> Firstly, if you are not in a decay hazard area, you don't
> have to treat wood ware... Another factor in this debate
> is what is the natural durability of the timber.  If it
> has high natural durability, then it will not need any
> treatment to stop rot... As for the heat sterilising the
> timber in the wax dipping process, it could be the case
> but it affords no protection against re-infestion by the
> fungus... So in summary, wax dipping alone affords no long
> lasting protection to low durability timbers against fungal
> attack in medium to high decay hazard areas nor termite
> attack against aggressive termite species.

Thanks to all for the many contributions to this debate.  We now seem to be
answering questions that have bothered me for many years.  In the above
(condensed) quote, Trevor identifies clearly the reasons for disagreement on
the matter: we all have different assumptions, and needs.

I notice that Garth's notes also mentioned rot and fungus.  Trevor mentions
ants and termites.  None of these are a real problem here.  Trevor also
mentions the original quality of the wood.  Obviously we have a whole kettle
of variables here and I can see why what is obvious to one group is less
than obvious to another until we all state our assumptions. What we assume
in my part of Alberta Canada, apparently cannot be assumed elsewhere.

For me the main problem is weathering of the wood.  I have only little
problem with rot -- after years -- where the pallets touch the ground.
There is also some small risk of rot where the boxes and pallets touch one
another if that area is allowed to accumulate dead bees, etc.   The former
is prevented somewhat if the pallets are moved from time to time and are not
permitted to settle into the earth. In our climate, wood dries out and
weather-checks badly.  The latter is prevented by cleaning the floors by
scraping from time to time.

The wood we use is primarily spruce.  It tends to dry and split and loses
strength over time.  In the absence of wood ants and termites, and with a
wood that dries out, a wax coating has great benefits.  The wax also does
seem to prevent rot where the wood touches other wood and moisture and dirt
might tend to accumulate, such as parts of the structure where boards are
nailed together.

Plywood tends to check and fall apart over time when untreated.  Either a
good coat of paint or wax dipping extends the life very greatly here in my
area.  I believe that the wax treatment actually lasts longer.  Our pallets
are made of spruce boards and plwood.

Once again, we are dealing with a question with an answer that depends
largely on where one lives.  For me, wax preserves my woodenware.

On the subject of AFB, I don't think that it is necessary to actually kill
the spores to prevent reinfection.  Being submerged in hot wax seems to
disable AFB spores sufficiently that chances of re-infestation are nil,
AFAIK.  We had a long discussion of this in the past.  I don't know if we
ever did establish whether the wax in foundation making is heated enough to
kill all spores ot that the spores are present or not in foundation.
Nonetheless, I have never heard an AFB outbreak attributed to spores in
foundation wax.  Maybe I will now?

allen