Cheap Natural Wood Protection | HOW TO

[@cristobalchristopher]

Regarding coconut oil, what are the beneficial properties it provides when apploed to wood and how does it complement the other oils and solvents? What percentage of coconut oil would be good for the mixture you use?

[@CriticalConcrete]

Hi! I can't find the reference on why we were using the coconut oil at first. I think one of our staff found that on an Italian website, but no idea which one! See the updated recipe here: criticalconcrete.com/wood-protection-oil-mixture/

[@gilmarcordeirojunior1526]

Thanks for sharing guys. SHow us some of your constructions and what the technique do u use (timber frame, or just pegs and screws...)

[@julianlang7571]

Thanks for sharing this! Do you think this will be a good prevention for borer and termites?

[@CriticalConcrete]

Hi Julian, Yes the Tung oil in this recipe naturally repels insects.

[@julianlang7571]

@@CriticalConcrete perfect thank you! Any idea how it will perform for external timber? How often will it need to be reapplied?

[@CriticalConcrete]

@@julianlang7571 We're not sure about that! Depends on the external conditions and how many layers you've put (more dissolvent in the first layers to get a better penetration). You can add 5-8% of borax in weight to have a permanent repelling element :)

[@julianlang7571]

@@CriticalConcrete amazing thank you - will definitely experiment with the borax. Do I use raw turpentine opposed to mineral turpentine? (Unprocessed is very costly here in South Africa, though still looking for suppliers) Would you recommend treating the timber horizontally opposed to in-situ vertically? Thank you 🙏

[@cristobalchristopher]

Hello, re the adding of 5-8% borax, are you saying you add it with the oils and turpentine mixture? Or do you apply it before?

[@AutoNomades]

Tung oil is coming from far, and as linseed oil has _almost_ the same polymeric property, so why not using only this last one, at least in europa, where it is hard to find (otherwise it comes from colonial business..)

[@CriticalConcrete]

Yes the use of the tung is precisely because it comes from very far. Doing such we're mimicking the old practice of exchanging wood between regions, so that local bugs wouldn't eat the wood you use. The footprint of exchanging wood is a lot worse than getting the oil and add it to your mix. In our case, Tung Oil is an additive, but using the right wood (and its right parts) is most important for structural work. When it comes to decorative work (substitutable parts), we usually use a more fragile part of the trunks, so treatment (flour paint, oils, etc.) is necessary and linseed oil is indeed already a very good protection, if applied regularly.

[@AutoNomades]

@@CriticalConcrete Importing new pathogens also (like with wood, potentially), with high price and exploitations of poor peoples from the other side of the planet.....

[@CriticalConcrete]

@@AutoNomades Feel free to use only linseed oil. It's already really good and what we use 90% of the times. You're right on the fact that we need to be careful of the supply chains, but it's really complex actually to know in what conditions what we buy is produced. For the pathogens, I honestly think you might be overthinking it, in this particular case.