Economical means for treating wooden fence posts

[Have tractor did travel]

I don't know what happened with the link. Here we go again.

Marine Timbers

Bayou Forest Products offers long-lasting Marine Timbers, including 12" square piles, treated for saltwater (Creosote, CCA) and Freshwater (Ec0-friendly).

www.bayouforest.com

 

[denchen]

My understanding is that a `pressure' treatment plant works by, The timber is put in an air tight container, The container is filled with the treatment liquid. A vacuum is applied to the tank. A short time is allowed, then the pressure is released. Another time limit is allowed. The liquid is drained off, The timber is removed and allowed to drain. This method is so the liquid is drawn into the timber, instead of just waiting for it to soak in. Perhaps a small unit could be made with a small vacuum pump.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

My understanding is that a `pressure' treatment plant works by, The timber is put in an air tight container, The container is filled with the treatment liquid. A vacuum is applied to the tank. A short time is allowed, then the pressure is released. Another time limit is allowed. The liquid is drained off, The timber is removed and allowed to drain. This method is so the liquid is drawn into the timber, instead of just waiting for it to soak in. Perhaps a small unit could be made with a small vacuum pump.

Almost, you're missing one step.

We pull a vacuum, hold it, then valves open and the work solution fills the cylinder. Then it is put under pressure, we hold the pressure for a time, then put it under short final vacuum to wring the excess out of it. For the most part, it's drawn into the cells of the wood through the end grain.

 

[besttec]

I already have the landscape timbers and also need to use some of them to replace deteriorated ones surrounding landscaping features. I am just interested in making them last as long as possible with as little extra expense as possible. I have about 50 of them and about half or more will be used to replace like posts that are rotted or otherwise deteriorated in the ground. The landscape application are all deteriorated as well. I was hoping to find a suitable "tray" or "tub" of sufficient length to completely treat the timbers in for both applications. The shower pan liner is an idea I came upon as I recently had a shower replaced and we used the PVC liner for it, but I am not sure it will hold up to the chemical reactions. If I have to buy a pre-cut one, I may have to glue sections together to get the length I need, and the bonding glue would then be suspect to fail. A pit in the ground would have worked 80-90 years ago, like when my deceased grandfather used to treat railroad ties he cut for the railroad before the depression. I am in SE Texas and we are having rain several times a week this year, and this is at our future retirement location away from my ability to monitor them if I need to let them soak more than a couple of days.

I appreciate everyone's ideas and look forward to any more shared, as well as being involved in the community moving forward. Hopefully, I will be able to share something the helps others too.

BTW, I have been very pleased so far with my Branson 4815 ch (now just over a year old). I bought with the FEL and Backhoe, and have used both enough to appreciate them. Otherwise, Pallet Forks are the most frequently used attachment so far, and most appreciated.

Blessings!!!

 

[NoTrespassing]

In that case, if it were me, I would make a frame out of wood as suggested before and line it with heavy duty plastic. Poor a bunch of creosote in it and let several of them soak at a time.

Set up a drying rack out of timbers and rotate them through. Again, I'd use pea gravel under and around the posts as back fill.

Sounds like a messy job though.

Kevin

 

[besttec]

Almost, you're missing one step.

We pull a vacuum, hold it, then valves open and the work solution fills the cylinder. Then it is put under pressure, we hold the pressure for a time, then put it under short final vacuum to wring the excess out of it. For the most part, it's drawn into the cells of the wood through the end grain.

Thanks for the response, and thanks to all. I don't suppose I will be creating a pressure treatment vessel at this point though... although I am interested in making these last longer than 3-5 years. I would like to get 20 years but doubt that will happen. I would be reasonably happy to get 10-15 years.

 

[tallyho8]

In the rainy Louisiana swamps I have seen several fences where people use old coffee cans to preserve the tops of the posts.

 

[hube2]

In that case, if it were me, I would make a frame out of wood as suggested before and line it with heavy duty plastic. Poor a bunch of creosote in it and let several of them soak at a time.

Set up a drying rack out of timbers and rotate them through. Again, I'd use pea gravel under and around the posts as back fill.

Sounds like a messy job though.

Kevin

Rather than plastic, I might look into using epdm pool liner or roofing. Not as economical as using plastic, but much less likely to spring a leak. You may be able to get a single sheet that is large enough so that you don't need to worry about sealing seams.

 

[newbury]

You've a backhoe, land, and posts.
Dig a ditch of suitable length, determine what you want for a durable liner and solution, lay it out, let them soak. Fold the liner over the ditch keeping it so the rain doesn't get in.
I'd make a 2 ft deep pond either with pool liner or billboard vinyl.

 

[Egon]

Bluestone will work well.