mystery in the sticker pile

[woodshop]

I recently unstickered a pile of cherry I milled in March this year as remarkably, it was down to 14% MC already. I use a wax based lumber crayon to mark all my boards with the species and date milled when I sticker them so I know how long it's been drying etc. Occasionally I even make another mark telling me the tree origin.. like if it was a tree special to somebody (Grandfather planted it etc) and they wanted something made from THAT particular cherry tree and I didn't want to get it mixed up with all my other cherry boards. In this case, it was cherry milled Mar so I put CH 3-08 on the board. I noticed though on some of the boards that they were dirty on the outside of the crayon numbers and not the inside!! Now... dirt knows no crayon boundary, so could this dirt on the boards be caused by insects? If so, why won't the insects cross a crayon mark on the board? It is clearly dirty right up to the border of the number, then relatively clean inside the number. You can see the mark left by the sticker right down the middle of the number in the 08, with dark dirty markings along the edge of the sticker, and nice clean wood directly under the upper part of the sticker, and then darker dirty area again under the other half of the sticker where the board apparently cupped a little and there was thus a little space between the board and the bottom of the sticker. Enough space for insects to get under and make that blackish darker dirty area? A mystery... anybody care to enlighten me?

 

[The Lorax]

Looks like water marks, where the crayon is probably affects the surface tension?
Try it on a piece of paper with a crayon draw a circle and put some water outside the circle slowly add more water and it will tend to run away from the wax.

 

[VT-Woodchuck]

Hi WS,
Looks to me as if the "dirty" area might be mold induced and for some reason the wax is a barrier to the spread. Can't wait to hear other theories!
Kit

 

[b1rdman]

Looks like water marks, where the crayon is probably affects the surface tension?
Try it on a piece of paper with a crayon draw a circle and put some water outside the circle slowly add more water and it will tend to run away from the wax.

oooh...that's a good one.

I was thinking a little dust of pollen in the wind (with the wax being a "wind break").

 

[The Lorax]

If you look closely at the figure 3 in the second pic you can see areas where the crayon has missed (lands and grooves) to use firearms terminology.
The lands have crayon and the grooves have none, and the dirt appears to have crossed the line midway on the top of the line and lower diagonal line on the 3 this appears to have carried dirt through the line.
So I guess either water with atmospheric dust mixed in perhaps from a fire nearby or a chimney or OWB?

 

[Zodiac45]

If you look closely at the figure 3 in the second pic you can see areas where the crayon has missed (lands and grooves) to use firearms terminology.
The lands have crayon and the grooves have none, and the dirt appears to have crossed the line midway on the top of the line and lower diagonal line on the 3 this appears to have carried dirt through the line.
So I guess either water with atmospheric dust mixed in perhaps from a fire nearby or a chimney or OWB?

+1 that would be my guess too. I believe the dirt is water borne also.

 

[Rookie1]

Martians did it!

 

[deeker]

I have had similar discolorations on wood from my band mill. If I stop pushing the power head through the cut, it leaves a black streak. Second, rust from nails or other tramp metals.

Aside from that, I don't know. Keep us posted.

Kevin

 

[MJR]

Static charge?

 

[Adkpk]

After sleeping on it I came up with the answer. It mold spoors trapped by the crayon coral.

 

[Al Weber]

Woodshop

Good to hear from you again. I thought you were too busy milling to look at your work. I favor the arguments that it is water borne contamination also as I think it looks directional. That is, the clean areas seem to be in the same direction from the marks in the picture. However, it could be that it is organism related and that something in the crayon has some antibiotic activity or protective activity just from the wax and that it is carried by moisture somehow and then the bugs or mold won't attack it. In any case, an interesting observation.

I had a logger take down a number of cherry and maples from my woodlot and I've cleaned up the firewood from them finally and built a log deck. Now I need to get busy milling but with 5" of rain in the past week, I've devoted my time to building a better drying system in the lower level of my barn. I'm hoping to get started milling again when the landing dries up but plenty of time for that when it is a bit cooler.

 

[woodshop]

The more I look at this, the more I am also leaning towards water being the culprit. This stickered pile was covered on top, but the sides were open to the elements, and this particular board was near the bottom of the stack, thus would maybe get more water blown or rained into the side of the pile. I guess I could see that water running or seeping onto the board, but then when it got to that wax "barrier" although pretty weak I would think, it was enough to stop the water from seeping past that point, thus that is where it was moist, and thus that is where those dark mold spores settled till it dried out waiting for the next rainstorm. Not sure there is any antibiotic in the crayon... don't think they would go to that trouble and expense. Wax does repel water though.

Thanks for all the head scratching guys.

 

[rfalk]

water....then mold/mildew is my guess

My guess is that it is both water and mildew/mold induced. Might have been surface water that stopped at the wax boundary of the crayon and provided enough surface moisture to grow some mildew which is evidenced by the black splotches. Easily removed with water/beach solution.

Bob Falk, USDA Forest Products Lab

 

[woodshop]

My guess is that it is both water and mildew/mold induced. Might have been surface water that stopped at the wax boundary of the crayon and provided enough surface moisture to grow some mildew which is evidenced by the black splotches. Easily removed with water/beach solution.

Bob Falk, USDA Forest Products Lab

Don't need bleach for these, they are rough boards right off the saw. One pass through the planer and I'm into nice clear mold/splotch/sticker-stain free cherry.

 

[c5c7c9]

And to think.......

At one time people thought crop circles were something, HAAAAA!!!!

 

[Burlhunter13]

You guys figured it out for the most part......but heres my breakdown.

It might be from water running down or across the board, The pile or individual board would have to be on a slight incline (or the board is cupped) for this to happen (thats why only some numbers are affected). One side of the board gets wet and when enough water is on the board for it to run it will slowly run around the wax leaving the inner sides of the numbers dry. Now because the board around the numbers are more damp then on the inside of the numbers this extra moisture could support more mold growth. Take a good look of the photo with the number 3....the very inner arches of the number 3 would hold more water because if the water was running it would "pool" up against the arches, but not pass because of the wax. Thats why those spots are extra dark with mold growth....due to more water. Thats my guess lol.

And if this isnt the case.....then I blame Hilary Clinton.




Thanks for sharing that....thats really neat!