Hey There,
What are the options, if any, for organic or environmentally safe products for sealing end grain?
Thanks,
Forrest
UC Coatings describes Anchorseal as "a stable, non-toxic, non-hazardous wax and water emulsion". Plus you can buy it directly from them in 5 gallon pails at a reasonable price.
They have a "green" or environmentally friendly formulation. Whatever that means :).
I use Anchorseal on logs occasionally. I think it is pretty benign stuff but you can check out the MSDS here.
http://uccoatings.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ANCHORSEAL-2_G_SDS.pdf
I used to hang around a walnut mill years ago that sawed thousands of gun stock blanks. They dipped each end in melted paraffin, sometimes sold as canning wax. Has to be pretty safe. I have a roaster oven filled with the stuff, that I dip turning stock in. When the the blanks are to heavy to lift, I paint it on. Works better than Anchorseal, but a lot slower to apply. Can't really imagine using it for lumber.
Anchorseal is basically a paraffin wax emulsion in water. Pretty safe and environmentally benign. About as dangerous as preserving wax and soap.
From the MSDS, safe disposal is to let it dry out and leave a block of wax that can be safely dumped or burnt. It does say not to eat it, or get it in your eyes, but that's just common sense with wax and soap. :D
I have used the same product as you have to prepare the walls, behind the tile in bathrooms. I like it as it is compleatly airtight. You can put it on, immediately after the logs are "on the ground". Then you can cut the logs in your mill and still have your boards sealed in its ends.