gun stocks and furniture, the water just runs off and it’s much easier to repair a scratch than the cheap #$%^ stuff with poly you’re a something in it.


Worth

I used tung oil on outdoor wooden furniture, and I agree with you about its wood preserving properties. I've never heard the turpentine suggestion, though. What does it do to the wood to help preserve it?

Interesting, Worth. I use red oak and white oak stakes, too. But I coat mine with a mixture of Boiled Linseed oil and some of that "Polly you're a something" - about half and half. The "Polly" is the oil based version.

Yes, it works well. I pulled up one I had put down two years ago in the ground to help train a climbing rose, and even the termites had left it alone.

Rough sawn, kiln-dried Oak is less than a dollar a foot for imperfect boards at the local lumber yard that does hardwood kiln drying. I buy a lot oak, walnut, curly maple, and bass wood to build wood projects like tables, cutting boards, and such (another retirement hobby). The rough edge pieces that are left after I square up the boards make nice stakes.

Ted

Yes the turpentine acts as a carrier for the oil and then goes away.
Ted you are making homemade wiping oil that we are starting to see in the stores.
I have mixed about anything that would mix to finish wood.
Japan drier, china drier, paint thinner, turpentine, linseed oil, bees wax you name it.
Treating any wood with this stuff is a real must for preserving your out door furniture and tomato stakes.
We used to live next to a saw mill and every year the folks from around the area would get the edgings from there for tomato stakes.

As you well know all wood is not cut from the same cloth, our cedar (ash juniper) is almost rot proof.
The reason for this post is to provide folks with an alternative to those gargantuan tomato cages that cost so much.
And to give information on how to treat them in a food friendly way, so we don’t poison our selves.
Many of the so called wiping oils that are so expensive in the store can be made for much less.
Thompson’s water seal is mainly just urethane and thinner mixed you can mix it your self for much less.
So to get on with it folks here have said wood rots and this is true, some of us have sat back and not said anything to avoid controversy.
When I get back next time I will show you guys how to make a folding 8 foot tall tomato cage from wood that will last for years to come that costs less than you would think and be pretty too.
It has been in the planning stage in my little pea brain and is now ready for the first prototype.
Worth

Worth, have you ever used cedar for stakes? I got a couple boards of western red cedar for an orchid project and some feeders, and ended up with a few pieces that I am using as stakes. So far, there seem to be fewer bugs around those 5 plants. I wonder if I'm seeing cedar's bug repellant qualities or just dumb luck.

Ted

I'm using black locust...no treatments.

Since I can cut more than I'll ever need I'm not too worried about how long they last...but it is more than a couple of seasons.

Worth, will be looking forward to your tomato cage plans. Ted, do you grow orchids? Ami

[quote=amideutch;142776] Ted, do you grow orchids? Ami[/quote]


No, Ami. I was making those little square open latticed thingies for a local nursery. I made 250 of them and ended up just about breaking even on the costs. When they asked for more, I told them the new price and they haven't called back. Ya know, there's not much of a market left for handcrafted goods. :cry: :evil:

Ted

I sell thousands of oak stakes to commercial producers each year. At fifty cents each, you can tie up more time and money treating stakes than the replacement cost. Get them out of the ground, knock the dirt off and put them inside as soon as the season is over and they will last for years. They usually get shorter each year, when too short for tomatoes I use mine on the peppers.