I recently started getting into more DIY projects around the house and decided to make a fairly straight forward desk for my computers and monitors. This is a 3×6' desk with black metal pipes for legs.
Being my first hands on project like this, I've made plenty of mistakes and gleaned some valuable lessons from the process. However, I've noticed that the wood seems to sweat a sticky substance. I can only assume it's some sort of sap or pitch.
The desk is made of Douglas Fir planks I picked up at Home Depot. I used the desk before doing more with it and I noticed this early on but thought that sanding it down, staining, and sealing it would resolve the problem. So far, it hasn't.
- Is this normal for the type of wood I picked?
- Can I prevent the sweating without scraping the entire top of the desk? If so, how?
- What's a better alternative to Douglas Fur for a project like this?
Additional information:
- I am using AFM SafeCoat, Naturals Clear Penetrating Oil as my sealer. I wanted something that was food grade and this seemed like a good choice.
Best Answer
Yes it's normal to hit pitch pockets in douglas fir. You can remove it by wiping it with mineral spirits but that's only going to clear the surface and more will weep out; you could be fighting it for years. Because of the pitch (among other reasons), doug fir is not the best choice for furniture. If the wood is prepped correctly by sufficient kiln drying it is fine, but sufficient is often an unknown quantity. You are better off choosing hardwoods like oak or maple ( among others).
I do not know how mineral spirits will interact with your finish. Also mineral spirits can be harsh and if you are sensitive to chemicals you can look into odorless mineral spirits which might help.