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Sap removal

Written byRichard

Very occasionally you may be faced with a sap pocket in one of the logs within a Log Cabin. This is unavoidable unfortunately and this does sometimes happen with timber. Sap is very sticky and can leave quite a mess. This post covers sap removal, especially larger pockets of it.

Removing sap in wood, you can either leave it to dry and then cut off with a sharp knife, your can also wipe it off with white spirit.

For a larger pocket such as the one below you can follow these simple steps:

Warm up the sap

Seen here is a large sap pocket we found while installing a new show building. Using a heat gun or hair dryer you can liquify the sap pocket. As heat is applied it will start to flow out of the pocket.

Removal of sap - Mend if necessary

Use a rag to collect the flow. Be careful not to heat the wood too much (as we have done here) otherwise you will scorch it slightly. Wipe of the sap flow with spirits on a cloth.

Sap has all bubbled out and cleaned off with white spirit. As we scorched the wood we will need to give the log a light sanding.

Good as new!

Sap removal – sanded and cleaned.

Sap pocket disappeared and blended into the rest of the log cabin and now imperceptible.

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