Old Timer Advice - Anti-freeze as a Log Sealer?

Everest123 · March 15, 2021, 09:57:01 AM

I got some advice from an old-timer yesterday who snorted at my use of anchor-seal to coat my log ends. He told me that a quick spray with anti-freeze was all that was necessary and would work much better than anchor-seal. Thoughts on this?

mattgancz · March 15, 2021, 10:25:44 AM

Anchorseal is cost effective and non-toxic. You are in good company using it.

I think the antifreeze rumor comes from A.J. Stamm's Dimensional Stability of Wood. Maybe there is some promise of replacing intracellular water with propylene glycol, but why bother experimenting when anchorseal is such a good product?

The old-timers advice is equivalent to saying, "Why do you bother using a sawmill when you can hire a team of beavers to hew your timbers for you?"

GeneWengert-WoodDoc · March 15, 2021, 10:34:35 AM

Anchor Seal and other similar end coatings put a coating on the log ends. This stops moisture. Antifreeze does not have a coating. This person has confused ethylene glycol with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Antifreeze is poisonous, but some PEG formulations are used in medicines. PEG 1000 is waxy.

Everest123 · March 15, 2021, 10:54:46 AM

Quote from: GeneWengert-WoodDoc on March 15, 2021, 10:34:35 AM
Anchor Seal and other similar end coatings put a coating on the log ends. This stops moisture. Antifreeze does not have a coating. This person has confused ethylene glycol with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Antifreeze is poisonous, but some PEG formulations are used in medicines. PEG 1000 is waxy.

I have both Propylene glycol and Ethylene glycol for the purposes of brewing up Boracare. Honestly I was suspicious when he said that, but he's a generally very knowledgeable guy so I figure I would ask. Since he's a neighbor I might have to try it just so he doesn't get grumpy.

Andries · March 15, 2021, 11:04:25 AM

I've tried ethylene glycol (motor anti-freeze) and propylene glycol ("RV or Plumbing Antifreeze") to prevent cookies from cracking. The idea is that water in the wood mixes with the glycol and either stays there or evaporates very, very slowly.
It didn't work out too well. . . and that made me a little grumpy.

Andries · March 15, 2021, 11:08:21 AM

There's a line in the Netflix series Breaking Bad: "you've got to respect the chemistry, Jesse!" True words.
Some of its poison.
Some of it is used in food products.
As Gene said, there's a world of difference.