Christopher Tidy on Wed, 12 Aug 2020
16:30:09 -0700 (PDT) typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
I've been thinking about this topic for a week or two, and I was curious, so I submerged a block of softwood (pine, I think, but perhaps fir) in a tank of writing ink for 8 days.

Today I split the block of wood open with a chisel to see how far the ink had penetrated into the wood. Something like 3 to 6 millimetres parallel to the grain, but only a fraction of a millimetre perpendicular to the grain. The ink also soaks much deeper into the dark rings (summer growth, perhaps - does anyone know?) where the wood is more porous.

Here are some eye-candy pictures of my experiment for the wood fans to enjoy...

http://sphinx.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt...aked_Wood1.jpg
http://sphinx.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt...aked_Wood2.jpg
http://sphinx.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt...aked_Wood3.jpg
http://sphinx.mythic-beasts.com/~cdt...aked_Wood4.jpg

Thanks for the stories!

Chris

Cool. Now, what's your conditions?

Ack, my geek side emerges, "To Do A Proper Test!"
1) Compare a block free floating in the ink with the grain
parallel to the surface, to one free floating with the grain
perpendicular.
2) another set floating against a "stop" of some sort, partially
submerged.
3) another set held completely under, but this spins off further
experiments where the factor would be how deep the ink is, to gauge
the effects of pressure on the penetration.

Of course, comparisons could/should also be made of the moisture
content of the wood before and after. And track the temperature of
the ink solution as well as air pressure.

Then repeat for different species of wood (pine, fir, oak, poplar,
etc.)

Hmmm, sounds like the sort of thing one could get a grant for the
experiment in a Forestry Graduate program, or Engineering. After all,
is that not important information for such processes as "pressure
treating lumber"? _Permeability of solutions in processed select
lumber species._

enjoy

pyotr



--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although far too often, Age travels alone."