5 ms·

The problem with copper is, it's toxic to more or less everything. No, it isn't as bad as lead, and humans tolerate it far better than most organisms, but I'd s

The problem with copper is, it's toxic to more or less everything. No, it isn't as bad as lead, and humans tolerate it far better than most organisms, but I'd still rather not ingest it.

jessaustin 9y ago
The best treatment for wood exposed to the elements is copper-based. In USA, however, the requirements for treatment facilities have grown more and more onerous, so that it's fairly impossible to find such wood anymore.
- fpgaminer 9y ago
  About a month or two ago here in California, I picked up a bunch of pressure treated 2x4s from Home Depot. They're copper-azole treated.
- rainbowmverse 9y ago
  I treat regulations the same way I treat what seem to be illogical programming/engineering solutions. If I don't understand the problem well enough to know why the regulation/solution is the way it is, I have no business commenting on it until I do.
  - comicjk 9y ago
    Very good point. If you're interested, this principle has a catchy name: Chesterton's Fence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Chesterton%27s_fence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Chesterton%27s_fence
- Mtinie 9y ago
  You might be thinking of CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate). It's still in use but harder to find vs. forumations that don't use arsenic. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate
  - jessaustin 9y ago
    I've seen CCA lumber before, but the stuff I'm talking about is different than that. You have to wear gloves while handling it, and if you touch your face you'll be crying the rest of the day. It's nasty shit, but it doesn't rot.
    - Mtinie 9y ago
      Creosote? Railroad ties are coated in it and for a long time it was one of the main wood preservatives used. It's tar-based, nasty stuff and you'd definitely want to use gloves when working with it.
      - jessaustin 9y ago
        Good guess, but this wasn't creosote either. It was much more irritating than that. Who knows, maybe it's an especially noxious mix that was only used by sawmills here in the Ozarks? Like I said, we can't find it anymore. My dad had a bunch of 16' 1"x6"s for fence boards in the last batch treated at the last sawmill we knew that could do the treatment, and that was some years ago.

The problem with copper is, it's toxic to more or less everything. No, it isn't as bad as lead, and humans tolerate it far better than most organisms, but I'd still rather not ingest it.

jessaustin 9y ago

The best treatment for wood exposed to the elements is copper-based. In USA, however, the requirements for treatment facilities have grown more and more onerous, so that it's fairly impossible to find such wood anymore.

fpgaminer 9y ago
About a month or two ago here in California, I picked up a bunch of pressure treated 2x4s from Home Depot. They're copper-azole treated.
rainbowmverse 9y ago
I treat regulations the same way I treat what seem to be illogical programming/engineering solutions. If I don't understand the problem well enough to know why the regulation/solution is the way it is, I have no business commenting on it until I do.
- comicjk 9y ago
  Very good point. If you're interested, this principle has a catchy name: Chesterton's Fence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Chesterton%27s_fence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Chesterton%27s_fence
Mtinie 9y ago
You might be thinking of CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate). It's still in use but harder to find vs. forumations that don't use arsenic. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromated_copper_arsenate
- jessaustin 9y ago
  I've seen CCA lumber before, but the stuff I'm talking about is different than that. You have to wear gloves while handling it, and if you touch your face you'll be crying the rest of the day. It's nasty shit, but it doesn't rot.
  - Mtinie 9y ago
    Creosote? Railroad ties are coated in it and for a long time it was one of the main wood preservatives used. It's tar-based, nasty stuff and you'd definitely want to use gloves when working with it.
    - jessaustin 9y ago
      Good guess, but this wasn't creosote either. It was much more irritating than that. Who knows, maybe it's an especially noxious mix that was only used by sawmills here in the Ozarks? Like I said, we can't find it anymore. My dad had a bunch of 16' 1"x6"s for fence boards in the last batch treated at the last sawmill we knew that could do the treatment, and that was some years ago.