Fonts made of natural and stained larch renowned manufacturer Maestro Woods, made in the traditional Russian style, fully ensure the conduct of wellness procedures and at the same time give the pleasant sensation of revived antiquity.

Used to be large barrels with cold water stood in almost every Russian bath. They were used to make contrasting water treatments, when, after a hot bathhouse with a vigorous birch broom, a person abruptly sank into a barrel of cold water, and where the font could not be installed, he simply dived into the hole. And in general, in the old days, fonts were often used as a bath. The traditions are ancient, but, I must say, today practically nothing has changed: the same barrel, the same charge of vivacity and the feeling of youthfulness of the body. Only the font itself has become more aesthetic, acquiring interesting shapes, high-quality finishing and additional accessories that improve the comfort during the procedure. All these qualities are demonstrated by Maestro Woods hot tubs - a manufacturer with many years of experience, proven technology and an excellent reputation.

For the manufacture of hot tubs, the company uses selected blanks from Siberian larch, which does not lose its properties under conditions high humidity and at large temperature differences, which ultimately makes the manufactured products beautiful, reliable and durable. The biostability index of Siberian larch is higher than that of oak, and even more so for pine, therefore this material breaks all records of durability in extreme conditions.

The hot tubs are covered with a waterproof varnish, which excludes contact of water with wood, which significantly increases their service life and allows them to be used in any interior. Maestro Woods hot tubs look equally good both in the traditional interior of a Russian bathhouse and in various interiors carried out in modern styles, for example, in Scandinavian, Eastern or even Japanese. Given the presence of a high-strength coating, the font can be installed outdoors, but avoid contact with sun rays... For convenience, each hot tub comes with a ladder, seat, drain and overflow.

Maestro Woods larch hot tubs are available in three versions.

Round. The traditional form, which looks beautiful and with its style hints at the opportunity to use a kind of "antique" attraction. It is convenient to sit in a font of this form with a company. It is great for spacious rooms. At the same time, the sizes of the manufactured models allow you to choose a round tub for a bath of almost any area.

Oval. A popular shape that resembles a bathtub. Such a hot tub allows you to lie down, relax and have fun.

Corner. The shape of the hot tub significantly saves space. Installed in the corner of the room, it will free up more free space and will look spectacular.

The size range of manufactured models is wide enough, which makes the choice effective. Maestro Woods larch tubs have been tested by many years of practice and are an excellent choice for those who want to enjoy the sauna.

Stained wood of any species is formed during a long time in water. If it has not turned into dust over the years, then each such raw material, regardless of the breed, already has a high value for making from it. building materials, decorative items and much more. Stained pine or driftwood that has been lying in the water for decades acquires best performance than any business tree cut down during its growth and even processed using modern technologies.

Stained pine - main properties and features

Water changes the very structure of the wood. Mineralization takes place in it, which is the main reason for the change in the properties and quality characteristics of the feedstock. The main differences that characterize stained pine are:

• high degree of strength. With appropriate processing, it can be increased to the strength of the stone;
• absolutely not susceptible to decay;
• complete neutrality to significant temperature extremes and the destructive effects of moisture;
• complete absence of favorable conditions for the development of harmful insects;
• the actual eternity of products made of such material.

Such material is in wide demand in many areas. But it is distinguished by its high price. This is due not only to the unique characteristics that bog pine has, but also to the complexity and duration of the process of its extraction and processing, strict adherence to the rules and conditions of its drying.

One of the main "suppliers" of stained material is driftwood - a tree that got into the water for natural reasons or, as a result of the process of rafting cut timber by water. Moreover quality characteristics such a material directly depends on the properties of the water in which it has been for many years. Pine, which was harvested from salt water, is distinguished by its special properties.

Areas of use

A material such as stained pine is in very high demand in various fields. It finds its application:

• in the production of elements of external decor and in the manufacture of luxury decorative items;
• in furniture and parquet production;
• as the best raw material for the formation of technological chips;
• in the process of obtaining high quality charcoal;
• in the manufacture of the widest range of building materials;
• in the environmentally friendly construction of extra strong wooden residential buildings.

For low-rise construction, stained pine is ideal material that does not require additional protective treatment. She is not afraid of destructive climatic influences, does not shrink, which allows the use of housing built from such material immediately after its delivery.

Wood has been used by mankind in construction and decoration for a very long time. This material has a special variety. This is stained wood. Such material has lived two lives. At first, the tree grew under the rays of the sun, and then it turned out to be in the depths of water. Here it was long time.

As a result, the material acquires a characteristic dark shade. In addition, its construction qualities are improved. The wood becomes very durable. After such natural processing, it is not subject to decay, bugs and insects do not start in it.

In addition to its strength characteristics, stained wood famous for its luxurious appearance... It is an excellent material for interior decoration, furniture facades. The cost of stained wood is quite high.

Various means are used to give the material a sophisticated look. Therefore, it is quite possible to process wood with your own hands.

Stained natural wood

The natural woodworking process takes place naturally. The tree falls under water, where it is for a long time. The longer, the better its quality. To determine how many years the material has been under water, stained wood is analyzed. In some cases, the duration of this period exceeds 1000 years.

The cost of the presented material reaches 300 thousand rubles. per cubic meter m. This is a very rare oak wood. Other breeds may also undergo natural treatments of the type presented. Most often, you can find on sale birch, larch, pine, aspen or spruce, the staining process of which lasted 30 years. The cost of the material, depending on the variety, can range from 2.5 to 25 thousand rubles. per cubic meter m.

Not everyone has the opportunity to use such material. Therefore, wood is processed artificially.

Buy or make stained wood?

V modern world more popular cheap option... This is an artificially stained tree. The material is treated with special compounds, emphasizing the beauty of the texture.

The sale of stained wood, which has been artificially processed, is carried out everywhere. This material is widely used in furniture industry, when finishing floors, walls or ceilings. Various building construction and the details are made of this tree.

Price artificial material significantly less. But it should be remembered that unscrupulous distributors with the help of stain can sell cheap ones under the guise of expensive varieties. It is sometimes quite difficult to determine what type of material is presented to the consumer without expertise. Therefore, if you want to use artificially stained wood, it is better to do the processing yourself.

Stain properties

Artificial materials make it possible to create a product such as stained wood. Almost everyone can do the impregnation with their own hands. Before that, it is necessary to study the properties of tinting and the technology of its application.

Special chemical compositions applied to the prepared surface. They are absorbed by the wood, which allows it to retain its unique structure. First of all, the presented impregnations are designed to ennoble natural wood.

With one or more shades, you can create beautiful finish interior. This turns parquet, furniture facades into a real work of art. Some varieties of wood stains extend the life of the material, protecting it from insects and fungus. Such chemicals inhibit the formation of wood decay processes. Therefore, their use is beneficial in all respects.

Water based stain

Stained wood, which is very expensive to mine and process, is used in luxury construction. Most often, the materials on the market today are treated with compositions based on water, alcohol, oil, wax or acrylic.

The first variety is actively used for self-processing wood. Water stain it can be dry and ready-made. In the first case, the powder is mixed with water in the required proportion.

The stains presented are somewhat difficult to use. They lift the wood grain. It takes quite a long time to achieve an even shade. First, the starting material is impregnated with water. Next, the surface is sanded. This makes the wood resistant to negative impact moisture. This type of wood stain allows you to emphasize the texture of the wood.

Alcohol stain

The alcohol-based stain differs from the previous variety in its drying speed. It does not lift the wood fibers, which eliminates the swelling of the base. Alcohol stain has good antiseptic properties. But due to the high drying rate, an uneven shade and even spots may appear on the surface.

Therefore, when creating, for example, stained wood parquet, it is worth giving preference to other varieties chemical substances... Alcohol stain is used for small wooden parts... In this case, the impregnation lays down evenly, stains will not appear.

The pigments included in the composition look pretty good on small surfaces. Thanks to this processing, wood will be durable in operation. Alcohol stain is applied exclusively with a spray. The brush is unacceptable in this case.

Oil stain

Another popular type of chemical impregnation is oil stain... It has several advantages. Dyes are dissolved in drying oil or oil. This type of impregnation has a wide range of shades.

Furniture made of stained wood treated with similar products turns out to be very beautiful and durable. Fibers are not taken during impregnation, and the product lays down quite evenly, even over large areas.

This type of wood stain is less demanding on the method of application. Even a person with minimal experience in carrying out work of the presented type can use it. After processing, the products are quite simply painted over and restored. When working with a solvent, a widely available white spirit can be used.

Wax, acrylic stains

In the modern world, stained wood is processed according to the most high standards and requirements. The most environmentally friendly and fireproof substances for toning the material are wax and acrylic stains. They do not emit bad smell, are easily applied to the base. They are used in a wide variety of industries.

Acrylic impregnations can be mixed for finer tint colors. This quality is widely used to create parquet or furniture. Even applying the product in 2 layers, it will turn out to create a monotonous shade without spots or lines.

Wax stains applied to the base with a soft cloth. The product is rubbed over the surface. When using this type of tinting, it should be remembered that it is incompatible with acid-cured varnish or polyurethane coatings... Wax stains look very good after polishing. Therefore, they are actively used in the woodworking industry.

Stain application methods

Stained wood is obtained by using one of the 4 techniques below. The product can be applied by rubbing, spraying, roller or brush.

The first method is suitable for porous wood species. The product is rubbed over the surface. In this case, a slowly drying stain is used. Spraying is carried out using a spray bottle. The product is evenly distributed over the base.

Brush tinting is not applicable to all types of wood. This makes the color more saturated. For small parts, apply the stain with a roller. This approach achieves uniform color. But this method is still better to use for surfaces that are small in area. The method of application must be selected in accordance with the type of product.

Stained wood requires adherence when creating a special technology. This allows you to create high-quality material for further use even at home. Experts recommend applying 2-3 coats of stain using the most appropriate method.

The first layer should be thin. When it dries completely, the base is sanded. The product is applied strictly in the direction of the wood grain. After all layers are created and dried, the surface is rubbed with a sponge, polished soft cloth... Movements are made along the fibers or diagonally.

If you need to process large area, it is divided into sections, each of which is processed separately. The layers must dry completely one by one. Depending on the type of foundation of the product, this process can take from several hours to several days.

If the product is very thick, it can be thinned. Stains on water based in this case, they require, respectively, water, and oil ones - a solvent.

Elimination of defects

Correctly treated stained wood looks sophisticated. But novice craftsmen may have certain problems in the process of applying the product. It is quite difficult to eliminate defects after the product has dried. In this case, it is mechanically removed upper layer material.

If leaks appear during processing, it means that too much substance has been applied. It should be removed. For this, a second layer of the product is applied, and with the help of a rag, the surplus of the product is removed.

To prevent stains from forming on the wood during work, it is necessary to check the application of the product to an unnecessary piece of this material. If the layer lays down unevenly, you must choose a different stain. It will be thicker and dries more slowly.

By choosing the right wood stain, taking into account the advice of experts in the process, you can get high quality material.

In the late 70s of the last century, the pages of American publications spread around the story of the builder George Goodwin from Florida. His life was radically changed by chance: Goodwin, building a house for himself, wanted to build "something like that" in it, and one day his friend, a fisherman, instead of a fish, brought him a pine log as a present, which had lain in the water for several decades. Goodwin was amazed high quality wood, and he also realized that there would be other connoisseurs of this material.

George invested $ 100,000 in the purchase of a plot of land along the river bank and began to "catch" logs, then clean them, dry and sell them. His business is flourishing to this day, bringing in $ 3 million a year. Now his company produces products from stained pine (parquet, furniture) that adorn hotels, galleries, American universities, as well as homes and offices. famous people including musician Paul McCartney and designer Ralph Lauren.

According to the rough estimates of Russian scientists (no one will give an exact figure, since large-scale exploration work in this direction was not carried out - it is too expensive), more than 38.6 million m 3 of sunken and flooded wood rests at the bottom of Russian reservoirs. However, so far none of the Russians has become as famous as Goodwin, and companies that professionally and consistently engage in the extraction and processing of snag (as a rule, this is wood that sank during molten rafting) can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Why is the extraction of stained forest not being developed in Russia? And whether this business is profitable in the conditions of our country, we figured out together with leading experts and scientists dealing with this problem.

Figures and facts about stained wood

According to the Central Research Institute of Timber Rafting, during the transportation of the harvested raw materials by water, up to 1% of the volume of the alloy is drowned. For example, in the Volga basin, according to scientists, about 9 million cubic meters of wood were flooded, in the Yenisei River - 7 million cubic meters, in the Ob and Irtysh basins - 6.5 million cubic meters. According to preliminary estimates, from 30 to 50% of sunken timber is commercial (moreover, more than 25% - conifers, and about 5% - dyb, the most valuable material). However, according to experts, wood of all species is of value, which has not turned into dust. Wood, which has been aged in water for decades, is a unique raw material for the production of decorative, building materials, technological chips, high-quality charcoal (200-300 kg of coal is obtained from one cubic meter of firewood). Mineralization of wood occurs in water, it becomes stronger, and when correct processing gains the strength of a stone. It does not rot, a bug does not start in it, and products made of such material are eternal.

But there is also another side of the coin. Russian ecologists are sounding the alarm: the snag resting at the bottom has a detrimental effect on the state of the reservoir and its inhabitants. It releases phenol and mercaptans, displaces oxygen and thereby causes fish to die. On forums on the Internet, they tell stories about how foreigners (in one case it was about the Japanese, in the other about the Finns, in the third about the Chinese) wanted to take on the cleaning of Russian rivers from the driftwood and were ready to do it for free, however, provided that they take all the "catch" for themselves, but the local authorities did not give the go-ahead for such work. In fairness, it must be said that in recent times the state begins to take measures to clean up the rivers from the driftwood. Not so long ago on the portal "Baikal Info" with a reference to the minister natural resources and the ecology of the region of Oleg Kravchuk, a message appeared that on the site of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill they plan to build a plant for the processing of fuel wood. Transport company Since 2010, RusHydro has been working to clean up the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP's reservoir from driftwood, and its volume in the water area has decreased by almost two-thirds - from 730 to 281 thousand cubic meters. Because of Low quality wood is immediately disposed of, and very in an original way: covered with a layer of earth and gravel and then sown with grass. At the same time, this is just a drop in the ocean on the scale of our country. Scientists and enthusiasts have been thinking for several years now how to make the extraction of driftwood attractive for business and thereby cleanse water bodies of industrial waste (this is the official status of driftwood).

Snuff is a delicate matter

Alexander Dupanov, director of the YEAR "Trans-Center" (Gomel, Belarus), which since 1998 has been engaged in the extraction and processing of natural bog oak on an industrial scale, witnessed a real boom in the extraction of stained wood. According to him, in the 90s of the twentieth century, many entrepreneurs tried to organize a business in this area, but they wanted to do it quickly, without significant capital investments, without attracting highly professional specialists. As a result, thousands of cubic meters of valuable material were ineptly destroyed.

On the Internet, you can still find a lot of offers for the sale of stained wood, but, according to Alexander Alexandrovich, in the overwhelming majority these are one-time offers and, as a rule, entrepreneurs do not guarantee the shipment of material in the declared volume, and even more so the declared quality.

“In the post-Soviet space, there are only a few enterprises capable of providing the entire cycle - from the extraction of fuelwood and its processing to the output of the finished quality material... A number of companies simply do not have proven technologies, says Mr. Dupanov. - In addition, when organizing production, they do not take into account that the funds received from the sale of dry stained forest do not cover the long-term costs of producing high-quality material. For example, to obtain 100 m 3 of quality dry bog oak, it is necessary to find, extract and process at least 1000 m 3 of fuelwood.

The extraction and processing of stained wood is a complex and lengthy process. First, you need to conduct exploration, draw up maps of the location of the flooded wood. To do this, specialists have to explore 300-400 km of the river, then scuba divers get down to business - they descend to a depth of 30 m to find the exact location of the flooded forest. Sunken trunks must be lifted ashore (and so as not to be damaged), carefully transported, sorted and processed. Experts say that stained forest- a very capricious material, it can lose its properties after lying for several hours in the open air.

According to Vladimir Pushkarev, the head of the Samrat company, which is engaged in the extraction and processing of driftwood, in order to deal with stained timber on an industrial level, several million dollars must be invested in the business. “Extraction of stained raw materials is fraught with risk. It is necessary to create a team of like-minded people. And those who hope to get rich quickly in this business will be disappointed, ”he says. -Our company is engaged in the extraction of fuelwood not for the sake of extracting huge profits and enrichment, but because we like this business. You have to be a fan to do this. "

Good log - for the price of a car

Arkady Arakelyan in the late 1980s worked as a manager of a large construction trust, which conducted its own logging and which included timber processing enterprises. When about 10 million m 3 of melted wood was discovered in the region of the Gulf of Ob (something sank during the rafting, something during the ice drift), then, according to Arkady Arakelyan, there were several attempts to extract this wood from the bottom of the bay, but neither one was unsuccessful: the costs were not commensurate with the results obtained.

“The best quality logs are usually found at the very bottom of the wood lying at the bottom, and in order to get them, you first need to remove the entire top layer. Basically, this is trash, but the lower logs must also be managed to get out so as not to damage them. And pulling out is still half the battle, the most difficult thing is to transport the extracted wood to the processing site, - the specialist shares his experience. - In the water column, it did not come into contact with air, and after rising to the surface, it begins to crack. When we first brought the wood raised from the bottom for processing, we constantly moistened it with water, the second time - in a specially equipped aquarium. And still, not all of them were delivered. But it still needs to be sawn in its raw state, and then it must also be properly dried. "

Arkady Arakelyan confirms the words of Alexander Dupanov: the useful output was very small. Per good log According to Mr. Arakelyan, in Soviet times they were given several thousand rubles (at that time it was possible to buy a car for that kind of money). But even such a high price for the material obtained did not cover the costs of its extraction and processing. The management of the construction trust, in which Arkady Arakelyan worked, considered the business unprofitable, and the work was stopped.

Today the range of prices for stained wood is very wide. The cost of stained wood depends on many factors: species, its condition and quality, shipping conditions ... For example, 1 m 3 of stained birch is offered at a price of 2 to 15 thousand rubles, 1 m 3 of stained pine - 3-20 thousand rubles. rubles, 1 m 3 of larch - 4-15 thousand rubles, 1 m 3 of stained aspen - 1.5-15 thousand rubles. The widest range of prices for bog oak: 1 m 3 oak plank can cost both $ 200 and $ 30,000, the cost of an untreated log is from $ 500 to $ 3000.

“It is expected that the average price of 1 m 3 of bog oak in solid trunks in 2014 will amount to 3300 euros, and of high-quality dry material - from 6 to 150 thousand euros,” Alexander Dupanov shares his forecasts. “But in order to sell a product at such a price, many conditions must be met: it must have excellent consumer qualities. Below market price should alert potential buyer... This may mean that the seller is either engaged in illegal extraction of raw materials, or he accidentally got it. Moreover, in the first and second cases, there is a high probability that the material has been in contact with air for a long time (which is detrimental to it), and could also be repeatedly dried and re-immersed in water (it is difficult to obtain high-quality dry material from such raw materials).

An efficient way to get snorkel for small rivers

A mechanical engineer from Barnaul, Vladimir Nevsky, has devoted more than one year to the search for an economically viable method of extracting, transporting and transshipment of sunken wood on small rivers (molten rafting was often carried out precisely on small, non-navigable rivers). And I found it! Vladimir Aleksandrovich developed the design of a small-sized floating crane - a mobile and compact unit that can pass where other equipment cannot. Mr. Nevsky's invention has been repeatedly tested on small rivers Altai Territory.

“Both small and navigable rivers are clogged with snuff, where high-performance floating cranes can be used for mining. However, the costs of finding logs scattered across the underwater river expanses, their extraction, transportation and transshipment will turn out to be incommensurate with the end result. But on small rivers it is easier. There are logs-snags in pits, near the rifts of narrow rivulets, and it will not be difficult for a professional river operator to find them, ”says Mr. Nevsky.

The idea of ​​developing underwater deposits captivated Vladimir Nevsky back in 1992. Then he managed to gather a group of enthusiasts who, armed with archival information about timber rafting, set off on a voyage along the rivers of the Altai Territory. They determined the volumes of sunken wood, drew up pilot maps, mapped roads and settlements... But when they began to calculate how much money needed to be spent to raise the forest out of the water, they realized that an attractive idea turned into a difficult economic task.

According to Vladimir Nevsky, such widespread methods of mining sunken wood of molar alloy on small rivers as diving, trawling from the shore, firstly, are ineffective, secondly, labor-intensive, thirdly, they are not always possible in hard-to-reach coastal areas and, fourth, economically unjustified. And the use of high-performance floating cranes, according to the specialist, on small rivers is impossible due to the lack of fairway dimensions that allow the use of such equipment.

“The domestic industry produces fuel-lifting units LS 65 and LS 41. But the cost of these units exceeds several million rubles. In addition, due to their large dimensions, they cannot be operated on small rivers. But the work of a floating crane with minimal dimensions is possible where a sparrow is knee-deep: on reservoirs with a fairway width of 4.5 m and a depth of 30 cm. "

According to the calculations of Nevsky, with the help of such a floating crane, 700-900 m 3 of driftwood can be mined per month. The performance of the floating crane depends on the depth of the reservoir and the degree of siltation of the logs. Diesel fuel consumption for lifting firewood, transportation at a distance of up to 50 km and transshipment to vehicles - 1500 kg / month. The average cost of 1 m 3 of raw materials is 550-600 rubles. (including lifting, transportation, transshipment and loading on a timber truck), and the average price of round timber today is about 3 thousand rubles. “So judge for yourself whether it is profitable to do this business or not,” says Vladimir Alexandrovich.

How it works?

According to experts, the volume of annually floating wood on the Boguchanskoye reservoir will be up to 1 million m3 per year.

According to Vladimir Nevsky, there are no subtleties and tricks in the control of the floating crane. The unit moves along the reservoir with the help of deck winches, the cables of which are fixed to the coastal supports (natural or artificial). The floating crane is joined by the so-called bottom trawl (a kind of heavy rake), which, when the crane moves, rakes everything that is at the bottom of the reservoir. When the resistance to movement of the floating crane reaches the limit, it returns to the trawl and lifts everything collected onto its deck. The raised wood is formed into a bundle. After the formation of a bundle of 10-15 ridges, a pontoon is attached to it. A bundle with a fixed pontoon is thrown into the water and towed by a boat to the transshipment area, where it rises to the coastal warehouse with a lognota winch and is disbanded.

A big plus of this technology is also that the raised log is not sent immediately to the shore, but is in the water, being tied over the side of the floating crane. Vladimir Alexandrovich says that this helps to avoid the so-called decompression sickness - cracking of logs.

“A log lifted from the depths seems to be boiling, clicks are heard. The gases contained in wood lying at the depth of the reservoir, where the pressure is higher than atmospheric pressure, can burst it when it rises quickly, says Mr. Nevsky. “In addition, the crane swings during operation, the logs attached to it are in motion and thus are washed from silt and sand.”

The floating crane can be delivered to the place of work by towing or by ordinary truck without any approval from the traffic police, it fits into the road dimensions. And it is assembled in three to four hours by three or four people. Vladimir Nevsky says that he had experience working together with both public organizations and with scientific institutes, but neither the first nor the second wanted to develop his business.

“There were several meetings with potential investors, but they, as a rule, were interested in the final result, they demanded all the information up to the developed business plan, which takes into account all tax deductions, accounting calculations, investment risks ... This work requires other knowledge and approaches, rather than the work of a designer, ”says Vladimir Alexandrovich.

We determine the quality and quantity of firewood blindly

Introduction of inventions of the candidate of technical sciences, associate professor of the Volga State technological university(Republic of Mari El) Alexandra Rozhentsov could greatly facilitate and reduce the cost of the search for the firewood. Alexander Pavlovich developed and patented two devices at Rospatent. The first helps to detect under water (with limited visibility and even in its complete absence) sunken wood and precisely aim the load-gripping mechanism at it. The second device is designed to determine the hardness of sunken wood by the density of the structure: dust - firewood, conventionally hard - business. That is, in order to determine the quality of the firewood, it is not necessary to raise it to the surface, and this is a serious saving of time and money.

“Both devices are quite simple, so the cost price is low. Moreover, in order to use these devices, you do not need any additional equipment- says the scientist. - The devices are installed directly on the jaw of the load-gripping clamshell mechanism.

At one time, Alexander Pavlovich defended his thesis "Improving the processes of searching and assessing accumulations of sunken wood on timber floating water bodies." The research results were used in the production at the timber industry enterprises of the Republic of Mari El: OJSC “Mari pulp and paper mill”, timber plant “Zarya”, SE “Mariyskiy lesopromyshlennik”, OJSC “Kozmodemyanskaya rafting office”.

“With the help of invented devices, the sinker was lifted twice. True, the bog oak was not found, but the main thing for me was to confirm the functionality of the devices, which was done, ”says Alexander Rozhentsov. According to Alexander Pavlovich, the drowning tree raised during the first tests was sold to the population for firewood, and the one that was raised during the second test was transferred to the Mariisky PPM OJSC, where it was processed into corrugated cardboard and toilet paper... At that time, in the Republic of Mari El, there was no suitable woodworking enterprise where the raised driftwood could be properly processed.

“In our republic, nowadays, the extraction of snag is not actually carried out. Previously, this was done by timber industry enterprises that were engaged in rafting, - says Mr. Rozhentsov. “However, at present, almost all large timber-floating enterprises have gone bankrupt. Small private entrepreneurs are trying to do something, but they lack experience and special tools. "

According to Alexander Pavlovich, the raising of the firewood is a topical and profitable business. But in order to seriously engage in it and achieve success, you need to strictly adhere to the technology, not missing a single stage: investing money not only in the extraction of raw materials, but also in conducting exploration work, high-quality processing material. According to the observations of Alexander Rozhentsov, most of those who are engaged in the extraction of flooded timber, trying to save money, do not follow the technological chain. The scientist says that enterprising fellow citizens have approached him more than once, wishing to buy schematic maps of sunken timber in the Republic of Mari El, but no one came with a proposal to invest in exploration work.

“From the point of view of business, this business certainly has prospects. After all, stained wood is ten times more expensive than freshly cut wood, and if you sell it not just in logs or boards, but make some kind of product (furniture, home accessories, souvenirs) from it, you can develop well, - Mr. Rozhentsov believes. - There are many rich people in Russia who are ready to pay for furniture made of stained wood, especially oak, and it would be much more profitable for these people to buy it here than to carry it from across the seas and oceans. And it should be borne in mind that the stocks of stained wood in Europe are exhausted. "

Marina SHEPOTILO

Jeffro Witto
creates his sculptures from snags found on the ocean coast

James Doran-Webb
originally from the UK but has lived in the Philippines for the past 20 years. From the branches thrown out by the sea, he makes graceful creatures

Stained wood is a tree that has lain in the water for many years, while gaining incredible beauty and strength.

Everybody knows what is valuable breeds trees, but there are more affordable ones, such as pine or spruce. But there is a very special category of wood - stained. This is a tree that, after lying in the water for tens, hundreds, thousands of years, acquires incredible beauty and strength. Let's talk about stained wood.

Stained wood - incredible beauty and durability

Trunks and fragments of trees lying under the water are usually called driftwood. A logical name, given that the tree really turns out to be drowned, has been at the bottom of the sea, lake, river, swamp for decades. It is noteworthy that some of the trunks turn into dust, rot and, of course, cannot be used. But other trees, on the contrary, acquire a truly stone strength.

The most valuable stained wood is oak. This royal tree is already prized for its durability and beautiful texture. After lying under water for at least 300 years, the oak acquires delicate fawn shades. If the tree is black, then it has lain in the reservoir for about 1000 years!

In the pre-industrial era, "black gold" was not called oil at all, but bog oak. Products made from it are practically eternal, they are not susceptible to decay, fungus, or mold. They do not need protective covering, and also stained wood looks unusually beautiful.

In addition to oak, larch is considered the most valuable stained wood. No wonder. It is these tree species due to high density they sink, sink to the bottom, where a transformation process takes place under a layer of silt or sand. Even fresh water contains salts that interact with the tannins of wood and help it acquire special hardness and strength.

According to experts, in order for a tree to really become stained, it must lie under water for at least 40 years. In general, the longer the better, experts say. The ideal places for obtaining stained wood are stagnant waters of swamps or lakes. But the tree that lay in sea ​​water soaked in salt will also be no less durable.

You can make literally anything from stained wood: furniture, parquet, various crafts, figurines and figurines, boxes, billiard cues, pipes, other interior items and even jewelry. This material has no drawbacks, but it is not available to everyone. Stained wood, especially oak and larch, is very expensive! There are several good reasons for this:

• First, it is a rare material. Although, as calculated in the Central Research Institute of Timber Rafting, in the process of transporting tree trunks, about 1% of the total volume of rafting drowns, and about 9 million m3 of firewood has accumulated in the Volga basin. That's a lot, you might say. But finding sunken tree trunks is not easy. In addition, only 50% of all sunken wood can be attributed to business, that is, suitable for further use. And there is no more than 5% of oak among the snags. In Europe, they have been looking for and raising flooded trees for a long time and purposefully, therefore, it is already very difficult to find driftwood in European countries. Russia still has reserves of this material;
• Secondly, it is technically difficult to lift a tree to the surface. Special equipment is needed, usually the help of scuba divers is required. The wood becomes heavy, you cannot reach a solid trunk by hand;
• Thirdly, it is not enough to get a snag. It also needs to be dried before use. This takes about a year, and in no case can you accelerate the process, drying should occur naturally;
• Fourthly, to process what has become very durable wood difficult, needed Special Skills and tools. Not all carpenters take on bog oak.

Therefore, for three kilograms of bogged black oak on the Internet, they often ask for about 2 thousand rubles! Or 200 rubles for one piece small size, literally a cube, suitable only for cutting, for example, the handle of a knife. A ready-made comb from bog oak, such as shown in the photo above, will cost more than 12 thousand rubles.

Can you imagine how much parquet made of such material will cost, or kitchen set... Experts compare the cost of a good bogged oak log to the price of a car. Smoked birch, pine, aspen are cheaper - they ask for from 1.5 to 20 thousand rubles per cubic meter, depending on the condition and quality of the wood.

With such prices for stained wood, it is not surprising that manufacturers of furniture and interior items achieve similarity with the help of stains, special impregnations. Yes, this is already an imitation, in terms of strength and hardness such a tree does not differ from an ordinary one, but the color becomes darker, nobler, the structure is emphasized.

Stained wood is an elite material. Only for expensive interiors, yacht finishes, luxury car interiors, furniture that stands in the offices of presidents and managers of large companies.published

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