Drift Wood Found, now what?

[verbosity]

I was walking to my mail box and noticed this in the yard!! So I picked it up and sprayed it down with the water hose.

I love it!! Even has a big cave in the middle of it.

The only thing is it is to big for the oven or boiling. I don't want to cut it down..

What should I do?
http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/3607/bigstickxx5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/1929/bigstick5gbucketii4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

That's a 5 gallon bucket it is in.

[jeffs99dime]

you can cut it up in a few pieces and boil it. when you're done, you can epoxy it back together. i've used this method before. looks like a nice piece

[crackatinny]

Boil it and boil it, then boil it some more, changing water in between, untill water is clear, it will release tannins into the tank otherwise, though not harmfull, they will put a brown tinge in your water.

[crackatinny]

How about boiling it in a big drum in the back yard with a fire underneath?

[verbosity]

If I cut it up, it will never look the same..

I don't have a big drum. Any drums I could get would have undesirables in them like oil or paint thinner.

[OscarFan]

Ive heard of putting ornaments in the dish washer.

[jeffs99dime]

Ive heard of putting ornaments in the dish washer.


you'll get soap residue on the wood then

[Lady Hobbs]

I put mine I got in the wild in a big trash can full of table salt. Salt will kill any parasites lingering in the wood. And scrubbed it well, several times, with a brush.

I left it in the salt water (turning the wood daily due to size) for a week and then in clear water for another week. Had to change the water often.

[OscarFan]

You could also try charring it over a fire if you dont mind the blackness.

[verbosity]

I ended up just putting it in the tank..

Two days later, and my water isn't even turning brown.
I wonder if this was in an aquarium before I found it.

I live on a mobile home park and found it on the way to the mail boxes.. It didn't look like it belonged there.

[Algenco]

I ended up just putting it in the tank..

Two days later, and my water isn't even turning brown.
I wonder if this was in an aquarium before I found it.

I live on a mobile home park and found it on the way to the mail boxes.. It didn't look like it belonged there.

It's well weathered, probably doesn't have any tannins left in it.
I've used a few big pieces that wouldn't fit in a pot for boiling. I clean them with a pressure washer, pour several gallons of boiling water over them and use.

[gm72]

I ended up just putting it in the tank..

Two days later, and my water isn't even turning brown.
I wonder if this was in an aquarium before I found it.

I live on a mobile home park and found it on the way to the mail boxes.. It didn't look like it belonged there.

Hopefully you didn't end up introducing any diseases into the tank. Looks like a nice piece of wood!

[verbosity]

I've since then taken it out.

I've lost some fish, but there where already a few sick ones in there that where badgered in another tank.