[SEL] Wormy Wood

[Jim Hardman]

A few months ago I asked a friend, a builder, if he could provide two 5x6 skids for our Goold Shapley & Muir engine.

He said he had a small supply of "better" sawmill-cut wood over his shop, but called back to say that he found it to be worm-eaten.  A tragedy, he said.  The wood was no good to him.

Well I was delighted!  Just what I wanted!  Lots of little holes, lots of wormy-looking scars in the finished surfaces.

The skids were planed to size, stained and satin-varnished and installed.  They look really good.

But here's the trouble:  The offending critters aren't "worms", but tiny buglets that look like miniature pink spiders.  And the staining and sealing didn't do them in.  Little piles of sawdust are appearing as the little guys assert their presence.

How do I beat them?  We can use an "oiler syringe" with mineral oil... or linseed oil... or turpentine... or iodine... to squirt down into the little 1/16 inch holes.  What to use?  And is there a better way to fumigate them out?

Thanks for any input.

And Happy 4th!!

Jim in Vermont