I have used the heat the wood in the oven and epoxy sealing method. I like it a lot and use it on soft woods. I was wondering if anyone has done it, heating the wood first that is, when sealing in Spar Urethane, BLO, Val oil, type sealers. I would think a nice warm piece of wood would absorb more sealer, no ? Or is this wasted time as sealing room temp wood would be plenty good enough. I may never try it but I was just curious if any had and what their conclusions were.

I use a microwave much faster.

and use something other than epoxy?

Paul,
I did it this weekend on 2 sets of soft maple darters with spar urethane. The first time I heated it to like 250 like usual and it soaked it up like a sponge but in the places it didn't absorb as well it started to set up and dry too fast. The lip cut was still soaking it up but the stuff on the straight part of the body was building up. I ended up wiping them down with acetone to start over.

The next batch I lowered the temp to 200, it still sucked it up but they dried slower and I had time to wipe of the excess before it started to dry. Its amazing how much faster the end grain surfaces absorb it. On the darters the 45 of the lip and the curve of the tail soaked it up like 3 or 4 times...

now are you submerging them for a period of time or are you just dipping them pulling them out wiping them and then dipping them again and repeat till they stop absorbing or leave under for say 1/2 hour then taking out and wiping off, with them obviously cool down by then.

Paul,
I take from the oven, run downstairs, drip some thru the thru hole till its coming out the other end. Then take a pipe cleaner, dip in the urethane then pass that thru. Q tips to the belly hole, then foam brush it till it stop soaking in. This is where it was taking 3-4 coats on the end grain surfaces and the flat parts were drying when it was too hot.

I thought about submerging them while hot but I have not tried that yet.

Since I had not done this before with urethane, when the set I did last thursday had dried a few days, I submerged em cold for a bit like I used to do with val oil and then wiped them off. I haven't worked much with maple and I know its prone to split if water gets in so I basically sealed em both ways just to be sure.

and use something other than epoxy?

Only warm the plugs Paul they don't need to be hot just warm and they will suck in almost anything into the wood.

I use a microwave much faster.

I hope you do that prior to weighting!! :spin: