Help, should I worry or not?

[amigala]

Hi I was recently given an old 1950 's cupboard. It had been painted white many years before. I have spent hours stripping this white off only to find evidence of wood borers. These are tiny black dots but they dont seem to be open holes. Can borers survive in a painted surface? These dots were definately under the paint. I have been looking for activity for a while now but see nothing except black dots lol. The cupboard is oak. Should I treat, ignore or burn it?

[vk4]

IGNORE The borers that made the hole were dead before it was painted.

Clean it up and finish with a clear /or stain or what ever you have planned,.

The borer holes become a feature.

Jeff

[rogerjenkins]

Have restored heaps of old furniture over the last 25 or so years. Some with borer holes everywhere, some even, " more interesting," with ," Termimites still merrily chewing away," unbeknown to the owner,- now that's a real worry !!!!
Old Borer holes,- The occupiers are long gone, thats why they left open holes. If you are worried about any that might still be in residence,- simply press the end of a small flat-endded screwdriver into the timber framing. If the timber stays intact,- then no probs to worry about. If the end of the screwdriver penetrates into the wood, or the wood disintergrates under the screwdriver tip, then there's a problem,- which you can easily fix, as ALL wood boring bugs hate the smell of good old fashioned Turpentine,- simply give 'em a good drink of it,- the petroleum based, " brew," is best, as it drowns the critters
Anyway since your old Oak Cupboard has been on the receiving end of numerous coats of paint over the years, you shouldn't have any concerns to worry over,- simply clean up the timber, stain , seal, or whatever you are planing on doing and as one of the other guys suggested,- use the old borer holes for a feature.
Roger

[amigala]

You have put my mind to rest. I really didnt want to get rid of it after all my effort lol. Thanks very much

[Old gunnie]

So, could the borers have got in after the furniture was made?

(Got borer holes in some old side tables I'm doing up as well.)

Cheers
OG

[rogerjenkins]

Unfortunately furniture borers PREFER living in the furniture in people's homes. There's several types of these, " critters, " There's the type that love Green, Living Trees, and slowly munch away on the sapwood till they, ( either ), severely main the tree, or kill it altogether. Then there's the common Furniture Borer which moves into people's homes and takes up residence, in any well-seasoned piece of furniture,- and the, " critters," are not fussy either,- they are just as likely to nibble away at a piece of Pine furniture, or a beautiful piece of Imported Mahogany, or whatever takes their fancy. I have even seen loverly old red Baltic floorboards almost turned to dust by these," critters," merrily boring their holes underneath the old lino covering, till one day the unsuspecting owner decided to re-arrange the furniture, and, " CRASH," - an old cedar sideboard went through the floorboards. I do know the borers do prefer old timber furniture to the, " young," modern furniture,- probably something to do with moisture content, or more likely remaining undisturbed in one position, or location for years,- till someone moves something to another location. Know of a farmer's family who inherrited the old couple's house full of antiques which hadn't been moved for," Yonks, " and when the younger inheritors went to move things they got the shock of their lives, as the majority of the Antique Furniture literally fell apart in their hands. Yes, they had," Big plans," of selling the Antiques to a Dealer for a huge profit, but endded up with a, " Bonfire, " instead

Roger