Jay C. White Cloud wrote:Depending on the lineage, charring is just a side effect. Carbon doesn't rot, but your observation about it being absorbent is good. Now just think, you take a piece of Cedar or Locust wood, hold it over a fire and slowly turn it, (one of many methods.) It not only will char slightly, (you don't want to burn it per say,) but it "case hardens the wood too. Now there even more steps, depending of style, but one that I have observed is you take a good wood oil, melt salt in it, then let the charred post bottom soak it all in, take it out let it dry, set it on fire quickly smother with sand or clay, repeat soaking. Like I said, many methods, and as far as I know this is the first time this method has been put to print. There is a lot of ancestral knowledge that Academics (myself included,) are just beginning to put to print, so much has been lost.
Hi Jay, I realize I'm resurrecting a 9 year old post - but I'm fascinated with this method of preserving. I have actually never seen a video of anyone "slow cooking" the wood. Everything I've seen on preserving using a raging hot fire or a rocket stove or a propane torch which very quickly chars the wood.
So I'm curious - does a quick burn and then sanding off the charcoal have the same affect as a slow burn?
The oil and salt dip is also very interesting. Would there be any difference in dipping a just charred (hot) wood post into this (cold) mixture, or is it ideal to have the oil/salt mixture hot as well?
The possibilities are almost overwhelming. I've seen a few options mentioned:
oil/pine tar mix
oil/salt mix
motor oil/diesel mix (no thanks)
followed by
sand/clay mix (maybe sprinkled with boric acid for further insect control)
