stabilizing services in Denver area?

[conandy]

This is a shout out for help from anyone in the Denver, Colorado area who might have a stabilizing setup who would offer a fellow pen-turner a hand with a small batch of stabilizing.

I plan on getting set up to do stabilizing in the near future, but suddenly have a custom request for a pen made from blue stained beetle-kill pine. Not sure if I'm comfortable making one out of un-stabilized wood, just because the wood tends to be so soft.

I'd probably throw in a bunch of other stuff to justify a full stabilizing batch. I am willing to pay appropriately!

I would send my stuff to River Ridge Products for stabilizing, but my turn-around window isn't long enough to ship to them and have them turn it around for me in time.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Gary Beasley]

For a one off you can get by with turning to within 1/4 to 1/8th inch of final size and soaking in thin CA. I've done this quite often with pinecone cores. It can get a bit hard to turn as the CA gets quite hard. Be sure to bake the wood really dry or the CA might light the wood up from the reaction with the moisture.

 

[Edward Cypher]

Can stabilize with CJ if that is what you are looking for would take two or three days depending on how dry the wood is, I am assuming it is already a pen blank size.

 

[conandy]

Can stabilize with CJ if that is what you are looking for would take two or three days depending on how dry the wood is, I am assuming it is already a pen blank size.

Hey, Ed. That would be great! CJ is exactly what I was looking for. I actually need to go pick up a piece of the beetle kill pine and will probably cut several blanks out of it so I have a selection. I also have a bunch of redwood pieces I salvaged from an old deck and have cut so that the heartwood and softwood transition should occur right through the middle of the pen. The redwood will be as dry as anything that has been in Colorado for several decades would be. The beetle kill will be fresh, though, from Home Depot or maybe Woodcraft or Austin Hardwoods (not sure where I'll source it, yet). So I'm happy to microwave it or oven dry it or whatever is necessary before I bring it over. Just let me know how best to prep it.

Let me know what your max batch size is, and we'll try to make the most effective use of your time and mine.

My schedule is looking like I'll try to find the wood on Monday (4/29) and do whatever I need to pre-dry it. I could probably bring it to you on Tuesday or any other day next week that works for you.

My deadline is a finished pen by 5/21.

Thanks for the offer of help!

 

[Edward Cypher]

Pm you let me know what works for you.

 

[conandy]

Pm you let me know what works for you.

Thanks a TON for doing some CJ stabilizing for me, Edward Cypher!

Thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and chatting about turning and pen stuff. Every time I meet another turner, I learn a ton of things I didn't know.

I'll post some of my resulting pens, hopefully.....