Questions about stabilizing

[BoswellMoore@knology]

Pretty new to pen turning and the folks on here have been a tremendous help to me. Thanks to all! I want to make sure I understand stabilizing correctly.
Punky or very soft woods require stabilizing, right? Normal hard woods turned with sharp tools and going slow don't necessarily need to be stabilized, Yes or no? As a pretty new turner is this a skill that I really need to invest the time and money in or just enjoy turning woods that are hard and probably will not split out on me? Does stabilizing change the look of the final product significantly and is that good or bad?
Thanks
Boswell

 

[lorbay]

Hi Boswell. Getting set up to sablize is not a cheap process. I sablize soft or punky woods and yes I do find it changes the appearance of the wood. But in a good way. If I were you I would just turn woods that are solid and have fun.
Lin

 

[Talltim]

If you end up with a few blanks that need stabilization it is not that outrageous to have them done professionally.

I had 14 sierra sized blanks of some wood that needed stabilizing. I sent them to River Ridge Products in Wisconsin. They charged me only about 11 dollars which included return shipping.

Something to consider if you just need a batch every now and then.

 

[robutacion]

Pretty new to pen turning and the folks on here have been a tremendous help to me. Thanks to all! I want to make sure I understand stabilizing correctly.
Punky or very soft woods require stabilizing, right? Normal hard woods turned with sharp tools and going slow don't necessarily need to be stabilized, Yes or no? As a pretty new turner is this a skill that I really need to invest the time and money in or just enjoy turning woods that are hard and probably will not split out on me? Does stabilizing change the look of the final product significantly and is that good or bad?
Thanks
Boswell

I'm not surprised with your questions/confusion as since wood stabilising for pen making/turning has become such a common practice, the perception that most new turners get is that all woods need to be stabilised to work well. This is far from the reality, you can very easily avoid any soft/punky woods and stick to the denser/harder woods that not only don't require stabilisation but also are perfectly workable in its raw form.

Stabilising wood means in general terms, "plasticizing" the wood by soaking it in special resin that hardens when cured, this is why punky woods from that are useless or almost unworkable turn into solid pieces of wood/blanks.

The general appearance of the wood after stabilised, in the majority of cases, is no different than its raw form when coated with something that is as clear as the normal stabilising resins, one of the advantages with stabilising is that, you can add dyes to change its colour, all in the same process.

Where stabilised wood is most useful, is in the knife handle world, wood that has been "impregnated" with a liquid repellent resin such as those used in wood stabilisation, will outlast woods that are only coated on the surface, there a few exceptions where natural extremely dense woods will last as long if not longer than most normal stabilised woods.

The question you need to ask yourself is, do you want to invest in a wood stabilisation set-up so soon in your pen turning venture...?

Are the woods you can reach solid enough...? if so, concentrate on those for some time if you come across some wood that you like but is too soft, either put it aside for now or, ask someone in here that can stabilise them for you, this happens all the time.

This is how I see it...!

Good luck,

Cheers
George

 

[arkie]

Stabilizing?

There is also an in between. Woods that are a bit soft or punky can often be successfully turned by turning over size, then flooding with thin CA. Let it cure, then take a few light cuts with a sharp tool. If it looks like you are running out of CA, repeat, and repeat any hoe after a couple light cuts.

It's not stabilizing by any means, but it will let you successfully turn some woods you could not otherwise turn without stabilizing.

Jim

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

There's always the simple solution of letting them soak in something like Minwax wood hardener. I actually used a mason jar with a few parts from Joes veneer supply store to toughen up a few softer blanks when I first got into pen turning. Used the venturi vacuum generator with my air compressor and attached a valve to the top of a mason jar lid. Wasn't perfect, but gave me turnable blanks from very soft woods like mango.

 

[Tom Walter]

Stabilizing Wood

Stabilizing wood has a lot of other advantages besides hardening punky wood. The wood after the process is much more stable when turning and turns better and more evenly. The blank is now much more moisture resistant and will accept finish in a more uniform way.

When you are making hybrids (part wood part resin) the finished blank will be much easier to finish as you can ignore the wood part and just finish like it was an acrylic. You can use just about any type of finish on a stabilized blank that you wish.

Stabilizing also adds more weight to the blank making it feel more substantial than plain wood. This is a nice advantage when making pens, bottle stoppers and knife handles.

If you need instruction on wood stabilizing I started a group "Wood Stabilizing" in Facebook that has files and tutorials on the subject and a few thousand members to get feedback from. We also have many experts in the field to ask any questions you may have.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1545078275756045/

 

[Maverick KB]

Punky or very soft woods require stabilizing, right?

Yes. Stabilization/impregnation will fortify the wood. This makes it much easier and durable for use in a pen.

Normal hard woods turned with sharp tools and going slow don't necessarily need to be stabilized, Yes or no?

Yes, they do not necessarily need stabilized.

As a pretty new turner is this a skill that I really need to invest the time and money in or just enjoy turning woods that are hard and probably will not split out on me?

I and many others have enjoyed turning pens and other projects without the need and use of stabilization for many years. It's all preference.

Does stabilizing change the look of the final product significantly and is that good or bad?
Thanks
Boswell

No. Stabilization, if done properly will not alter the look of your wood. It will alter the feel of it though. Stabilization products which are available to the home user, such as Cactus Juice, do a wonderful job, but you will notice a significant difference in the feel of the wood as it is heavily impregnated with a hardened resin. Commercial/professional services, such as those I offer, often use resins and formulas that are not suitable, safe or available to the home user. The most common compliment and feedback I get is how effective my stabilization is, but the wood looks and feels the same (just a little heavier and much stronger)

Stabilising wood means in general terms, "plasticizing" the wood by soaking it in special resin that hardens when cured, this is why punky woods from that are useless or almost unworkable turn into solid pieces of wood/blanks.

George,
While I would agree with everything else you said and applaud the great explanation, I have one pet peeve I can not ignore... so I mean no offense, only to offer knowledge.
This statement is actually inaccurate. This is not the "general terms", but the common misconception. Stabilization actually means to make the wood stable from movement. This can be one of many processes, not all of which are "plasticizing" the wood. Stabilization prevents movement between the cells within the wood, most commonly due to the loss or gain of moisture. This expanding and contracting causes checking and movement within the wood. A wood with a T/R ratio closer to 1:1 is said to be a "stable" wood and will expand or shrink in a fairly uniform manner in all directions. These woods are easy to dry without stabilization.

Technically speaking, pressure treated lumber falls into the category of stabilization as well. It is artificially made more stable and resistant to damage from insect and rot. From the outdoor decking/fence lumber to railroad ties, none of these examples have been "plasticized."

The "plasticizing" you are referring to is actually impregnation. This is only one form of stabilization, but can be both open cell or closed cell in nature. Open cell and closed cell stabilization basically boil down to weather or not the impregnation occurs within the cell walls or simply coats the outside of them and the space between.

In any case, I hope this information helps all who read. I fully agree with everything else George has said and only quote as an example of a much larger misconception. Hope you don't think I'm trying to single you out George, you certainly explained the benefits and advantages well for the OP.

 

[Maverick KB]

If you just want to fortify some soft or punky wood so that it is usable, but do not want to go through the expense or setup for a vacuum chamber and dedicated oven with expensive resins to keep in a climate controlled environment, you could use something like Wood Juice for semi-dry wood stabilization via soaking or Polycryl which is excellent for bulking up and salvaging soft and punky wood. also available direct from the source here: Home - Preservation Solutions

 

[TattooedTurner]

Something else to consider is that many pen blanks come stabilized. Many of the burls and spalted wood pen blanks from Rockler are stabilized when you buy them, so having your own setup isn't necessary at all. Where it comes in handy is if you want to make blanks with pinecones, sweet gum pods, hybrid blanks, etc., but it doesn't hurt to weigh the cost of doing it yourself with how many you plan to make vs buying them. It may be far cheaper to purchase them if you don't plan on using those types of blanks frequently.

 

[Monty]

Something else to consider is that many pen blanks come stabilized. Many of the burls and spalted wood pen blanks from Rockler are stabilized when you buy them, so having your own setup isn't necessary at all. Where it comes in handy is if you want to make blanks with pinecones, sweet gum pods, hybrid blanks, etc., but it doesn't hurt to weigh the cost of doing it yourself with how many you plan to make vs buying them. It may be far cheaper to purchase them if you don't plan on using those types of blanks frequently.

That's casting, not stabilizing...two different processes.

 

[McKenzie Penworks]

Well not necessarily... I can see lots of reasons to stabilize those items prior to casting them.

 

[hcpens]

Boswell,

PM sent

 

[TattooedTurner]

Something else to consider is that many pen blanks come stabilized. Many of the burls and spalted wood pen blanks from Rockler are stabilized when you buy them, so having your own setup isn't necessary at all. Where it comes in handy is if you want to make blanks with pinecones, sweet gum pods, hybrid blanks, etc., but it doesn't hurt to weigh the cost of doing it yourself with how many you plan to make vs buying them. It may be far cheaper to purchase them if you don't plan on using those types of blanks frequently.

That's casting, not stabilizing...two different processes.

Perhaps I should have explained what I meant a little better. I was referring to stabilizing the cones, pods, bits of wood, etc. BEFORE casting them. In fact, I have some pine cones & sweet gum pods stabilizing in cactus juice right now, which will be cast after baking them.