QUESTION:

I bought some air-dried white pine. The moisture is at 10%, but it’s still oozing pitch. I’m worried that it will bleed through a finish. Any suggestions?

—Jules Harlan, El Paso, TX

ANSWER:

A coat of shellac works on older wood. On fresh-cut wood, however, the best solution is to heat it for 24 hours at 170ºF.

If the pieces are small enough, you can use a kitchen oven.For larger pieces, I make a temporary kiln from foil-faced foam insulation. It has two sides, two ends, and a top, but no bottom.

Make a hinged vent at the top of one end by cutting off a 6-in.-wide strip and reattaching it with tape.

Stack the boards, placing stickers at 2-ft. intervals, and cover them with the kiln. Use an electric heater to heat the kiln to 170ºF. Track the temperature with a thermometer. Adjust the vent to maintain it. Pitch might ooze and settle on the surface, but once it cools, it can be scraped off.

Drawing by Vince Babak

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