Back in 2018-2019 I harvested an old pecan tree here in North Texas. I was able to mill it into some pretty good sized planks using my Alaskan Saw mill setup. After a year or so sitting in my wood pile, stickered, I began pulled pieces for various projects including the top to a walnut dresser, shown in attachments.
Dresser was delivered, to my daughters, back in Sept 2020, and just the other day she noticed a hole in the top! No evidence of saw dust in the top drawers, nor on the top itself. My first thought was a wood borer had finally decided it had had enough, but after seeing the hole a bit closer I’m not so sure. Edges of hole are pretty ragged.
Hole seems to be pretty long, in that a pipe cleaner almost disappears into it. You can see from the surface it’s obvious there has been some activity in the past, but I usually spray some bug killer on pieces before I sticker them. (I use some nasty stuff called Tempo). I also check for dust piles between the planks. I’ve never seen a hole on the TOP of any plank I’ve ever milled. They always seem to show up on the bottom, which is why I asked my daughter to look for signs of saw dust in the top drawers.
I’m looking for some inputs on some questions:
Do you think this is in fact the result of a wood borer?
Is it possible, it’s left the top and went elsewhere?
Best means to ‘kill’ the bugger if it’s still inside?
Repair wise plan:
Spray something into the hole.
partially fill hole with sawdust/glue
‘top off’ hole with dyed epoxy
light sand area, re-oil
Appreciate all inputs as always.
Replies
No idea what bored that hole. It would have to have a hole in to have eaten it from the inside out wouldn't it? Woodpeckers loose in the house? Tardigrades that have been sleeping in there since the pecan tree was a seed?
I would repair that hole with stick shellac. Kind of expensive buying in but with a kit of different colors you can mix and usually produce a really good match. Having it you have it for years. I burn it in with a woodburner that I bought from woodcraft that wouldn't burn wood, as it turned out , so it was perfect for melting shellac.... Or a heated pallet knife then scrap it flat with a razor blade.
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It wasn't something boring IN, it was something coming OUT. I've seen this before and determined it was an emergence hole from an adult powder post beetle.
Here in southern Tennessee, we have two types of boring beetles. The first and most common are very small, and leave a pinhole exit hole and little pile of "saw" dust. There is a much larger, and not common, boring beetle. I've seen the larva accidentally when cutting into a board that had one in it. They make a much larger chamber as they feed, and I've been able to hear them in a board on occasion in my shop. I have exactly one such exit hole in all the oak flooring in my almost 1000 sq ft house. They don't seem to come in bunches like the little ones.
If I am right, your hole is an exit hole, and you will not have any more problem from that particular beetle, esp. if it is unable to find a mate to breed with. With luck, there won't be another one emerging some time in the future.
You could always fill it with black, blue, or red epoxy so your daughter will have a chance to tell the story many times!! You could also set in a piece of the pecan wood to a recess you chisel into the top. It will always look like a patch; you get to choose what kind of patch it looks like. An inset piece will always look more like wood than a filler.
Thanks for the feedback. My guess is aligned with above inputs, this is in fact an exit hole of a Powder Post Beetle. Why the hole isn't symmetrical is why I wasn't totally sure, along with the fact it came out the top. I've always found these buggers come out the bottom of any piece milled, but perhaps it doesn't matter.
Still not sure if the bugger may have moved onto something else in the house, or is just dried up somewhere. Why it would have left a food source is another question. Perhaps the inside climate conditions got to be too much?
I'm planning to spray/inject some industrial bug killer called 'Tempo'. Even though web says Borate is the right is the right product, I don't have any of that on hand. Tempo web page says YES, for killing wood born insects.
Patch wise, I think I'll try to fill bulk of the void with glue/sawdust, then insert a carved/formed piece of pecan with some clear epoxy. If i remember correctly I did fill other voids with dyed epoxy, so that's still and option was well.
I do like the idea of the Shellac wax melt, but I have no experience, and the options are too broad for me to take a chance, since I need a solution by Thanksgiving. This is something I'll dig into for future repairs.
Any other insight is appreciated.
Thx