Spalted Tamarind - Need to Stabalize?

[BlackGoatWW]

Question:

I picked up a gorgeous board of spalted tamarind. Its about 4" wide and 42" long. The board is SOLID but it has a lot of coloration and tons of bug holes. Do I need to stabilize it to turn it? Would it be advantageous just for the sake of filling all the pin holes? I've never worked it before that's why I'm just not sure.

 

[Mortalis]

I've turned unstabilized Spalted Tamarind that I bought as pen blanks. Are you thinking of pen blanks or bowl blanks?

 

[Doug Robins]

I've turned, pens using spalted tamarind (since 2013). I usually use stabilized pen blanks from PSI and always finish the pen with 10-15 coats of Starbond EM02 cyanoacrylate glue, never using accelerator. I turned plain, unstabilized spalted tamarind once and found it to be friable and had to take micro cuts with a very sharp gouge to get it looking good...then I followed my CA procedure above and found it to produce a good product. However, I gave the pen away because I was concerned about the wood getting dented in use. My advice would be to stabilize the piece you have after cutting it into the blanks that you will use when producing a product.

 

[1080Wayne]

Stabilizing will not fill the bug holes . It should harden the frass within the holes , but won`t fill any voids . If the wood is easily thumbnail dentable , stabilizing would be beneficial .

 

[BlackGoatWW]

I've turned unstabilized Spalted Tamarind that I bought as pen blanks. Are you thinking of pen blanks or bowl blanks?

Pen blanks. Its a 4/4 piece so its 4"x42"x1" in total.

 

[BlackGoatWW]

I've turned, pens using spalted tamarind (since 2013). I usually use stabilized pen blanks from PSI and always finish the pen with 10-15 coats of Starbond EM02 cyanoacrylate glue, never using accelerator. I turned plain, unstabilized spalted tamarind once and found it to be friable and had to take micro cuts with a very sharp gouge to get it looking good...then I followed my CA procedure above and found it to produce a good product. However, I gave the pen away because I was concerned about the wood getting dented in use. My advice would be to stabilize the piece you have after cutting it into the blanks that you will use when producing a product.

Good info. I can stabilize, and the piece wasn't cheap, about $60 for 2bf of the wood so I want to make sure I don't ruin it by being impatient.

Im guessing burl wood is the same? Better if stabalized? I have a whole bunch of random (mostly maple) burl laying around.

 

[PatrickR]

Since you have the ability to stabilize do it. I tend to stabilize everything. I have had small bug holes fill and go unnoticed until turned thin, allowing the brass to show through the filled hole. Paint the tubes just to be sure.