Sealing a Pine tree

[ntomsw]

Not sure if this is in the right section or not, but I have a question.

I cut an 8 foot long pine tree section directly in half, so I could make a bench out of it for my fire pit area. Obviously it is going to sap, etc. What I am wondering is this: Is there a way to seal it, by using like Spar urethane on it? Or will I just have to wait X amount of time, until it stops sapping?? Thanks for any help.

 

[Montanalocal]

You would probably be waiting a long time till it stops sapping on its own. I cut 5 year dead beetle killed ponderosa pine, and some of the rounds have fresh sap coming out.

 

[billb3]

Good luck finding a 900 year old Ponderosa Pine in New Hampshire.
The trees there haven't evolved resin to survive for centuries, droughts and forest fires.


All the EWP I've cut and split the sap on the ends of fresh cut rounds tends to dry up in three to 6 months. That's often how long I wait to handle rounds to split them.
Although sometimes I'll split them green and just throw the gloves out that I handled them with.

 

[Hogwildz]

Talk to your local saw mill/lumber yard, see if they will kiln dry it for ya.

 

[iamlucky13]

I'm not sure about urethane or deck sealer, etc, but I had a pine exterior trim board with a sap vein in it that I just painted over like the rest of the trim.

In the summer heat, the sap broke through the paint and left streaks. It was dry to the touch so not a sticky issue, but visible. I painted over it again and the next summer it broke through again.

So I think the sap might break through a sealer, but if you're only worried about stickiness, it might not matter a year down the road.

 

[crowescabin]

I live I a 30 year old log cabin built from yellow pine and there is one log that still drips sap out every summer.

 

[ntomsw]

Thanks for the info. I have put 3 coats on it so far, and it seems to be working. We shall see.

 

[crowescabin]

Good luck man. There is only one log on the whole house that does that. You should be ok.