I have a ton of clear v.g. old growth doug. fir in my shop from a sawmill I used to work at. All of it has been air dried and stickered, not kiln dried. My old boss from there told me that fir should be kiln dried “to cook in that resin????” and “keep it from bleeding out on a project?” Is there another way to seal or keep in that resin on fir from coming out on a project? (with the dry fir from air dried) ? Thanks, Chris Longview, Wa.
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Replies
Bleeding pitch is a common problem with all softwoods although not every board from every tree will have the problem. The pitch typically comes to the surface of the finished wood in warm weather and can reappear every summer for years. I have a pine chest that has been bleeding small beads of amber resin for fifteen years at least, although it seems to have finally pretty much exhausted itself.
There is no finish that you can apply that will prevent the resin from surfacing. In the Fall issue of Fine Woodworking, issue #202, the annual Tools and Shop issue, Chris Becksvoort tells how to make a small shop kiln from insulation board and an electric heater that will allow you to set the resin in small batches of lumber, it seems like the best approach. After the wood is processed it will need to sit in your shop for a week or two to regain moisture from the air before it can be worked with.
John White
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