Mortising soggy treated lumber.

[Windy in Kansas]

Yesterday I attempted to make some mortises in some very wet soggy treated lumber. Talk about a tough job.

I marked the mortises using a marking gauge. Even the point of it was bringing moisture to the surface. Did I mention that the wood was soggy?

After the mortise was marked I attempted to auger drill out material. New bit and it would hardly cut. Extracting the bit from the through mortise cut was a challenge in itself.

Chiseling out material didn't go very well. My chisel was sharpened and honed on 600 grit sandpaper. It practically bounced off of the wet fibers instead of cutting them.

Router and spiral cutting bit wasn't any better than by hand.

So what is the preferred way to cut wet soggy treated lumber since it almost has to be worked wet to prevent warpage?

Thoughts?

[dennisjp]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

Yesterday I attempted to make some mortises in some very wet soggy treated lumber. Talk about a tough job.

I marked the mortises using a marking gauge. Even the point of it was bringing moisture to the surface. Did I mention that the wood was soggy?

After the mortise was marked I attempted to auger drill out material. New bit and it would hardly cut. Extracting the bit from the through mortise cut was a challenge in itself.

Chiseling out material didn't go very well. My chisel was sharpened and honed on 600 grit sandpaper. It practically bounced off of the wet fibers instead of cutting them.

Router and spiral cutting bit wasn't any better than by hand.

So what is the preferred way to cut wet soggy treated lumber since it almost has to be worked wet to prevent warpage?

Thoughts?

Where did the wood come from??????
Any time I use trated lumber, I either pick it up myself and go throgh it piece meal or order 25 % extra knowing I will take back the worst 25% to get credit.
Wet wood is hard to work with period and there will still be warpage and shrinkage also, as the wood dries.
What are you building with traeted wood that you are mortising any way??

[Windy in Kansas]

The wood came from one of the big box stores. The pile I had to choose from had already been picked over pretty thoroughly so I picked the best I could. In other words I'd rather attempt to work straight wet wood than a 4 X4 with a 12 inch curve in it.

I'm making an outdoor workbench and the mortising is for the legs of it.

[kmaproperties]

They make galvinized saddle plates that take the place of mortises, use them with gorilla glue or any exterior uerathane glue.