Off Subject, sorry

Rob Davis · Post by **Rob Davis** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 3:47PM

I need some help from you wood doctors -
A regular customer brought in a busted up 400 year old wooden chair from a Monastary in Germany. (see pic for fun) Anyway, the wood is riddled with holes looking like termite holes and parts of it are broken, etc. We are going to rebuild it to usable shape but do you know of any fumigation I can use to kill any bugs left in there? We talked about microwaves, spray on isecticide, ...
Somebody has to have done this before.

Brian Shannon · Post by **Brian Shannon** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 4:10PM

Here in Central California we have a company called Ecola Services that uses an electronic gun to kill termites in walls. Maybe you could check around your area for a similar service.

Brian

Michael S Murray · Post by **Michael S Murray** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 4:43PM

Hi Rob,
I read a post on this on woodweb, but cant remember the cure or answer. Maybe you could do a search for it or just post. There is a guy with a doctorate of some type, his name is gene wengert and he is pretty knowlagble in many areas.
Hope this helps, if your not familiar with woodweb , I might be able to find it for you.

DanEpps · Post by **DanEpps** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 5:13PM

Rob

I use a line of products from System Three. They have one called Board Defense, one called Rot-Fix and another called Sculptwood.

All of them are great products for reconstructing and protecting wood like you have.

One thing to discuss with the customer is the loss of value if you do anything reconstructive to the piece. Make sure they understand and agree to the potential value loss and GET IT IN WRITING!

DanEpps · Post by **DanEpps** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 5:14PM

One more thought--I have done a bit of antique restoration and you can contact me if you have any questions on how to approach it.

Rob Davis · Post by **Rob Davis** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 5:40PM

Thanks so far.
Mike, been in touch with Gene already. Heat to 150 degrees is his recommendation. Trying to find an oven big enough. Kiln is too wet.

Dan, this is a great customer and it is all in writing and documented. We have free license to \"do what it takes and tell me what it cost\". We have taken very good care of him over the years and we will be fine. Many, many heirlooms like this we have repaired for him. This looks like a Lincoln Log set right now and we both had a good laugh that this one is really going to cost him becasue a miracle worker I am not!

My concern is that the buggers are still alive. They may have been dead for 200 years for all I know but I don't want to take the chance!

Kerry Fullington · Post by **Kerry Fullington** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 5:54PM

Rob,
Those are pretty racy carvings for a monastery don't you think?
Kerry

Rob Davis · Post by **Rob Davis** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 6:05PM

I took a close up but then noticed I might get arrested by the e-police for not keeping it a family show. Seriously,though, in the good old days they had a different idea of the human body and considered it art, plus the concept of frail humanity (naked, reposed and looking toward heaven) and a powerful God permeated everything artistic. These are really cherubs, not naked ladies, anyway.

And I just wanted to see which one of you is a dirty old man.... now I know?

DanEpps · Post by **DanEpps** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 6:20PM

I glad you have everything agreed to with the customer and they understand it. Far too often expect \"restored\" antiques to retain their value and are shocked when they have an item appraised just to find it to be near value-less (not worthless).

I don't know whether you saw the thread I posted some time back with a sofa that I restored. When I bought it someone had \"restored\" it by stripping the finish and covering the wood with \"liquid gold leaf\" paint. That paint was so thick that it completely obscurred the carving details.

Once I stripped that garbage off I had a beautiful piece and found the carver's initials and date he made it--1765. Underneath the upholstery it still had the original shellac finish and I restored the original color using button polish shellac. I replaced ther gold leaf to its original look and reupholstered.

It doesn't have any real value now that it has been through all of that but we use it as our main sofa in the living room.

Be sure to check out the Board Defense product from System Three. It is a long-acting borate that will kill just about any wood-infesting critter.

Kerry Fullington · Post by **Kerry Fullington** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 6:23PM

Rob,
Sure they are Cherubs. Spoken like a lonely monk trapped in a monastery for years and years with nothing to look at but a bunch of other monks.
Kerry

DanEpps · Post by **DanEpps** » Fri, Jan 05 2007, 6:43PM

Kerry Fullington wrote:Rob,
Sure they are Cherubs. Spoken like a lonely monk trapped in a monastery for years and years with nothing to look at but a bunch of other monks.
Kerry

These are Cherubs...

Michael S Murray · Post by **Michael S Murray** » Sat, Jan 06 2007, 9:44AM

Hey Rob,
I have a oven for thermoforming solid surface. I think you can get something about 12\"x6\"x130\" in it. That might help you with the longer parts. You are welcome to it any time.

DaleKern · Post by **DaleKern** » Sat, Jan 06 2007, 10:08AM

Rob,

You can also build a small \"heat tent\". In my previous life I did this to test various products and processes. Build a box or enclosure with cardboard, plastic sheeting, plywood or whatever. It should be large enough to house the chair and a small space heater plus enough room to allow the space heater to run but not catch on fire. Make sure you have some type of window or flap to be able to monitor to chair and heater during the process. Using a lab or digital thermometer, ramp up the heat in the chamber slowly by adjusting the space heater thermostat. 150 degrees is not that hot (it is dry sauna hot...), a small heater can bring a small space to that temperature quickly. Just be sure the space heater is far enough away from the chair and the walls of the chamber to prevent a fire. I don't know how long you need to run this process, but I would certainly recommend keeping a close eye on the chamber until you are done. Good luck.

Dale

Thermwood / eCabinet Systems

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