"Wormy" maple

[GANGGREEN]

I'm curious how a guy would heat a 5-8' long board to 180 degrees.

 

[Ames]

Shoot it with a few hunting loads and the worms turn into paste, me thinks!

 

[fire bear]

I'm curious how a guy would heat a 5-8' long board to 180 degrees.

The normal way for a small batch like one board is to obtain a piece of pipe just big enough for the board to fit into, insert the board, almost close one end, close the other end except for a hole that will accept heated air or steam. Steam is used if you want to bend the wood but the wood will have to be re-dried. Hot dry air is used to lower the moisture content of the board and/or to kill bugs, molds, mildew, etc. The almost closed end provides some circulation of the heat.
The big batch way is to run the batch through a dry kiln following the established schedule for the particular species and thickness.

 

[Hlane]

He’s still making them. I have one of his wormy stocked 45 flint rifles.

Would love to see your rifle!

 

[GANGGREEN]

Yeah, I guess I might have to get it to someone with a kiln. Most of the local guys don't fire theirs up very frequently, but that's surely the easiest and most logical way to go for me. Thanks.

I'd also like to thank everyone for the input and especially the photos and links of other wormy guns.

The normal way for a small batch like one board is to obtain a piece of pipe just big enough for the board to fit into, insert the board, almost close one end, close the other end except for a hole that will accept heated air or steam. Steam is used if you want to bend the wood but the wood will have to be re-dried. Hot dry air is used to lower the moisture content of the board and/or to kill bugs, molds, mildew, etc. The almost closed end provides some circulation of the heat.
The big batch way is to run the batch through a dry kiln following the established schedule for the particular species and thickness.

 

[MSW]

"Honey, what's this in the oven????"

 

[Kansas Kid]

He she is, ol wormhole

 

[GANGGREEN]

Yeah, I don't think that looks bad at all. I can see it adding some interesting character to a "barn gun", but as others have pointed out, I'd want to know that the worms were dead and the wood was otherwise stable.

 

[Kansas Kid]

I would doubt the life span of a worm could be very long so I’m not losing sleep over it.

 

[1950DAVE]

Only when they reproduce.
Dave

 

[oldwood]

Years ago I saw some original m/l rifles w/worm tracks and holes. To me , this observation gives us license to use worm hole / or tracked wood however appropriate. I've used different grades of Ash and maple and most wood suppliers just want "worm hole wood" to go away . I say "just so it goes my way". .......oldwood

 

[Kansas Kid]

I’ve owned it for over ten years and see no changes or activity. I doubt there’s any bug or worm reproduction going on inside the safe.

 

[oldwood]

Kansas........I have been using worm hole/worm tracked wood for thirty + years , and have never seen a live bug. I got most of my wood from a friend in the m/l gun stock business. He stored his raw wood in a well ventilated barn and dried it 1" thickness per year. Local sawmill operators brought him so much wood , like 7000 bd.ft . , he could only stack it w/ sticks between the planks,while waiting for it to dry. As he sold the best curly maple off , he found the bottom layer of some of the stacks of curly maple had been visited by bugs. We never saw a bug , only their evidence . Some of the wood had been in storage for 10 years. The bugs came and went.
I had 20+ blanks stored in the rafters of his barn , and a few of those were holed. I wasted none of it. Seeing so many original m/l guns w/bug tracks and holes in the wood says to me , wood was not wasted by early gun builders , as well.. I liked it so much , I've enhanced the bug damage by filling them w/colored Epoxie which sands off w/a shiny finish instead of a dull pocked finish seen w/ wood putty.............oldwood

 

[Kansas Kid]

Thanks, it just seems people do a lot of unnecessary worrying. I’ve done all the damage I can on this subject

 

[Pete G]

I would doubt the life span of a worm could be very long so I’m not losing sleep over it.

You don't know my ex brother in law