Knot bleed through

[New Englander]

I mill my own finish out of rough that I buy for .50/board foot. The chances of finding a completely clear 12' are rare so I will have the odd knot or 6. I've had no success with oil prime, kilz, shellac, etc. No matter what the knots will bleed through. My thought is that brushing some epoxy over the knots may have a better chance of sealing them in. Has anyone ever tried it? Of course that's assuming I can even get any epoxy. The last time I tried at the local commercial marine store they had none due Texas freeze, Mexican shut down, etc.

I'm presently trimming a barn; for any I replace on the house it's plastic, one and done.

[snoshoe]

Have not tried pine but I have had good luck sealing fresh milled oak with polyurethane. Keeps it from splitting. Might seal the pine.

[searcyfarms]

1 hour ago, New Englander said:

I mill my own finish out of rough that I buy for .50/board foot. The chances of finding a completely clear 12' are rare so I will have the odd knot or 6. I've had no success with oil prime, kilz, shellac, etc. No matter what the knots will bleed through. My thought is that brushing some epoxy over the knots may have a better chance of sealing them in. Has anyone ever tried it? Of course that's assuming I can even get any epoxy. The last time I tried at the local commercial marine store they had none due Texas freeze, Mexican shut down, etc.

I'm presently trimming a barn; for any I replace on the house it's plastic, one and done.

what kind of finish are you going for ? 

[KWRB]

I have this issue, even with finish lumber. I wait it out and re-paint once, and it works. I believe it's time-limited. If the lumber is seasoned well enough, I think you shouldn't have any problem. Only, lumber available generally is hand-to-mouth and fairly green. 

[m.c.farmerboy]

The mills around here used to set the pitch at 115 but now days they set it at 98 and pine pitch will bleed out once the temp goes above 

I have put pine boards in a green house and had good luck setting the pitch at 120-125

[vtfireman85]

7 hours ago, m.c.farmerboy said:

The mills around here used to set the pitch at 115 but now days they set it at 98 and pine pitch will bleed out once the temp goes above 

I have put pine boards in a green house and had good luck setting the pitch at 120-125

How do you keep them from becoming barrel staves? 

[nomorejohndeere]

cut knot out and replace with plug

 

[806Jordy]

Those damn carpenter bees love untreated White Pine, hope fully you treat the rest of the board too. I use CWF on my Log Home and that seems to keep them away.

[m.c.farmerboy]

8 hours ago, vtfireman85 said:

How do you keep them from becoming barrel staves? 

I stick and band them with ratchet straps and adjust the straps every few days  also I flip the top boards and they will lay down 

then I store them in the barn in the dark and they stay pretty good if it's real good clear lumber I quarter saw it and it stays very well

[New Englander]

20 hours ago, searcyfarms said:

what kind of finish are you going for ? 

I oil prime both sides then topcoat with Sherwin Williams Duration, the best performing paint that I've found. I use that combination for all the clapboards that I've installed and trim as well. Claps sealed and painted that way have been up for 15 years and still look new. I use a satin finish rather than gloss.

I've found though, that even after painting that way knots will bleed through and topcoating a year later they still bleed through!

[New Englander]

9 hours ago, 806Jordy said:

Those damn carpenter bees love untreated White Pine, hope fully you treat the rest of the board too. I use CWF on my Log Home and that seems to keep them away.

Dairy farmer next door keeps an old tennis racket and enjoys swatting them with it😁.

You're right on. If it's not painted the damned things will bore right in then the woodpeckers will make a mess digging the larvae out. Powder post beetles are a scourge of pine as well so I've been treating bare wood on the inside of the barn with TimBore or some other boron product.

[New Englander]

10 hours ago, nomorejohndeere said:

cut knot out and replace with plug

 

Too much work for a barn but good for interior trim. I've just been more selective for the house trim work but most of that is store bought molding anyway.

[vtfireman85]

11 hours ago, 806Jordy said:

Those damn carpenter bees love untreated White Pine, hope fully you treat the rest of the board too. I use CWF on my Log Home and that seems to keep them away.

 

1 hour ago, New Englander said:

Dairy farmer next door keeps an old tennis racket and enjoys swatting them with it😁.

You're right on. If it's not painted the damned things will bore right in then the woodpeckers will make a mess digging the larvae out. Powder post beetles are a scourge of pine as well so I've been treating bare wood on the inside of the barn with TimBore or some other boron product.

I used this with excellent success, its a little tedious, have to use the bellows and puff it into each and every hole. I did it in the middle of the day, the carpenter bees paid me no mind whatsoever, had to work my way around the building, you could hear the soffits humming, almost sounded like voices. next day the driveway was littered with dead bees and we haven't seen one since, been 2 months now. 

[m.c.farmerboy]

If your going to paint  it here's a trick the old timers used to use

They would take a blow torch and heat the knot, the pitch would drip out and when it cooled they would scrap the hard pitch off and paint it

[searcyfarms]

racquetball racquets work well too and provide exercise and satisfaction - mom uses one, she started off with a badminton racquet but busted it on one of the posts = Swing anda miss, strike 3.......

she uses a squirt bottle with diesel the dont seem to like the taste or smell and it is same color as their dark stain

regarding the finish on your boards

shellac works, open up knots and around them well with 36 grit, put on a few coats, sand to desired texture, paint.......

 

[Rawleigh99]

Tempo in the holes will work too.

New Englander:  Duration is my favorite paint too!  i love the wat it lays down.

[TomH]

6 hours ago, m.c.farmerboy said:

If your going to paint  it here's a trick the old timers used to use

They would take a blow torch and heat the knot, the pitch would drip out and when it cooled they would scrap the hard pitch off and paint it

Yes! I remember many years ago , probably 1971,2 or so. We were painting the clapboards on our Maine house, and this old timer (Probably 50.....😎) we knew really well  replaced a few boards and he heated the knots with a propane torch, then after it cooled off he would sand it, shellac and paint it.  I recall him saying that you did not want to burn the wood, just heat it to boil the sap out.