I found a white oak tree that had been cut down in a power line right of way near my home. Yesterday, I cut a 6 1/2' section and split it into staves. The heartwood looks good and solid with no checking but the sapwood is doty and infested with bugs and larva.
I know I need to remove all the sapwood and bark. I've already sealed the ends. Should I seal the back with white oak staves? Does anyone ever spray the wood with an insecticide to kill any remaining insects or does removing the bark and sapwood take care of insect problems?
Thanks for your help and advice.
How long had it been down?
If its been infested with bugs from being down,that tells me its been down on the ground for to long and not worth the hassle/gamble when there's plenty of good live healthy wood out there available
It's been down a couple of years but the trunk end was off the ground. The heartwood is still very green but no signs of checking. I cut the bark and sapwood off of one piece today and the bugs haven't gone any deeper than the first layer of heartwood.
No good for bows. Any whitewood that has been on the ground a couple of months would be way too long for me to use for bows. Firewood, on the other hand is fine laying on the ground for a while. With white oak you want to use the wood right under the bark if possible.