filling cracks

[idaboat]

My boss has built a raft using telephone poles and he wants me to fill in the cracks that are in the poles. What is the best product to fill the cracks in the poles? they are about a inch wide in spots and will be at water level and under.
He also wants me to seal the poles with something to keep them from rotting. A previous employee put something on the poles already and it turned a milky color and is flaking off. He also filled the cracks with something and it is popping out of the cracks.
I know all of this sounds silly to you boat builders but I have to do something to keep the boss happy
Thanks
Todd

[Ike]

He may be out of luck and also may not have to do it anyway. Telephone poles are typical treated with some sort of preservative. It used to be creosote. I don't know if that is what is still used. Creosote is an oil based compound. Nothing sticks to it. It is also water resistant. So his logs are already coated. Creosoted logs last for many years used as pilings for docks and as ties for railroads.

If these are untreated logs then I wood suggest epoxy, but it won't be cheap.

[souljour2000]

Ike nailed it.......besides...the cracks are good for lee-boards...don't fill them all in...(even if you can).if they are treated then Ike's right about them being oily and nothing will stick.....you could just cover them with 4x8 sheets of epoxy-soaked plywood...depends on your boss though I guess and what he wants to spend on his log raft..I guess...that way he wont see the cracks though...and his money slipping thru them...lol

[alan white]

It may be that your boss isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so to speak, so in order to please him you may have to PRETEND that someone told you what the oldtimers used to do with those pesky cracks.
Tell him that they used oakum, which would seal the logs so they wouldn't get...well... water-logged.
That should provide you with some gainful employment for a while. What your boss wants is really to have smooth logs, and pounding oakum into the cracks should make him happy.