Wood Preservative Question

[Bill Harmatuk]

I'm about to finish up on the task of cleaning the underside of my '30 Chrysler CJ body underside.

I have removed the wooden "slabs", as I call them, that the body sits on... On top of the frame.

What kind of oil or preservative should I apply to the ash, maple, or whatever the wood is, to insure the wood lasts another 80 years.

The two timbers are almost "as new" and I'll only get this chance once. I don't want to paint them. I really don't want to seal them but find something that will soak in and preserve the wood.

Linseed oil?

I need advice from someone who has been down this road before.

Its a shame that someone doesn't duplicate these timbers. I'm sure that they will fit many Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge and Desoto sedans and shortened, possibly a coup or two.

Bill Harmatuk

Edited May 14, 2014 by Bill Harmatuk (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

If you have access to the body framework you would be doing a lot of guys a favor if you took some good photos, measurements, and traced patterns off your good wood. The usual problem is the wood needs replacing and is so far gone there is no way to know what it was supposed to be. Just having some kind of pattern would be a big help. Cutting out the wood is not hard.

PS I think they are called sills.

[Bill Harmatuk]

The sills are like new.

They run 4/5 ths of the way down both sides of the body.

Truly a work of art for 1930.

I'll get pictures.

If you had the wood and all the equipment, duplicating the sills would take a day, easy, for an amateur wood worker.

A CNC machine would be the ticket.

Bill H

Edited May 14, 2014 by Bill Harmatuk (see edit history)

[plt341]

I would love to see a photo of your side sills.I am in the process of making new ones for my 1929 u.A previous owner cut about 1/2 of the driver side out and screwed and nailed plywood in. the pass. side has rotted out where the cowl and side sill cover meet(I assume there is A notch there)I have been looking for A detailed photo for a while there is not much out there though.

[trimacar]

The best preservative is West System....it's an epoxy mix that the boat guys use, clean the wood, apply the mix, it'll soak in and seal, and I guarantee (your money back for the free advice) that another 80 years is no problem... http://www.westsystem.com/ss/

[old car fan]

Sorry guys,epoxy is patch,not a fix.

[Friartuck]

I like Kwik Poly (www.kwikpolyllc.com) as a wood preservative. It has a low viscosity to penetrate wood fibers and won't build up like an epoxy. Kwik Poly has a pot life of a couple of minutes after mixing, so working in small batches and quickly is in order. Use acid brushes as they are cheap and disposable.

[Dave Henderson]

Ask around among your friends who are pack rats and see if you can come up with some good old (and now verboten) "Penta" wood preservative. .

[rhb1999]

A boatbuilder I worked for, that had built cold-molded (glued with resorcinol) mahogany planked hulls, old timers told me they sprayed something called Woodlife on the inside, before epoxy came into use.

[MochetVelo]

Here's yet another suggestion: Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer. It's thin like water, and seals wood nicely. You can paint over top of it or leave it alone. Works well for more exposed wood body parts, also.

Phil

[rhb1999]

Sounds like Gluvit Waterproof Sealer.

[one-shot]

Be very careful with WoodLife. It works. Brush on, saturate good. Let dry out side. I would never spray. Only dip or brush. One of the reasons Anderson windows are still here.

[Bill Boudway]

Hi,

#10 Cuprinol is one of the best.

Unfortunately, it's not easy to find.

I bought my last gallons from Jamestown Distributors in Rhode Island.

Good luck, and let us know if tou find a source.

[Spinneyhill]

New Zealand Standards specify copper naphthenate be painted on cut treated timber to reinstate the treatment at the cut. I specified two coats when I designed timber retaining walls and other timber structures, with a bituminous sealer over when used on the top of the poles.

For your job, I would not use a copper-based product on the wood touching steel - the copper will leach off onto the steel, which will promote rusting (remember the galvanic series). Cuprinol above might be a copper product with a name like that. I would go for zinc naphthenate, minimum two coats brushed on. It soaks in. Wipe off any excess that doesn't. Your old timber will probably soak up quite a lot.

In NZ, Metalex Clear is one such product. I use it on orchard timbers when I cut them. It is available in paint and hardware shops in this country. There must be something similar in your country.

I suspect your car hasn't been out in the rain much if the under-timbers are not rotten!