sterilize a turning blank??

[Greg Heppeard]

I suggest turning it ASAP. That way, if the little bugger is still alive, you'll cut him to bits. Just remember to wear a full face shield, you don't want bug juice on your face. If you don't find the little critter by the time you get the blank roughed out, then soak it in DNA.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Thanks for all the replies folks. For now, it has to stay in the freezer anyway. I start the first day of nursing school today. I've been trying to get in for two years, and am very excited, but will also be very busy for the next few days. I'll definitely be cleaning up the shavings and burning them as soon as I turn it. This is going to be a "turn in one sitting" kind of bowl, I think. Tom said that cork oak moves quite a bit when drying, so I'm not taking any chances on this one. Thanks again, folks.


Nate

[Tom Green]

Hi Nathan,
I'm interested in how the freezing works. It rarely gets much below freezing here, and when it does, it doesn't last long. My friend/mentor Dick Johnston say's he has frozen some finished pieces that started generating sawdust at a gallery and it seemed to do the trick.
I've seen both a small black beetle and small white grub in this wood. The grub really hated CA dumped in his hole.
Good luck and let us know how it works.
Tom

[John Grabowski]

I thought this has become a very interesting post. I have to agree with our Canadian friend about freezing does not usually kill bugs. Bugs are very highly evolved organisms. What we use to kill bugs is very dangerous to us. They dont have much of a circulatory system for the cold to attack.

Microwaves attack two types of molecules, water and fat. The microwaves probably will not reach the bug if the moisture content is high. Also, heat may not kill it either.

I suggest luring out and killing with a bug killer. That is the only for sure thing.

I suppose you may be able to use a chlorine or ammonia fuming that are both certain to kill the bug if the fumes will penetrate to the bug. I just dont know how much that will affect the color of that variety of oak. I have never had the pleasure.

Very sad.

I hope all works out and I am anxious to see a turning!!

John G