Beware of white paint

[Kcwoodbutcher]

A customer brought in several logs the other day. All the ends were sealed with what looked like white paint.  No problem, lots of my costumers paint the end of their logs. These weren't great logs either, most had been sitting in a field for a few years. I started cutting them yesterday and was having a terrible time with my blades.  One log and the blade was dull. I kept thinking there must be a lot of dirt in these old logs or my sharpening skills had waned with the last batch I did. Then last night as I was losing daylight, I put a log on the mill and when the blade hit that paint on the end of the log sparks flew. At first I thought I had hit metal or a stone but every cut after that did the same thing. I talked to the guy today and found out he had sealed the logs with Dri-Lok foundation sealer. What better to keep the moisture in? Problem is this stuff contains some type of silicate in a fairly high concentration. It's like sawing sandpaper. I felt the end of one of the log and it felt like sandpaper. The remaining logs got their ends lopped of and things went a lot better.

[Qweaver]

Who da thunk it.  :

[bandmiller2]

Probibly some of that fire retardent paint they use in hospitals and nursing homes,stuff goes on like mud. Frank C.

[submarinesailor]

Dry lock is portland concrete in paint.  It's used to seal basement walls to stop them from leaking.

http://www.ugl.com/drylokMasonry/masonryWaterproofer/latex.php

Bruce

[Magicman]

I have to be careful with fresh cut SYP logs.  That sticky sap will pick up dirt, dust, and sand when skidded out.  This sap then hardens like concrete.  Sometimes I have to lop an inch off.

Thankfully, I haven't seen Dry Lock yet.  In my area we don't have basements, so no one has it anyway.

[ely]

regular latex paint will do the same things guys.  : seems when people paint the ends of logs they really dont care if they lay the brush in the sand . i always saw the stuff off before i cut the logs.

[paul case]

Who da thunk it.  :
[/quote
ditto.pc

[Piston]

That Drylok is some expensive end sealer 

[bandmiller2]

As Majic says the ends of pine logs almost always collect grit standard procedure for me is to take a thin cut on each end or short logs putty knife and wire brush.Time spent removing mud and grit is time well spent even if you have that little line debarker gizmo.Frank C.

[Slabs]

I've used Drylock, but only on masonry.  Be aware that It comes in more colors than white.

[coastlogger]

Unless the log is pristine(almost never) I just knock a thin saucer off the ends of the log with a chainsaw before I start cutting.Takes maybe a minute and I believe it prolongs band sharpening interval significantly.

[Buck]

allright guys,  I understand this end seal concept. will regular latex do the same thing as anchor seal?

[Ianab]

allright guys,  I understand this end seal concept. will regular latex do the same thing as anchor seal?

Not as well, but it's a lot better than nothing.

Anchorseal is a wax and is almost impermeable to moisture transfer, so the end of the log barely looses any moisture. Normal paint will slow the moisture loss, so it's of some use, but not as good.

Ian

[Dan_Shade]

I have used anchor seal for a long time.  When I first got started, I used paint.  there is no comparison.  If I don't have anchor seal, I don't bother.

[DR Buck]

Sounds to me like there was something other that wood in the log that caused blade damage.   $35 per blade damage.  ;D