They say never to look a gift horse in the mouth, but if that horse is made of hardwood you had better check it for bugs! Powderpost beetles to be specific. Turns out my new found cache of maple is full of them.

I'm trying a multistep process to eliminate the unwelcome inhabitants. First is good old fashioned removal of infested stock. I culled the lumber, and the cut away what I didn't need all outdoors. Second is a dousing in a boron salt based solution. I skipped both the Timbor and Boracare and went straight to 20 Mule Team Borax. Finally there's the heat treatment. 10 hours in a kiln made from rigid foam insulation and a space heater. Not pretty, but let's see if it gets the job done!