Wood Drying, maple and Walnut

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi All,
I was lucky enough to receive some slabs of Hard Maple and some Walnut last fall.
It has been stored in my Cargo Trailer for the winter and when I opened it up yesterday I noticed that there is Mould forming on all the pieces. I have brushed off the mould and re coated the ends with primer paint.
Is there anything else I can do to stop the mould?

The picture is looking into my 6 x 10 foot enclosed cargo trailer. There are 10 slabs / chunks in there.

Thanks
Peter F.

[daryl moses]

It is probably just surface mold and will plane or turn off. Air circulation should prohibit further mold growth, you could also mix up a weak solution of bleach in a pump sprayer and lightly mist the lumber.

[John K Jordan]

I agree mold can usually be easily removed without affecting deep into the wood. The exception I found was some light-colored woods that stayed too damp for too long sometimes developed a deep grey "stain" which I guessed was related to mold, but I don't know for sure. Only way to tell is cut into it. BTW, for turning blanks, I like to cut slabs into a variety of smaller pieces that dry quicker. I've never used primer paint but have had good luck with Anchor seal on the ends.

I also use bleach with a bristle brush or broom. I brush off any removable mold outside first. You don't need much bleach in the water, in fact I read that a weak solution was more effective that a strong solution or full strength.

If I find mold in a stack of construction lumber I spray, brush, hose off, then let the surface dry. I don't think I'd do this for turning wood!

[Brian Tymchak]

It is probably just surface mold and will plane or turn off. Air circulation should prohibit further mold growth, you could also mix up a weak solution of bleach in a pump sprayer and lightly mist the lumber.

+1. I think you've got to get some air circulating through the wood. any way to open up the front cover on the trailer?

[nelson lasaosa]

Hi Peter,

mold is a fungus, and fungi need moisture to thrive, so for delicate Wood work I usually seal the whole piece. Sincé there´s no perfect sealer, there will always be molecules scaping and entering through the sealer pores. Nonetheless, it is a slow exchange between Wood cells and the outside...

[Peter Fabricius]

Thanks all,
The trailer was quite wet inside after sitting closed up for the winter. There are no vents in the body of the trailer. I guess I had better open it up frequently to allow the moisture to get out and for the wood to dry slowly.
thanks
Peter F.

[Dennis Ford]

Stacked and stickered outside with some sheet metal on top (with some overhang) is a better drying method than having it in a trailer.