Need help with wood

[Strange Famous]

So, I am embarassed that I should have to ask, as my grandfather was a master carpenter. But I have no clue with practical stuff

I had a tree in my yard and cut it back, I cut off one of the brances to use as a poking stick for burning the foilage etc, and then decided it was a good size for a walking/swinging at stuff when walking stick.

But since I had it, the end where it was cut is covered in mould and feels kind of damp. It is still covered in bark, I basically did nothing but cut the branch to the size I liked...what do I need to do to it if I want to keep it?

[dlish]

buy a hiking/trekking stick. they're relatively cheap and serve your purpose well and are adjustable.

if the branch feels wet, you need to let it dry out. leave it in the sun for a few weeks ( i know how hard that can be in the UK) then when you're happy with the moisture content of your timber use a clear sealer to stop the timber from drawing any water in.

[Hektore]

1. Let it dry.

Stick it someplace with low humidity possibly an attic or outside for a week when it's sunny and dry. I would bring it in at night. A more expensive route would be finding a kiln/lumber mill and seeing if you can pay them to dry it for you.

2. Peel the bark

If hasn't fallen off on it's own - it almost certainly will at some point, and makes your options for sealing quite a bit more expensive. It will also be easier to do this once its dry.

3. Seal it.

Some kind of water barrier is essential. There are many types of sealant and they all require different maintenance schedules (everything wood needs maintenance if it's going to last). Spend an hour or two at the store (or on the internet) reading labels. Find one you think you can deal with and follow the instructions.

[dlish]

i doubt SF wants to spend money to kiln dry it. but year it is an option.

if you have a fireplace or heater, place it in the vicinity (no not in front of it). it would help with sapping the water out of the timber and the conditions indoors would probably be less humid that outside.