Driftwood cleaning

[Ooopsy]

Hi people! I recently bought some looonnnng driftwood online and it seems that they are not processed and preserved. Not sure whether it has termite or anything inside... But I do find black brown particles all over the pieces which seems quite unsettling. I’ve washed the wood but some of the particles still remain in the creases. Searched termite poops online but I could not tell whether these are the same thing.

I bought the wood pieces for shelving air plants on the wall and the plants will touch them directly. Any suggestions for debugging? Thank you guys sooo much!

[Nebraska]

If they will fit throw them in the microwave with (not in) a bowel of water. Heat until the water boils.

[pallin]

It could be the eggs of some variety of insects, but if from boring insects they would likely be laid inside the tunnels bored by the adults - the offspring insects could bore their way out. The "poop" of termites looks like sawdust.

[Brian T]

Have you got a deep freeze?

Bugs can cope with winters if they cool down slowly.
In your freezer, they will be at 20 below in a few hours.
Let them sit for 48 hours.
Thaw them out for 48 hours.
Freeze them for 48 hours.
They can't cope with the sudden freeze-thaw cycles that you create.
Do this 5X and imagine that you got them all, eggs included.

[Dileon]

We got a ton of driftwood here, although can not see the wood areas clearly. It appears that the black part is in areas where there was bark. I say it looks like normal driftwood dead decay bark areas...which can be cleaned with a Dremel or cut out. It could be a black fungus which grows on decay wood which the spore I heard are very bad if you breathe them in. Bugs or bacteria maybe? but no matter what is eating or stuck on the driftwood I do this procedure. Soak the rinsed driftwood in a diluted bleach solution for 5 days, changing the water daily. The bleach/water ratio is 2 cups of bleach per every 1 gallon of water. Any container that can be bleached and contain the fully submerged wood will work. (Aka, I go cheap here!) Let the wood dry completely. I recommend letting it dry at least 1 week before attempting any projects.

I did have a piece of driftwood to big to soak, it got sprayed daily with a strong Clorox mix. Driftwood is hard to tell where and what it has been soaking in. Clorox will kill it all.

[Arthur C.]

Personally, I'm much more concerned with freshwater driftwood than saltwater...but what I get nowadays is all freshwater!

[pallin]

Personally, I'm much more concerned with freshwater driftwood than saltwater...but what I get nowadays is all freshwater!

Is this a reference to Hurricane Laura?

[Dileon]

Personally, I'm much more concerned with freshwater driftwood than saltwater...but what I get nowadays is all freshwater!

We have saltwater, but it is on the beach and on the beach can mean it is could be in sewage drainage areas or rotting with sea animals and the works, or in stand water even which is great for bacteria and fungus. The wood itself seems to be very pickled although. Freshwater always can have a lot more than that, including chemicals.

[Arthur C.]

Is this a reference to Hurricane Laura?

LOL, no, Phil, from the shores of the Mississippi River!

[Brian T]

Driftwood here in the mountains is debris and off-cuts from logging. Enormous piles that dry for a few years then they get torched off. Take as much as you like but don't mess up the piles.

I learned the hard way that I can't get every last sand grain off that wood. Whanged a big gouge that had to be jointed off square then re-bevelled entirely. . . . or buy another one.

[Arthur C.]

In my opinion, driftwood is unsuitable for carving for several reasons and is best used as a decorative natural sculpture or as a base for wildlife carvings.

[Dileon]

Driftwood here in the mountains is debris and off-cuts from logging. Enormous piles that dry for a few years then they get torched off. Take as much as you like but don't mess up the piles.

I learned the hard way that I can't get every last sand grain off that wood. Whanged a big gouge that had to be jointed off square then re-bevelled entirely. . . . or buy another one.

I have hit rocks, sand, shells, and even metal inside driftwood, so much so....I bought I junk set of chisels to just carve the driftwood and junk woods,......so I do not break my good chisels. Yea they full of all kinds of stuff often. Only one thing good about ocean driftwood is that white color is great.

[mobjack68]

I have hit rocks, sand, shells, and even metal inside driftwood, so much so....I bought I junk set of chisels to just carve the driftwood and junk woods,......so I do not break my good chisels. Yea they full of all kinds of stuff often. Only one thing good about ocean driftwood is that white color is great.

found a little rock in my next piece of driftwood to carve....