Strategies for cleaning some old fig branches ?

Hello all !

I have about a week off with school break, and figured I'd make my GCC Kermit a nice playstand. We've had some old fig branches out in our yard for 6 months that have just been screaming to be made into something awesome.

The branches were from an old tree we had in our front yard, so I know it doesn't have any sort of pesticides in it. Since they're not freshly fallen/cut branches, however, I know it might be tricky to clean them since bugs might have moved in :<

I'm against using bleach. I just don't trust myself to use it, nor have a large enough tub I could use to soak the branches. (or rather, we do have a nice big tub, but my brother uses a lot of hair products that I don't want to think about getting into my branches)

They're also far too big to fit in the oven and I don't want to chop them up and reassemble later (they're so beautifully shaped, it would be a shame ! )

I'm thinking I could scrub them down with a vinegar solution to get anything I can visibly see. Then clean it down with a round of water. Then get our steam cleaner to carefully go over the length of the branches. Finally, I'm thinking of using some kind of hydrogen peroxide solution since I know that will turn to water in the sun. And then let it sit outside in some sunshine for a day.

Do you think this would be a sufficient way to clean the branches ? Thanks !

Depending on where you live and whether they have been on the ground for six months could effect your interest in those branches.

If they have been on the ground any more than a couple of weeks in the wetter regions they are likely fairly molded or rotting. If you are in a much dry region, you may be lucky.

I de-bark the branches, that will tell you really fast if the branch is worth saving. If they are in good condition, I use a stiff scrub brush and Dawn 'Original' in very hot water and scrub away. After stubbing to a point that I am happy with what I find; No bugs, No rot and clean. I rise them a couple /three times and then hang them outside in direct Sun light until fully dry!

Enjoy!

I live in California which is normally dry but... we've been having some freak rainstorms lately. I'll try debarking a few to see if there's anything worth saving. Thank you !

If worst comes to worst, I have a friend with some fruit trees and she promised to give me some branches next time they prune.

Well the good news is the wood looks to be in good shape. I stripped down some of the bark and at first I noticed some "dark" spots and got concerned; but it appears to be natural to the wood since the color continues down to the core and has the same consistency as the lighter colored wood. I continued to strip down areas I thought bugs might be hiding, but will probably leave some of the bark so the bird has something to chew.

It really is beautiful wood =)

Apparently this wood is bug resistant as well, because of the oil... fig wood does count as a bird safe wood from the online list I've found, but I'm debating striping off all the bark since some of the sap/resin has risen to the surface.

I've included an image of the progress so far. Below is what I think will be the main/base part of the stand. I love how that long branch comes off the base -- it looks perfect for hanging !

Wew my arms hurt ! I did a lot of work to my branches today.

I striped the outter layer of the bark, peeled it completely in some places, but still left some things for the bird to chew. That took a while. I started with a sanding block, but quickly learned brushing the edge of a box-cutter blade was much faster.

Next I scrubbed it down in hot soapy water (w/ Dawn soap ) as suggested. Then to be thorough I took our steamer to it, and put hydrogen peroxide in the cracks I had a hard time getting. Hopefully that should do it for prep work and I can move onto building with them tomorrow.

Now for the easy part! And the Part that looks like you have done something! The prep work is always under rated!

I'll be keeping this thread updated as I go along so I can appreciate how it all come together. Lol.



Here's the progress from last night in prepping the branches. I plan on attaching the y-shaped branch to the top of the middle branch pictured. I'm not exactly sure what to do with the branch on the far left -- I'm still thinking on it. I do know I want to make some cargo-notes eventually, though

It looks like I won't be able to make much progress, so work will have to wait until tomorrow.

Ah, a tragic update on my progress...

I haven't had time to assemble the base, but my favorite bird site 'california bird nerds' is down for maintenance until April 11th I was really depending on their affordable bulk/raw materials to get this playstand together within a budget. I knew I should have ordered that stuff earlier... Does anyone have any other website substitutions to buy toy parts ?

IndySE said:

Ah, a tragic update on my progress...

I haven't had time to assemble the base, but my favorite bird site 'california bird nerds' is down for maintenance until April 11th I was really depending on their affordable bulk/raw materials to get this playstand together within a budget. I knew I should have ordered that stuff earlier... Does anyone have any other website substitutions to buy toy parts ?

Click to expand...

Sounds like prefect time for a Spring Break Vacation!

Check if you have an invoice from them with a phone number on it!!!

We dismantle what HRH leaves behind after Toy Meets Beck marathon and use those parts for our big box Toy Creation Centre. Also, target toys on sale for their parts. Our secret Toy Parts source closed at the first of the year, made a big haul from them, but at some point we will be back in the market. We got the names of a couple of their suppliers, but the volumes are beyond what makes sense.

So sorry, but faced with a like problem!

SailBoat said:

IndySE said:

Ah, a tragic update on my progress...

I haven't had time to assemble the base, but my favorite bird site 'california bird nerds' is down for maintenance until April 11th I was really depending on their affordable bulk/raw materials to get this playstand together within a budget. I knew I should have ordered that stuff earlier... Does anyone have any other website substitutions to buy toy parts ?

Click to expand...

Sounds like prefect time for a Spring Break Vacation!

Check if you have an invoice from them with a phone number on it!!!

We dismantle what HRH leaves behind after Toy Meets Beck marathon and use those parts for our big box Toy Creation Centre. Also, target toys on sale for their parts. Our secret Toy Parts source closed at the first of the year, made a big haul from them, but at some point we will be back in the market. We got the names of a couple of their suppliers, but the volumes are beyond what makes sense.

So sorry, but faced with a like problem!

Click to expand...

Sadly, I don't have any invoices from them I've never ordered from them before, but discovered that website a while ago and made a mental note to try them once I was in a building mood...

I did try 'mysafebirdstore' and picked out a lot of really good stuff. I budgeted myself for $25 in parts, and was feel very smug about myself... until shipping came out to $30. Nothing in my list seemed super heavy and I'd think would pack well but... alas I'll just wait until cabirdnerds is done with maintenance because I'm sure their shipping should be reasonable. I'm pretty sure their location is all of 2 hours away from my house by car.

In the meantime, I'll see if I can get the base of what I want accomplished in break

&... this is my spring break now, lol. I'm spending it as a bird slave.

Update on the stand. My dad helped me assemble it this weekend. I made some changes to the arrangement, but I'm very pleased with how it came together The base is actually a porcelain tile left over from construction. I feel very good about this material since poop is easy to clean and it's very stable (i.e. used in artificial hip replacements in humans, so I know it's not reactive; and based on how hard it is to drill screws into it, I can bet ya the bird won't put a chip in it).

I won't be able to make much progress until April 11th when cabirdnerds comes out of maintenance. I've tried looking for website alternatives, but either the shipping is too high because its not in area, or the prices are so much higher than it was at cabirdnerds. So... patience it is !

I did let the bird try the stand as is and she enjoyed chewing on the corner of the branch It looks like I made the right call on leaving some bark for her. She's not a super chewy bird, at least not compared to other GCC, so I'm glad I'm able to encourage the behavior.

Looks great!

Consider a ride along, next time Dad visits one of the Big Box Stores or Lumber Yard. While there ask to look in the 'End Cuts' 'Short Cuts' barrow for Soft Pine Finish Wood pieces. They make great pieces for chewing. The test, if you can create an indentation with your finger nail - its soft pine. If you need a comparison try the same with a standard 2 X 4. Take care not to break a nail!

Looking Great!

Enjoy!

IndySE said:

Update on the stand. My dad helped me assemble it this weekend. I made some changes to the arrangement, but I'm very pleased with how it came together The base is actually a porcelain tile left over from construction. I feel very good about this material since poop is easy to clean and it's very stable (i.e. used in artificial hip replacements in humans, so I know it's not reactive; and based on how hard it is to drill screws into it, I can bet ya the bird won't put a chip in it).

I won't be able to make much progress until April 11th when cabirdnerds comes out of maintenance. I've tried looking for website alternatives, but either the shipping is too high because its not in area, or the prices are so much higher than it was at cabirdnerds. So... patience it is !

I did let the bird try the stand as is and she enjoyed chewing on the corner of the branch It looks like I made the right call on leaving some bark for her. She's not a super chewy bird, at least not compared to other GCC, so I'm glad I'm able to encourage the behavior.

Click to expand...