My kuksa went mouldy!

[bmartin1uk]

Read somewhere to boil the kuksa in a brine for a few hours - apparently it helps it to stop splitting. Then placed it in a partially sealed bag and stuck it in a draw in my house - dark and cool. Couple of weeks later i checked on it and its covered in furry mold which has stained the wood.

erm....

1/ Should i have skipped the boiling it
2/ If i give it a sand, do you think it'll remove the markings?

P.s I may have watched too many episodes of House, but anyone think the mould will be anything i should be worried about?

 

[Retired Member southey]

Dunno abou the mould, I simmer some things in brine then just hang them up in the garage, no bag or owt though matey.

 

[bmartin1uk]

That might have been the issue - i think i was employing two methods to help with the drying process and maybe they obviously dont work that well together!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hehehe, that's probably it, matey, i used to put the shaving in a bag with what ever was being shaved over night, but now just leave it out side.

 

[Barn Owl]

Just wipe off the mould,clean with some antibacterial,wee sand then oil up.

I use walnut oil.

I've done that before without any trouble.

Tom.

 

[Ape_Ogre]

I may have watched too many episodes of House, but anyone think the mould will be anything i should be worried about?

Probably Lupus (I may have watched too many episodes as well...)

 

[bmartin1uk]

Probably Lupus (I may have watched too many episodes as well...)

Its never lupus.....or gonorrhea!

 

[bmartin1uk]

Just wipe off the mould,clean with some antibacterial,wee sand then oil up.

I use walnut oil.

I've done that before without any trouble.

Tom.

Thanks for the advice Barn Owl - if i start to bleed from every hole within the week, i'm blaming you!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Where do you get wee sand from?

 

[merrygold85]

Distillled vinegar (clear stuff) will get rid of the mould and kill off the bacteria. My guess would be that it was caused by being in a sealed bag so it couldn't dry out.

 

[Barn Owl]

Where do you get wee sand from?

The play school sandpit....

 

[Barn Owl]

Thanks for the advice Barn Owl - if i start to bleed from every hole within the week, i'm blaming you!

Well, when I said no trouble, I did grow an extra pinkie but don't think there's a connection...

 

[chris_irwin]

Where do you get wee sand from?

That's what I was thinking. I knew it was good for Jellyfish stings, but finishing up a kuksa?

 

[mrcharly]

Probably Lupus (I may have watched too many episodes as well...)

Or Bachets.

 

[Ian S]

.... placed it in a partially sealed bag and stuck it in a draw in my house - dark and cool. Couple of weeks later i checked on it and its covered in furry mold which has stained the wood.

Drying green wood can be fun (spelled 'damn nuisance' at times). The problem here is that you left the wood both damp and airless. What you need to do is a controlled drying to balance the drying (so it doesn't go mouldy) with the keeping green (so it doesn't split).

The way I do it (I carve bowls for fun) is to keep the bowl in a plastic bag for 23 hours, out of the bag for an hour, turn the bag inside-out and put the bowl into the bag for 23 hours etc. Repeat for about a week, then change your timing to 21 hours/3 hours for another week or so. Then maybe change your timings to 18 hours/6 hours for up to a week, then let it air dry.

When you start, you'll get lots of condensation on the bag and the wood will feel wet, but this will noticably decrease.

There are various other ways to deal with this - check the Bodger's website for further ideas - link.

Cheers

 

[bmartin1uk]

Great advice. thanks guys

 

[Trunks]

I have a similar problem!

My girlfriend bought my kuksa from the European market in Manchester a few years ago, it's been great. But came to pack for another trip out to find it mouldy

Probably stored damp with no air.
I have rinsed it with some mild bleachy water - thinking that would sort it. Left it to dry on a shelf, but it's just gone mouldy again!!

Any advice?


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[bushwacker bob]

Either follow the advice given or buy a steel mug.