Can this Bear be saved?
May 29, 2018 12:28 PM Subscribe
I found this bear in the trash. I want to rescue him, but am not sure how to deal with the rot.
Best answer: Spray it down with some dilute bleach to kill the fungus causing rot. Repeat the bleach treatment a couple of times.
Use steel wool and sandpaper to clean the surface of the bear; scrape out the rotten areas of wood.
Keep it in a dry spot with it propped off the floor for a few months to let it dry. An attic would be fine if there's ventilation/circulation.
After drying you could apply a commercial rot prevention, but they're kind of expensive so I wouldn't bother. Also spar varnish is kind of expensive for a partially rotten bear. For cheap preservation of outdoor wood stuff any of the cheap enamel spray-paints will work fine. Do a bunch of coats of the spray-paint on the whole thing paying special attention to the rotten areas.
Do note that for oil based paint to penetrate wood the wood must be dry! Oil is repeled by water.
posted by gregr at 1:09 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Use steel wool and sandpaper to clean the surface of the bear; scrape out the rotten areas of wood.
Keep it in a dry spot with it propped off the floor for a few months to let it dry. An attic would be fine if there's ventilation/circulation.
After drying you could apply a commercial rot prevention, but they're kind of expensive so I wouldn't bother. Also spar varnish is kind of expensive for a partially rotten bear. For cheap preservation of outdoor wood stuff any of the cheap enamel spray-paints will work fine. Do a bunch of coats of the spray-paint on the whole thing paying special attention to the rotten areas.
Do note that for oil based paint to penetrate wood the wood must be dry! Oil is repeled by water.
posted by gregr at 1:09 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If this is going to stay inside where it is dry, I wouldn't worry about the rot. Let it dry very well, then fill the holes with Bondo. You can paint any way you want.
If it is going to live outside the prep is more critical. You need to either stabilize the rot or dig it out and fill the holes. 2 coats of an exterior paint will seal it.
posted by H21 at 3:37 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
If it is going to live outside the prep is more critical. You need to either stabilize the rot or dig it out and fill the holes. 2 coats of an exterior paint will seal it.
posted by H21 at 3:37 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Just bringing it in from the damp will stop it from rotting. Doing the dilute bleach treatment sounds good but otherwise, it's got a story to tell, so I'd leave as is.
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:05 PM on May 29, 2018
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:05 PM on May 29, 2018
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posted by holgate at 12:33 PM on May 29, 2018