White Oak Bottoms

[Dunkel]

I've noticed that I have several bottoms rotting out.  Mostly on the side boards, not so much on the actual bottoms.  I guess where they wick or come into contact with the stands.  I say stands, but most of the ones with rot are in contact with blocks.  The ones on rebar stands seem in pretty good shape. 

I have some white oak unfinished flooring left over from the house.  I know it will be heavier and have to be drilled out for screws.  Any one use it for hive parts?  I have made some fume boards using it.  They worked well.

[tecumseh]

I seem to recall (don't know why this comes to mind?) that Jay Smith gave instruction on dipping the bottom of a bottom board in old engine oil just slightly heated up.  In his day this was primarily to make the board last a bit longer and to be a bit less attractive to ants.

That is pretty exotic material to use as bottom boards.

[minz]

White oak should work well for that.  I use it for outdoor use, apple press, grinders. The close cell structure makes it great for outdoor projects.  It is 30% heavier than red oak and I find it tears pretty easy on a plane or milling.   It is also not that expensive unless you are going high ray, high fleck.  If you have extra it is free! Note the close cell will make it so the oils will not soak in too far.

[Dunkel]

I give them a try.  Of course by the time I find it was a good choice I will have already used the excess for something else.  I think that's some unwritten law of the universe.

[LazyBkpr]

I have a couple of bundles of red oak flooring I have been toting around for nearly TEN years..  I Flat out told the wife I was going to use it for bottom boards, not taking NO for an answer, I am TIRED of toting it and moving it out of the way!!!!!!
   Yeah... I got the look so I cant use it :(

[tecumseh]

well Lazy I suspect you will find out fairly quickly that red oak will not stand up in the same way as white oak to outside exposure.

[LazyBkpr]

Cant be worse than pine can it?

[minz]

I brought home a dining room table a guy at work was giving to good will.  I was going to make boxes out of it.  My wife seen it and thought it was too nice to turn to more boxes.  Well I told her! But the new coffee table does look good!

[LazyBkpr]

LOL minz.. sounds like here!

[apisbees]

Cement products wick moisture, put a piece of roofing felt or shingle between the concrete and wood.

[Dunkel]

Apis, I may try that.  Would it hold moisture between the wood and the block?  I mean hold moisture around the wood?

[apisbees]

I understand what you are asking. The concrete is like a sponge so when exposed to moisture it sucks it up so to speak. The moisture content in the cement rises the slowly releases the moisture into the wood until they become the same moisture content. The problem is wood will rot because of the % of moisture. A   barrier will block this moisture transfer.

[BoilerJim]

Hi Dunkel. I'd use the white oak and I wouldn't worry about the weight since it will be the bottom board. Good idea from Apis on the roofing felt.

[Dunkel]

Thanks everyone,  I tried one the other day.  I think it will workout ok.  A little more aggravating than pine. No staples going through seasoned white oak, that's for sure.  drilled out the holes and screwed it together.  I am going to have to recess out the screw heads.  When I tried to sink one up it split out.

[crazy8days]

I picked up a bunch of solid oak shelves from a college dorm 5 years ago.  They have been sitting taking up space.  Going to use to make solid BB like Perry posted.

[minz]

If I could make the recommendation of painting the Red Oak before screwing it together.  If you use a nice exterior paint put on gloves and put it together with wet paint.  The paint will move with the wood (unlike glue). Harry, a commercial on another forum, suggests that on all bottom boards. In this case it will keep the red from drawing water.