Something to Blush About

Did your recently applied clear coat turn hazy white?

During the cooler shoulder seasons of spring and early fall, and even throughout the summer, we occasionally get concern. Water-based finishes can be sensitive to cool, wet weather. If dew or rain get onto a finish before it has fully dried or cured, there can be a startling effect called blushing. Blushing is a white appearance in the finish that happens when water reacts with an uncured finish. It will disappear and turn clear again when the finish dries and cures, but that could take a few warm, dry days. In some extreme situations it has taken several weeks for the blushing to clear up, or if it’s in the late fall it might take all winter when things warm up to cure in the spring.

Although clearing of the whiteness can be sped up through the use of a hair-dryer, it’s generally better to do nothing and let it cure out on its own. Blushing typically doesn’t affect the performance on the finish, but is merely a temporary cosmetic headache. Once the finish has cured and cleared, the blushing should not return.

 

Question about your log finish blushing? Contact us here.

https://www.loghelp.com/contact_us.asp

Why a Splitting Axe?

 

There is satisfaction in processing your own firewood on a brisk autumn day. The smell of the wood, the physical exercise, and the activity outdoors make a fulfilling experience prepping fuel for your fire.

The process of splitting wood is essentially redirecting force. You convert the incredible downward inertia of the heavy steel head and translate that into the horizontal movement of the cloven pieces of wood. The heaver the head and the faster the swing, the more energy you have to work with. The shape of the head determines how much of that energy changes direction.

When it comes to processing firewood by hand, a splitting maul is the workhorse of the block. A thick heavy wedge on a long handle provides for plenty of leverage and heft. Such a tool can divide a large ash log like slicing butter. Although these mauls are excellent for splitting large pieces, they are also laborious to lug around.

If you are planning on spending a day hiking or camping, and need to haul your tools around with you, a splittingAXE is your best friend. The shorter handle and smaller head make it a much more packable tool, while still giving you a thick wedge and a heavy enough head to split most campfire wood. These features make the splitting axe ideal for wood processing on-the-go.

 

See more about axes and mauls: https://www.loghelp.com/categories/axes-and-mauls.asp