Wood Stabilizing question.

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toyotaman

toyotaman

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NW Georgia (USA)
I work with alot of spalted woods and when it's cut and dries out it gets really light. I know it probally needs stabilizing and I would like to start doing some myself. Is there alot of difference between Minwax wood hardner and Catus juice? I would like to start off small to make sure I like doing this. What other options as far as stabilizing products are out there?
 
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Yes. The first doesn't work. The second one does.

Cactus Juice is just about the best, easiest, and most feasible method. You can also buy Pentacryl, which replaces the water in wet wood, but it doesn't do the same thing; its purpose is to prevent cracking and warping as wood dries.
 
I've used the minwax wood hardener. To say it doesn't work would not be totally accurate. It helps, but it shouldn't be used if you're looking for a true stabilized end product. It does reinforce mildly punky wood. It doesn't add near the weight to the wood that stabilizing does. Now I should point out that I only followed the directions & painted it on till the blank would not absorb anymore. If I submerged it till it sank to the bottom like some people have done, it may come closer to what cactus juice does. But that's just a guess, I don't know. I do know that using the wood hardener was better than not using it.

My suggestion is to send a few blanks to someone that will use the cactus juice on them, and get some wood hardener & try it out. Then compare the 2.

Hope that helps.
 
Send them over Donny...I use Cactus Juice all the time. The problem with things like Minwax is that 70% of the material absorbed into the wood is a carrier like acetone or other VOC's. Once that has evaporated, you are left with 30% of the material in the wood. Cactus Juice leaves 100% in the wood.
 
I have experimented with all kinds of different materials. Minwax Wood Hardener (MWH) does do a little for spalted woods but no where near what a heat cured stabilizing resin will do. This is due to the fact that MWH is mostly solvent which evaporates while a heat cured resin contains no solvents to evaporate. Look at the MSDS for MWH...it is 72% acetone and 78% volatile. Most of what you get into the wood literally evaporates into thin air!

If you would like to send me a few pieces of wood, I will run them for you and send them back, no cost other than the cost to ship them to me.
 
If yuo want to do your own stabilizing the answer is CURTIS! He has the product, equipment and offers great help. If you just want a dozen or so pieces stablized try Steve White - River Ridge Prodcts.
 
Jim Burr said:
Send them over Donny...I use Cactus Juice all the time. The problem with things like Minwax is that 70% of the material absorbed into the wood is a carrier like acetone or other VOC's. Once that has evaporated, you are left with 30% of the material in the wood. Cactus Juice leaves 100% in the wood.
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That's about the best explanation I've heard (along with Curtis's). And based on my experience using the wood hardener, I'd agree.
 
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MesquiteMan said:
I have experimented with all kinds of different materials. Minwax Wood Hardener (MWH) does do a little for spalted woods but no where near what a heat cured stabilizing resin will do. This is due to the fact that MWH is mostly solvent which evaporates while a heat cured resin contains no solvents to evaporate. Look at the MSDS for MWH...it is 72% acetone and 78% volatile. Most of what you get into the wood literally evaporates into thin air!

If you would like to send me a few pieces of wood, I will run them for you and send them back, no cost other than the cost to ship them to me.
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I'm glad you rang in on this one. I have never turned anything stabilized and would love to take you up on your offer. I have some spalted Hackberry and Sycamore that is very light. Can I send you some blanks and let you do your magic with them? If so I will throw in some extras for your trouble. That just might persuade me to buy a unit and some CJ. Let me know. Thanks
 
toyotaman said:
I'm glad you rang in on this one. I have never turned anything stabilized and would love to take you up on your offer. I have some spalted Hackberry and Sycamore that is very light. Can I send you some blanks and let you do your magic with them? If so I will throw in some extras for your trouble. That just might persuade me to buy a unit and some CJ. Let me know. Thanks
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Please do send some and I will get them done as quickly as my schedule permits and send them back. Please only send what you want back. I have so much wood myself that I really don't need or want any more! Also, I have a little quirk in that I only turn Texas wood that I have harvested myself. I appreciate the offer to send some for me but honestly, they would be better served in your possession! You can find my address on the contact page of my website.
 
I just came back from an Island working for the Navy and chopped down a coconut tree and cut it up into blank size pieces. Obviously, I will have to stabilize it...what do you all think? Too punky? I have some Pentacryl on hand...
 
SSobel said:
I just came back from an Island working for the Navy and chopped down a coconut tree and cut it up into blank size pieces. Obviously, I will have to stabilize it...what do you all think? Too punky? I have some Pentacryl on hand...
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There are many Palm tree species and they all have different "wood/cell" structure, some will dry hard enough that can be turned without stabilisation however, stabilisation will help considerably...!

The most important factor with Palm is to make sure the material is dry, most of its composition is water. Cutting up will reduce the drying time considerably but, some Palm species shrink beyond believe, I have show some pics here of a Banana Pal tree that I cut down and rip some logs into 30mm square, thinking that I had gave it plenty for shrinkage (with most other species, that is more than enough) but this one, shrink to almost buggery, that is, 10mm or less...!:eek:

The only thing that I learned about these Palm species is that, when is dry, is becomes extremely compact and certainly strong enough to be turned without any stabilisation or anything else, the problem was that, out of a full Palm tree (about 7 meters tall) all cut into super-size pen blanks (looked more like, bottle stopper blanks...!:eek:), I endup with 18 blanks that actually gave enough thickness for a pen, the rest were short tooth picks that the rubbish too away in the bin...!:mad:

Good luck,

Cheers
George
 
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