stinky tar smelling logs

I recently scored a couple of old hardwood fenceposts but they have a really strong smell kinda like tar and petrol. I donned all my safety gear to carve them( respirator etc) and I'm halfway on my tiki but have since been told the stuff leaching out of the wood is carcinogenic it's called crear something or other? ..should I stop? or is there anything I can do to rid the wood of the smell ..maybe a sealant to make it safe?

creosote ~

http://www.nsc.org/library/chemical/Creosote.htm

cheers,

Hmmm. Creosote linked to cancer of the scrotum? Perhaps it's time to find some new wood.

also, if your name is creosote you may explode after eating a "waffer-thin mint..."

hey thanks Johnny the info was great and Hakalugi just for the record I have no scrotum but after reading all the info I think it's time to get a new piece of wood.

cheers guys and thanks for the help

I think if you just carve the stuff and leave it outside, you will be fine...it's just like phone poles.

but it sure takes a while to get off your skin. Really great to make a tiki or totem from something like that which won't decay tho.

also I've read from guys who build pole structures that when setting these sort of poles in the earth (or wherever Austrailia is) set in a deep hole, and back fill with mixed sized gravel (road grade) and not dirt or concrete which will cause the log to rot. The gravel kppes moisture away from log...Maybe they should make diapers from gravel?