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#1
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![]() Hello,
I am looking for some sort of fungicide that we can use to treat a spruce spar. There are some deep checks running the length of the spar, and we have found some rot in places. We plan to cut out rotten wood and scarf in new material, but we were interested in maybe applying some chemical to the rest of the spar to kill any spores that may be present. I have heard about boric acid, bleach or vinager being used, but we are looking for detailed proceedings on treating and preventing rot on wooden spars. What can we do ? Thanks Brian |
#2
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![]() Is the spar a solid pole? Laminated? Box-section? Will you be painting it, varnishing, or oiling it?
Yuri |
#3
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![]() Yuri's questions are well taken. I'd add further, is most of the rot associated with fastenings? And by "checking" do you mean grain failure as opposed to glue line failure?
Especially if the mast is hollow, look to rot you've not found yet at any compression blocks (near spreaders, partners etc) and at the butt where the mast goes solit. I bore drain holes in all hollow masts I work on, don't know why they are not provided. Even if the masthead is sealed and no water is getting in there or around fastenings, the moisture content of the wood will evaporate and condense on the inside of a hollow mast. Where it pools, it will engender rot. Anyway, having lived with both solid and hollow wooden spars for many years, I don't think fungacides are much of a solution. Once you've done your repairs - don't just fill any check-cracks with hard epoxy by the way - you could put down a sealer coat of CPES before any clear or pigmented finish. CPES is a very durable epoxy sealer unlike any other thin propriatary sealer/"rot cures." It really travels deeply into the wood (not just through end-grain) and contains solvents that pretty much kill most everything and causes cancer in rocks. Work carefully. G'luck Ian |
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