Advice wanted on treating wood for display

**CeeGee** · 17-07-2009 10:11 AM

Hello all - this is my first time venturing into the wood forum so I'd like to apologise in advance if I'm asking a really stupid question

, but I was hoping for some advice.

We recently had to have a large elm cut down from our garden as unfortunately it had succumbed to dutch elm disease. I'd like to use some of the wood for displaying jewellery, but thought I should find out if I need to do anything to it first. I'm wary of bringing some nasty parasite or bug into the house with it that would go on to destroy my furniture. Am I being daft? Should I treat it or coat it with anything, or can I just let it dry out and go ahead and use it?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

**Scorch** · 17-07-2009 01:35 PM

I would guess that if you let it dry out well, then give it several coats of varnish, lacquer or similar, then anything iffy on it will be well sealed in...

**bodrighy** · 18-07-2009 10:59 AM

Alternatively. cut your blanks roughly and stick in the freezer for a week. Kills most things. You can microwave but only for a minute at a time or it will ignite. DAMHIK. As far as I know Dutch Elm Disease won't transfer to other woods anyway but if it's dead wood there is always the chanc of live woodworm in it not to mention spiders, millipedes and various other little creatures.

Pete

**beadsbydesign** · 18-07-2009 11:20 AM

I have various lumps and chunks of wood that I use for display. I've employed the microwave technique and had the smoke stains to prove it can ignite.
I put a chunk in and turned it on for approx 10 minutes. It smelt so nice when it came out I thought I'd leave it on the kitchen side on a baking tray to scent my house. and then I left for church.
Came back to a smoke filled house and a pile of ash!

Oh was not at all pleased!

**bodrighy** · 18-07-2009 11:34 AM

10 minutes is perhaps a little over the top. Some turners use the microwave to fast dry wood and a minute at a time, letting it cool in between is about right. Don't forget that things in the microwave heat from the centre so can get hotter than you realise by touching. When you cook food, it carries on cooking after it's brought out for a few minutes doesn't it?

Pete