Recipe for glycol-borate log preservative.

[okie]

I came across this on the net somewhere. I dont remember the website but I wrote it down for future use and here it is if anyone is interested.
The concentrated formula this makes sells for $75 - $120 by the brands I have looked at and it costs about $20 to make it.

Ingredients:   4 lbs of 20 mule team borax
                     3 1/2 lbs boric acid
                     1 gal. propylene glycol (nontoxic antifreeze)
                     note: ethelyne glycol may be used but is toxic.

Heat propylene glycol and add borax, stir well.
Add boric acid and stir till mixture is dissolved.
heat mixture to 260 degrees F  stirring constantly to prevent
crystalization.
This produces 1 gal og preservative concentrate, when ready to use mix very well with 1 gal of water and apply liberally with a garden sprayer.

It is my understanding that the propylene glycol or ethelyne glycol uses moisture in the log to carry the boric acids throughout the wood, the glycol is a carrier agent only but carries the boric acid much deeper into the log than other spray on preservatives.
This is supposed to kill all fungus present and prohibbit future fungus. Does not repel insects but is supposed to kill them door knob dead if they nibble on your house.

I hope this is helpfull to someone.

Link to page I found this on. It has been changed some since I first read it or maybe I read it wrong and it says ethylene glycol should not be used for any reason due to its toxicity. There are many other usefull things on this page including chinking, cleaners, and more. If you are interested in this sort of thing check it out.

http://www.bearfortlodge.com/bearfort_lodge/log_home_restoration/index.html

[jpgreen]

Awesome and much thanks!  I had lost that info and was tying to locate it...  8)

[okie]

I would like to change this up a little and ask other members to post their recipes for home brewed stains, water repellants, and or preservative.
I do everything I can for myself, I grew up without much money and if you didnt do things and make things for yourself you did without. I believe things would be much better today if folks did for themselves and were less dependant on stores and manufacturers to provide for them what they could do themselves. That is what I love about this forum board, there is a wealth of knowledge on here and the members are more than happy to go out of their way to give advice and help people.

[Jesse Frank]

This is a cool thread

I've been using diesel fuel to kill insects and fungus, I learned that trick from an older timer around here.
If anyone is worried about fires, don't he uses it on the building that contains his hot shop. He is a knifemaker/blacksmith.
For a preservative(I guess you could call it that. I think it's just varnish) I mix crushed, cooked pine sap with alcohol and paint it on. Works great!  I would think that one could distill the acetone and whatnot from woodsmoke to make the solvent for it, but I haven't tried that yet

[DanG]

You guys look in the "Drying and Processing" board.  There has been quite a bit of discussion of this over there.  Check at your local farm supply for a product called "Solubor."  It has all the borate products already in it, is water soluble, and a lot cheaper than buying all the ingredients separately. ;)

[Stephen1]

Thanks for the post Okie and the  link to bearfortlodge, there is some great reading in there.
Thanks DanG I am going there to some reading.

[Modat22]

I think it cost me.
6.00 for the boric acid
4.00 for the borax
6 to 8 bucks for the anti freeze.

and about 2hrs of my time for a gallon of stuff that makes 2 gallons mixed with water.. Pretty hard to beat that price IMO.