THE PROCESS OF CHARRING PILES.

West Coast Times, Issue 2785, 6 March 1878, Page 2

THE PROCESS OF CHARRING PILES.

The Chairman of the Harbor Board read at the last meeting of that body, a letter from Mr Watson, of Hobart Town, which contained the following F^ewo* charring piles used for river M • J"Jor protection works. It is lifcly <Hat the process nill be followed in tte proposed works here : —

"Piles for effectually taking the char should be of round trees, and as fresh cv

down as possible. A space to char them on should be selected as near the water as possible, so as not to break the char in rolling them into it. That portion of the pilesthnt will be in the ground will n^f require charring, or the portion of it above high water mark (on these it should be rolled on the skids) to the water. The piles are to be placed on two blocks of wood scored out for the more ease of turning the pile round over the fire, the blocks to raise it about 10 inches from the ground, the pile then to be well coated over with -r laid on thick with mops. Before tan .•-•£, the wood for the firing shcmll be liiid along the whole portion t'< it is to be charred ; the fuel should bo >f small stuff, chips or brushwood, th • fi'-e li.lied in several places will then b'az 1 n», .long the pile its whole length. ,' > iH,n as the fire is well alight the pile must be kept turning round over the fire, which can be done by two men with cant dogs until it is sufficiently charred. The fire can then be eased and the pile io!lrd <ff a few yards from the fire, on to skids laid to take on the uncharred parts, then well coated over with coal tar laid on with mops as quick as possible v hile the pile is hot. A great deal depends on that part of the process in securing the char to the pile, for the *hock from the monkey is apt to shake some of the char off if dry. Care should also be taken in slinging the pile not to use the chain round the charred portion for hoisting it to tlie machine for driving. I have drawn a rough sketch ot the plan we have adopted here.

"I have only a slight knowledge of your native timber except the kauri, but trom a report that I have read I think the totara would answer well for piles. Should you be obliged to use kauri a slow fire will only be required for it. But still, coated with coal tar it keeps the wood from burning away.

" You will perhaps remember in my letter to Mr Waterhouse, it was the charred mast (and that of a very soft pine), of a vessel that was burnt here that first drew my attention to its efficiency of resisting the ravages of the worm. A calm day is the best for charring in, the flame will then

wrap itself round the pile, Square timber for piles will not answer for charring ; we have tried them here, but it was a failure, the flame could not warp round it."