# Pine Boards Leak Sap



## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

Hi, I have been building projects with new pine lumber. Sometimes the boards leak sap. I have used Zinseer sanding sealer and that seems to help hold in the sap. I tried to take a shortcut and not use sanding sealer. The cabinet that I had sold leaked so bad on the door I had to take it back and replace it. I cant afford to have this happen again. I have heard that pine is noted for this. I guess I need to move to another type of lumber that wont leak sap. I build primitive furniture and pine gives me a specific look that I can sell. Would basswood work for large projects like cabinets and benches? Or is there a sure way to hold in sap. Thank you.


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## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

I think that clear dewaxed shellac is used for just that purpose… The sanding sealer has a lot of driers in it, and it's thinner than shellac.

Basswood may be a bit soft, but you could certainly try it. What about poplar?


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## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

Would you sugest using the clear dewaxed shellac as a final coat to old this in or as a fist coat sealer instead of the sanding sealer?
I like poplar for my painted projects. It's great. I have a problem with iti weighing more. I am going to be maileng items and want to keep the pounds as low as possible also. Basswood will work well for small items. Light weight wood and easy to form.
If the dewaxed shellac holds in the sap my problems are over.What about adding shellac flakes to my Zinseer sealer that I already have? Thank you, Noel.


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## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

I was thinking that you could try the shellac instead of the sanding sealer. You could certainly try adding the flakes to the sanding sealer if it's an alcohol (denatured) based product. You may need to allow more shellac to soak in around and on the knots to get better results (i.e., less pitch coming out), but this is just a guess - though it makes sense to me. Let us know how you fare.


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## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

I was going to suggest going to poplar, but it sounds like you have covered that already. Instead, I would second Dorje's idea of using the shellac instead of the sanding sealer. Or, you could use the shellac on top of the sanding sealer for extra coats. The more coats the less likely anything would leak.

I am guessing that it is the knots that are leaking the sap, not the main board itself. Since you probably want to keep the knots for looks, maybe you can try what some of the wood turners do on knots. When they encounter a knot in a piece, they will soak it in CA glue (cynoacrylate - also known as crazy glue). There are several thicknesses of this glue, and I would think one would work for your needs. Cover the knot with the glue, let it dry, and then sand as needed. I would say do your sanding first, add the glue, and then do a finish sanding to smooth over the glue.

The glue route sounds like a lot of work if there are lots of knots, so the shellac may be the way to go. I have not tried it, but I have read that you can apply varnish over shellac after it is dry. That will allow you to keep a varnish finish if that is what you do to your work.


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## Drew1House (Mar 18, 2007)

Poplar is common and normal in the eastern US… I have no experience with it. Out here in the west it is Alder which looks somwhat similar to pine but is a bit harder (more durable) and around here the very top end homes have alder cabnetry (Knotty) which I think is crazy and would never use but it is popular and no sap leaks.

Drew


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## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

Drew has a good idea - Alder is a really good alternative. Plentiful around these parts…what about in Iowa?


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## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

I just emaied my lumber supplier to find out about alder. It's not on his list but I think the delivery driver had mentioned it several months ago. I can get red oak cheaper than I can get pine here. I'm going to do some quilt racks and some cabinets in oak because of the price and I like the looks. Pine is big in the main primitives dealers store that we sell to. Onward and upward! Thanks, Noel.


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## dennis (Aug 3, 2006)

Give Alder a try. It is perfect for what you are doing. Maybe get a new supplier too. Alder is light and cheap.


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## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

I can get Alder for maybe $2.00 per sq. foot delivered to my business. Should take 1 week. I'll give it a try the next time I order. Thanks for the help guys and thanks Bill for the comments.Noel.
www.primitivefurnituresales.com


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## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

Today I will have 3 types of wood delivered. Basswood, Alder and Poplar. I will be going to painted cabinets and shelves for awhile and see which type works best for me. Thanks for all the info and help, Noel.


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## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

Best of luck trying those different woods - be sure to let us know which you prefer and why!


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## shangrila (Apr 5, 2007)

I also would recomend alder as a good cost alternative to pine.Are you using kiln dried pine if so the place drying is not doing it at enough heat the sap should set up and be hard if they are taking it up over 130 degrees for any decent amount of time.
Good luck


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

I was watching a reno. show the other day that talked about alternative to pine (which takes 30 years to grow).. the alternative .. aspen? alder? ( i wasn't quite paying attention at the time) only takes 15 years so is a better enviro. choice.


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## rentman (Mar 11, 2007)

I use a lot of pine and I have found epoxy to work really well,just put it on the knots( the 1 min stuff)let it dry, scrape it with a card scraper and roll on.I have never had a problem.Hope this helps.


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## TreeBones (May 21, 2007)

Speaking of pine, I just milled a Canary Pine last week and the sap came out of it like an oil well (has major red grain stripes). I considered bottling it up. It is a rare occasion for me to wear gloves all day but this is one tree that needed it. I am still cleaning pitch patches. I cut mostly Ponderosa Pine along with several other species of pine out here and you will find pitch pockets where it will really flow out. When kiln drying, pine is usually heated up to 165 degrees at the end of the drying process. This is called "Pitch Set". It hardens the pitch to stabilize it and it will sand much easer. There is a lot of air dried lumber available that is inexpensive but does not have the "Pitch Set". Most of the air dried pine is labeled so you can look for that to help pick out your wood.
Speaking of Alder, in Oregon it is the weed tree that loggers have a hard time getting rid of. It mostly goes to pallet stock until recently it started shipping out east for cabinet makers….
Hmmm.


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## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

hi, I guess I was dealing with air-dryed pine. Bad news!! I think I may have lost a good customer because of this. Anyway i worked all day with alder. cuts ok and no sap. It will work for the primitive furniture I am making. Sands good to make it look like wear on edges. I havent tried any stain yet. Thank you so much for all the info, Noel.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

You'll find that Alder can be made to look like almost any wood , at least a little bit. I'm tired of working with Alder. It seems that every one wants something made of it. I'd like to have some of that $2 stuff. I'm payking over $4 for select grade. Frame grade is cheaper. Take a look at my projects and you will see Alder.


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## phonewired (Mar 11, 2007)

Your work is great! I got my alder planned down to 3/4 inch and delivered for $1.90. Boards are 4 3/4 inches to just under 6 inches and about 8 ft long. 500 board feet. I got some basswood to try and good old poplar at $1.40 a sq. ft. It looked pretty good this time. Hardly any green.Just how large and wide can you get alder? I am just so glad not to be using sap pine anymore! Have a great weekend, Noel.


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## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

You're getting good prices on your wood. I routinely get 6 and 7 inch wide boards and some 8's. I think it's higher here because of the building boom in Boise. That has slowed some and mayabe the price will come down. I used to pay 1.54 for frame grade 2 years ago. It was in such demand that I was having trouble getting anything good and switched to select grade. For a while here it seemed tht every body wanted Alder.


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