Large Scale Central

Preserving wood

Track and Trestles
#1

I was reading the blog by the guy who restores old mining equipment and came across this bit of info. Seems like it might be useful for preserving wooden trestles, etc on our outdoor layouts:

Aging New Wood: If you have new lumber and want to age it and also preserve it you can use a chemical called Life Time Wood Treatment. This chemical can be applied with brushes or spraying the solution and will turn the wood’s color to an aged shade when placed in the sun for a day or so. The solution will also preserve the wood. It is not sold in stores. The following information will help you acquire the chemical:
Life Time Wood Treatment
Schroeder Log Home
www.loghelp.com
800-359-6614

Wood Hardener: Once the wood has been aged or is already aged you can apply the Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. This chemical is applied with brushes or spraying the solution and will give the wood a rock hard surface. This will protect your wood from rot, dry out and checking. It is not sold in stores. The following information will help you acquire the chemical:
Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer
Smith & Co
www.smithandcompany.org
800-234-0330

#2

Thanks Ray. Good info. :wink:

#3

Are you going to try it on your trestles Ray?

I have been using Thompson’s Water Seal but maybe it’s time to move on.

#4

I have used the wood hardener for architectural detail repairs and it seems to initially work as advertised. I have to check out the wood treatment product.

Depending on your intended application, certain species of wood will withstand rot and insect invasion better than most.

Some hardwoods that are resistant: Teak, Ipe’ (Brazilian Walnut), Locust, White Oak, Sassafras, Cypress.
Many of these woods are used for exterior structures, docks, fence posts, ship building, etc. and are readily available. Prices per board foot vary, but if you only need a small quantity to slice for modeling, the cost becomes insignificant.

I recently bought a clear, straight 4x4x8’ cedar post to cut up for scale lumber. It cost over $40 for one post, but I cut a few thousand scale board feet of lumber from that one stick.

#5

I’ve got a friend who built a thirty foot trestle out of pine, but soaked the cut wood in used motor oil for a couple of days, then let it dry for a week or two, prior to assembly. Twenty years later, it is as good as new.

There are many ways to skin a cat.

#6

The C. A. Thayer is a cod fishing boat from S. F. , Californica Loaded the hole with salt and salted the cod as they caught it. 1900’s and the wood still won’t rot. Pickled with salt and brine.

#7

Steve Featherkile said:

I’ve got a friend who built a thirty foot trestle out of pine, but soaked the cut wood in used motor oil for a couple of days, then let it dry for a week or two, prior to assembly. Twenty years later, it is as good as new.

There are many ways to skin a cat.

…
Steve… We been doing this for yr’s that my Dad show us from his old days on old farm fence post…
So now every time I put in a post like a sign on the R.R. I soak it a bucket of use motor oil. It sure works. I have some that been in the ground for over 30 yrs and not rotted away in wet or dry areas in this clay soil we have here.
Dad said you should let it dry out, but most of mine was put right in the ground after soaking a few hr’s.
I did my R.R. long trestle by brushing Motor oil on it and let dry for a few day and then just sprayed it with a can of flat black. Its been there for about 10 yrs and look ok yet.
Like Steve said, it dose work…(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/noelw/Smilies/good.gif)