[AT] Oiling Oak Planks (was Sawmills)

[Mike Sloane]

At the tractor dealership where I used to work, we sold Eager Beaver and 
Pequea trailers, and the wood on the decks was never treated. We also 
had two big rollback trucks for moving tractors, and their oak decks 
were never treated either. The owner preferred wood decks on the 
rollbacks because of slipping in rain, but when they got snow or ice on 
them, it made no difference what they were made out of. :-( Whatever 
diesel fuel that leaked on to the decks pretty much evaporated in the 
summer sun, so I would say it didn't do much in the way of preserving 
the wood. We took a couple of construction trailers in on trade, and 
they looked OK, but when we checked further, it turned out that the 
steel was what had rotted out underneath. But the oak decks were in 
pretty good shape. The only place we normally saw damage on unpainted 
decks was where there were large knots.

Mike

Spencer Yost wrote:
> Don't use any kind of a water seal -   Too slippery when surface is wet,
> even if you leave it rough and not planed/milled.  I was always taught to
> leave trailer wood untreated because of traction issues.  Around here we
> have plenty of good.strong red oak that resists rot pretty well and holds
> up to abuse and heavy loads.   It may be easy for us to say don't treat
> because a good wood is available.   But I have never heard anyone say
> finishing is a great idea
> 
> Spencer Yost
> Owner, ATIS
> Plow the Net!
> http://www.atis.net

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are 
in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of 
life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life - the sick, 
the needy and the handicapped. -Hubert Horatio Humphrey, US Vice 
President (1911-1978)


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