{"id":1108,"date":"2014-05-13T15:03:05","date_gmt":"2014-05-13T14:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/?p=1108"},"modified":"2022-11-08T16:19:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T16:19:17","slug":"weird-wonderful-wood-finishes-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/weird-wonderful-wood-finishes-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Odd, Weird and Wonderful Wood Finishes News"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s amazing how often subjects like wood finishes, wood preservative and wood varnish appear in the news. We’ve grabbed a handful of the most strange, weird and wonderful wood finishing and\u00a0related stories for you. Here goes…enjoy the ride… I bet you never realised wood maintenance was so interesting!<\/p>\n

Fascinating wood maintenance facts<\/h2>\n

Fancy a\u00a0stunning wooden finish on your VW Beetle?<\/h3>\n

People love VW Beetles. The cute little car has won millions of hearts and minds the world over with its quirky, organic shape and friendly ‘face’. Some of us even become\u00a0a little bit obsessive. Take Bosnian Beetle-lover Momir Bojic, who spent two years transforming\u00a0his beloved Beetle into something incredibly special, as recently reported in the \n\nNew York Daily News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Wooden
Photo: REUTERS\/Dado Ruvic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His beautiful, lizard scale-like custom wooden finish even takes the windscreen wipers and side mirrors into account. The end result must be one of the most aesthetically pleasing vehicles in the known universe. And perhaps even the unknown universe, too. What a little stunner… as The Sun might say.<\/p>\n

Bojic made literally thousands of lovely semi-circular Oak ’tiles’, which he them attached to the car, inspired by the traditional wooden roof tiles of his homeland. He has even hand-crafted an oak\u00a0VW logo for the bonnet, plus a\u00a0steering wheel, control knobs and gear stick. Oh, and an Oak\u00a0hat to wear while driving.<\/p>\n

We’re curious about what wood finishing products he uses on the completed masterpiece of a car. What does he\u00a0polish it with? On the off chance you end up reading this, Momir, we would love to know. And by the way,\u00a0you’re a genius!<\/p>\n

Think yourself lucky we don’t live in\u00a0Formosan termite territory<\/h3>\n

We might have the notoriously unpredictable British weather to contend with. But compared to New Orleans, we’re living in clover. They’re\u00a0constantly plagued by millions – if not\u00a0billions – of destructive mini-beasts who love nothing better than to chomp on wood. They’re called Formosan termites, and they’re a nightmare!\u00a0\n\nAs one sufferer explained<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“People have leaned up against walls and found they were hollow because the wood had been eaten up inside. To say it’s a nightmare is really putting it mildly. I actually got sick from all of this. It was a stress-type thing with Jazzfest going on and such a busy time of year and all I could do was talk about termites. It was a horror to me.<\/p>\n

”When I held that light out of my apartment window, birds would sit there on the edge and just eat them. The birds wouldn’t even have to fly because the termites were just swarming out at them. I still have nightmares about it.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Apparently a US wood protection product called\u00a0TimberSaver Wood Treatment<\/em> provides protection against attack from Formosan termites.\u00a0We are very lucky indeed\u00a0not to need it. Thank goodness we don’t have the insects over here.<\/p>\n

\"Formosan<\/p>\n

Having said that, climate change and the associated warmer, wetter\u00a0weather we are due to get could make Britain a suitable home for all sorts of wood destroying creatures, even those\u00a0for whom our weather has always been too chilly.<\/p>\n

When ‘old growth’ pine is the only solution<\/h3>\n

Vermontville, Michigan, USA is the home of a landmark chapel. In US terms it’s very old indeed, at 171 years. And every one of its twenty two twelve-pane windows was crafted carefully from old-growth pine, something that just isn’t used by modern builders.\u00a0In fact you can’t even get it any more!<\/p>\n

\"Vermontville
Photo: Rachel Greco \/ lansingstatejournal.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The wood used to build the chapel windows was harvested in the\u00a01850s. Despite being a soft wood, the old-growth pine has proved remarkably\u00a0rot resistant. It seems it is naturally hardy.<\/p>\n

Thankfully the restoration project was awarded a grant. So far more than 100 unemployed or under-employed people have been taught\u00a0vital traditional window restoration skills and several important historic sites have been transformed by their efforts, one\u00a0of which is in the marvellously-named\u00a0town of Kalamazoo. As one trainee said,\u00a0“It’s kind of a lost art skill and I’m hoping a second career for me.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Trainees\u00a0learn all sorts of wood maintenance essentials, including\u00a0how to remove lead-based paint safely and how to make and use\u00a0replacement wooden period parts. Once they finish the course they have all the knowledge they need to\u00a0start their own window restoration business.<\/p>\n

So far eight of the chapel’s historic windows have been restored. But the initiative has inspired\u00a0local people, who hope\u00a0to\u00a0continue the\u00a0restoration work themselves.<\/p>\n

Bristol or Africa? The\u00a0cradle of civilisation inspires West Country chic<\/h3>\n

\n\nThe Telegraph reports on a gorgeous wooden garden lodge<\/a> built by a couple whose love for Africa runs much more than skin deep.<\/p>\n

\"Africa
Photo: Jan Baldwin \/ telegraph.co.uk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lodge was built by a skilled local carpenter, with wood\u00a0fittings created from\u00a0reclaimed materials. There’s a double bed,\u00a0kitchen,\u00a0wood-burning stove, loo\u00a0and shower, and the couple have also furnished the building with African furniture, decorative items and\u00a0accessories.\u00a0There’s\u00a0even a pair of carved stools and two\u00a0beaded armchairs,\u00a0very like traditional Yoruba tribal thrones.<\/p>\n

Chinese Zikan wood pot makes its owner \u00a3150,000<\/h3>\n

An old,\u00a0neglected \n\nwooden pot has attracted a whopping \u00a3150,000 price tag<\/a> at auction, the stuff\u00a0dreams are made of. The carved pot, which was used as a doorstop for forty years, was originally valued at an impressive \u00a320,000 but eventually sold for more than seven times the estimated amount at a specialist Chinese Asian Arts Sale at Stansted Mountfitchet,\u00a0Essex.<\/p>\n

\"Chinese
Photo: Mercury Press & Media Ltd \/ telegraph.co.uk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pot is carved with the story of\u00a0The Hundred Boys<\/em>, a popular Chinese folk tale, and the 200 year old piece’s\u00a0selling price highlights the robust health of the Chinese antiques market right now. If you have a carved wooden object\u00a0that may be Chinese,\u00a0it might be worth getting it valued. You never know…<\/p>\n

How to spot dry rot?<\/h3>\n

Apparently more Johannesburg properties are suffering from dry rot than ever before, and it’s all down to too much moisture. Wood with a moisture content of 20% plus\u00a0is particularly at risk.<\/p>\n

It’s pretty damn damp in Britain a lot of the time, and we suffer dry rot too. But how do you spot the signs? \n\nAs reported on the IOL website<\/a>, here’s what to watch out for:<\/p>\n