How to make petrified wood

[Whitlock]

I was trying to cut some wood today that had this product used on it and there were sparks coming off the saw!
Has anyone used this product?
I think all sill beams and any thing that might come in contact with the dirt that I build will get these implanted in them.

http://www.loghelp.com/c-32-bor8-rods-also-know-as-impel-rods-for-log-home-restoration-and-maintenance.aspx

[Don_P]

I've used them several times. They are not intended for ground contact. Not sure why you got sparks I borate a good bit of wood around here. The scoop on borate is that it is not "fixed" within the wood like normal treatment chemicals we are used to. If the wood reaches fiber saturation point and if there is a sink that the boron can diffuse into it will slowly wick the borate from the area of high concentration to the area of low... wet wood will bleed borate from the wood into the ground. The rods are a crystalline form of borate that dissolve and diffuse into the wood when it reaches fiber saturation. I dip wood in a borate solution to have it already diffused through the wood before it gets into moisture trouble. It is good stuff however you use it, stops bugs and rot, at very high loading it is also a fire retardant. As I left today our client was spraying the framing of the house we just built. I had bought a 25 lb bag and dipped the oak porch posts and beams as I worked them. I left him the rest to do the house.

[glenn kangiser]

I put them in some of the posts in my cabin.  They were called Impel rods when I bought them. 

[UK4X4]

Maybe the person who installed the rods broke a drill off inside ?

[Whitlock]

The wood had to be replaced not becuse it was rottin only becuse it was in the way of the remodel.  Someone put the rods in the wood long ago The rods had be activated and dispersed tough out the wood and it turned the wood rock hard and it looked and felt almost petrified.
And yes there were sparks and they were from the wood and nothing else!!!!!!

[glenn kangiser]

Cool ... maybe I will try some for ear plugs......

[Don_P]

Well, I've read up on health effects of borate. The side affect of O'D'ing on the stuff for mammals shows itself in males as , ummm, well, Sassy probably doesn't want you doing that 

[glenn kangiser]

I will not get petrified wood  

[Don_P]

Not the first spark 
I'm trying to figure out how to put a deer lick of it by the garden 

[Whitlock]

Leave it to Glenn and Don to make a joke out of anything.

And to think this is a free forum

[glenn kangiser]

[ouch]