# When wood doesn't sink...



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Hey

I have recently got my hands on about a dozen pieces of very nice looking driftwood. Its been out of the water for a very long now, so to be on the safe side, I am going to boil them for 2 hours just to be safe (1 full day of boiling wood soup....hmmmm). 

Since they have been out of water and dried for very long time, I am anticipating a long soakage before they actually sink by themselves.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips/tricks to speed up this process of water logging the wood?

Thanks


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Not much you can do just let it soak most of mine took about a year to sink. You can silicone a rock to the bottom or screw some slate on to hold them down.


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## overleaf (Feb 1, 2009)

As pat said, throw a piece of slate on the bottom, remove after 6 months if you want to.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Throw them into a steam autoclave.

It works.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

My driftwood usually sank safely within a week. The pieces always got pre-boiled for tanin removal and then all I did was pin the pieces down with rocks. Within a week or so I was able to remove the rocks and place the driftwood decoratively.


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## flashback3003 (Apr 8, 2009)

well my drift wood didnt seem to like water...So i drilled a couple of holes into it about 1 cm deep(1 hole per 10 cm) and then i boiled it up for about 1 hr.And it liked sinking!


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Thanks for the info guys.


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## Platypus (Jun 2, 2009)

The slate idea is probably the easiest.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

True, but I think I'll stick with just normal soak and boil. 

Not a fan of bottom filled with slate.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Here's a great idea/thread about making driftwood sink/stay put.

http://www.kwas.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=13152&highlight=driftwood+suction+cups


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

that is actually a really interesting idea. I'll give that a try.

Thanks


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

I don't have a pot big enough to boil the piece of wood I want to use.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Riceburner said:


> I don't have a pot big enough to boil the piece of wood I want to use.


As long as its not a big stump like thing (ie, it has branches or something). You can always boil it in sections. not as in cut it, but boil one side, flip it over to boil another, and so on and so forth.

Or just get a bigger pot xD


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

nope...it's a big stump.  

I need to find a big pot just for non food stuff....should check some yard sales maybe.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Ah...ya big pot it is....or you can always cut it into pieces and then assemble it afterwards.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

The Franken-stump!!!!


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Riceburner said:


> The Franken-stump!!!!


Im sure your fish would love that idea. XD


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

sinking is the easy part. Leeching the tannins out is what I'm after.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Riceburner said:


> sinking is the easy part. Leeching the tannins out is what I'm after.


Boil them for 3 hours with hourly water changes does the trick for me. But I like to have slightly tannin stained waters. So ya you might have some long hard soakage to do if you want minimal tannin.

I bet tannin free wood would be a good business idea...:/


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## characinfan (Dec 24, 2008)

My giant piece of wood http://http://www.gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7929&highlight=soup is starting to equilibrate with the water only now. I have been forcing it underwater with weights on the aquarium lid plus piling my other (completely saturated) pieces of driftwood on it.
The rate of tannin leaching has decreased so that now the water gets less pigmented and stays that way with every water change.
It has taken more than 2 months to achieve this level of waterloggedness.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

I've got pieces that are still semi floating after a year.


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

lol...ya from all of soakage its not close to sinking....I think I am going with slate, now I just have to find someone/somewhere to cut a piece of slate and possibly drill a hole for me. :/


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

just buy a small masonry bit and drill it yourself. I use stainless screws and flatish rocks. 
Just behind the snail is one and then on the opposite end of the log and another at the back to make a tripod...


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

I would, but I dont think my mom would appreciate the idea of me drilling and cutting stone using power tool at this moment. lol


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

what's wrong with drilling thru rocks on the dining room table?????


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

I feel liek its more of the me handling power tools, as apposed to the destruction of dining room furniture.


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Hitch said:


> I feel liek its more of the me handling power tools, as apposed to the destruction of dining room furniture.


I am just curious?

Do you drive a 93' Safari Passenger van

and live in Markham Rd + Sheppard


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

bigfishy said:


> I am just curious?
> 
> Do you drive a 93' Safari Passenger van
> 
> and live in Markham Rd + Sheppard


Umm...no....

mind me ask why? lol


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## bigfishy (Jun 19, 2009)

Hitch said:


> Umm...no....
> 
> mind me ask why? lol


Because I recently sold a dozen of driftwood to a person, I am wondering if that person was you


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

O...lol. Def not me. I bought mine from a guy on Warden. Lol


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