Do I really want to start stabilizing?

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H

HawksFeather

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2005
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217
Location
Defiance, OH
First off, I really do like stabilized blanks or at least the ones that I have purchased so far. I also have been starting my stock of pen blanks and some could stand to be stabilized – in fact many could for a variety of reasons. I know of a couple of places that I can send my wood to where they will stabilize it for me and while not cheap (at around $12.00 per pound) I think it would increase the cost per blank a maximum of $.50 each.

So, for a hundred or so blanks now and more in the future, is it worth the investment? I know that this is somewhat of an open question and there are many variables. I reload for rifle and pistol and when people ask me if you can save money reloading I tell them that it really depends on how much they are going to shoot. If you are shooting 100 rounds a year it will take many years to recoup the cost of equipment. But in reloading, you can end up with a more accurate (read that as better) round. I don't know it that is the same with stabilization.

Thanks,

Jerry
 
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I've tried professionally and non-professionally stabilized blanks and have to say the pro work is better. River Ridge did a bunch for me and they did a very good job, though they did take longer than quoted.

Try sending some out. If you like the results, you'll not need to make the investment. Should you prefer trying on your own, that first batch will provide a benchmark.
 
FYI...... The $12 per pound is almost always the price of the FINISHED product. I just counted how many stabilized blanks it took me to reach 5 lbs. and it was only about 40 blanks. That's 8 blanks per lb or approx $1.50 per blank.

Hope this helps.
 
From my experience the custom stabilizers charge by how much stabilizing resin is used. They weigh the blanks prior to treating then weigh them afterwards and do a subtraction and charge for the amount of resin used. Seems fair to me.

My thoughts are this: I cannot get the same chemicals used by the commercial guys hence I can't stabilize as well as they can. Also, I would rather be making pens (or snake blanks) than stabilizing pen blanks so I choose to send mine off to be done, or to just purchase stabilized blanks. I charge more for pens made from stabilized banks so I recoup the cost which ever way I choose to do it.

Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
Not to be argumentative but I don't honestly believe that the professional stabilizing companies can make any money by only charging $10-$12 per lb of actual resin used. I purchase directly from the manufacturer and pay around $100 per gallon (with hazmat shipping charges). That breaks down to nearly $12 per lb just for the resin. Now add in operating expenses and profit. $12 per lb is quite reasonable when you break it down, besides, you recoup the added expense by charging more for a better product.
 
There is currently no product out there that will allow you to stabilize as well as the pros....believe me, everyone's been trying. The best they've done is using minwax wood hardener which gives so-so results but only for really soft and punky woods like pine and the like. Plus you'll have to get your own pressure pot, blah blah blah....it'll cost at least $100 or more just to get started, and you won't be happy with the results.

Now, there is a product currently being tested by members of this site called Ultraseal, which is supposed to be sort of the real deal when it comes to home stabilizing. I would say maybe wait for that to come out officially, and if other members here can get that process down, send it to them instead of the commercial guys (or you can try it yourself but again, investing in equipment and whatnot will take longer to pay back).
 
buzz7164 said:
Not to be argumentative but I don't honestly believe that the professional stabilizing companies can make any money by only charging $10-$12 per lb of actual resin used. I purchase directly from the manufacturer and pay around $100 per gallon (with hazmat shipping charges). That breaks down to nearly $12 per lb just for the resin. Now add in operating expenses and profit. $12 per lb is quite reasonable when you break it down, besides, you recoup the added expense by charging more for a better product.
Click to expand...
I think you're right...everyone I've read say on their site that they charge based on the final weight after stabilizing, i didn't see anything about weighing before and after. You'd be looking in the $1-$2 per blank range.

Another option is for you to buy blanks from Arizona Silhouette that are already stabilized, they have really good stuff and at $5 a blank for most of them, is not worth the hassle of acquiring the wood elsewhere, sending it out to have it stabilized, and get it back. AS ships out fast and you're ready to turn in a couple of days.
 
Don called it well --- What do you want to do? Make pens or make plastic impregnated blanks. As a reloader, I consider reusing the casings a form of recycling. And I do not have a practical alternative other than purchase.

Don is making a business decision in a priority setting environment -- The hanging question for all of us is what is the most improtant use of our most limited resource - time. I get a kick out of figuring out how to salvage and reuse things and make choices for my time accordingly. I use epoxy and PR to make pens out of stuff but that is the value choice I make.

I made a choice to buy a new lathe and now have to take time to get prepared for delivery and then I get back to making things spin. Time is limiting --- what is important for your time?
 
KenV said:
Don called it well --- What do you want to do? Make pens or make plastic impregnated blanks.
Click to expand...

I could enjoy doing either one, as long as I see a finished product
that gives me a sense of accomplishment. (I do this as a hobby)
If someone else finds the end result worth paying for, so much the
better!

KenV said:
Time is limiting --- what is important for your time?
Click to expand...

Enjoying the process and problem solving both work for me! :biggrin:
 
And don't forget me...... I do professional stabilizing for a living. I guess I am one of the pros that are so frequently mentioned.

I charge $10 per lb finished weight with no minimum.

Keep me in mind.

Thanks
 
And I don't want to argue either, but if you're replying to my post take a look at it again. I did not mention the price per pound that I was charged. Maybe I should have said this was how I was charged by the company I used instead of making it a blanket claim of all custom stabilizers. That was my mistake. But, I just reported on how I was charged...or at least what I was told about how I was charged. The $12 per pound was not my figure. I did not report how much I was charged. If your reply was not to my post then...never mind. Peace!
Do a good turn daily!
Don

buzz7164 said:
Not to be argumentative but I don't honestly believe that the professional stabilizing companies can make any money by only charging $10-$12 per lb of actual resin used. I purchase directly from the manufacturer and pay around $100 per gallon (with hazmat shipping charges). That breaks down to nearly $12 per lb just for the resin. Now add in operating expenses and profit. $12 per lb is quite reasonable when you break it down, besides, you recoup the added expense by charging more for a better product.
Click to expand...
 
Don is correct in his assessment.

WSSI makes the following statement on their site:


Charges for processing customer supplied wood:

Charges are for processing only.
Total cost = outgoing weight of wood + freight charges
There is a $36.00 minimum processing fee on wood shipped to us.


stabilized (clear) processing

Less than 10lbs
$12.50/lb

10 - 29 lbs
$10.50/lb

30 + lbs
$8.50/lb

clear wood:: allow ten (10) days processing time after receipt of order

The key to the cost is how heavy do the blanks become after the resin sets.

WSSI states:

"...What stabilization does to wood
Once stabilized, your stock increases in weight by 20 to 150 percent (porous woods such as spalted maple take on more resin than dense woods such as ebony). It becomes harder, stronger, and will not change shape. The color darkens slightly, similar to the way wood darkens when you apply water to it. Because the acrylic saturated the wood fibers, the pigments in those fibers cannot fade through oxidation..."

So:
  1. weigh your punky blanks
  2. multiply that weight by 150%
  3. take the total weight and multiply by the rate above based on your estimated total
...and you will have a reasonable approximation of your stabilization cost. Keep in mind that you will have to pay shipping back to you at the 150% heavier weight... so factor that into you unit cost per blank and you might be surprised what it will actually cost you.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. I think that for right now I will just ship the blanks I have off to be done professionally. Not that I don't think it would be interesting to do.

Thanks,

Jerry
 
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