Stabalizing Spalted Wood

[Fleabit]

Is it a benefit to have spalted wood stabalized? I cut up some maple and have some of them with very nice grain. Some others are so so grain. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[rtjw]

depends, I heard of some bleeding when you stabilize it. bleeding means the black lines run on you.

 

[DCBluesman]

In my opinion, stabilizing is most appropriate with spalted wood. Spalt is rot--any way you slice it. Rot softens wood. Stabilizing stops the spalting, hardens the wood and pretty much locks in the grain. There is usually a bit of darkening of the wood as a whole. Black line spalt typically doesn't bleed to the same degree as some of the moldy spalts, but there is always a chance. Although you didn't ask for an opinion on the so-so grained wood, I wouldn't waste my money. Saving good spalt is worth a buck a blank. Saving a run of the mill piece of wood is not--again, just my opinion.

 

[JimGo]

Fleabit, from what I've read (hopefully others will chime in), spalted wood runs the gamut, from fairly hard, requiring little in the way of extra attention, to pretty soft and "punky". If its fairly hard, you probably won't need to stabilize it. OTOH, if it's punky, it's probably a good idea to get it stabilized.

 

[Fleabit]

Thanks for the opinions so far.....anyone elses will be appreciated too. This is helping me to understand spalting a little better and to make up my mind on the stabalizing. Thanks again

 

[Old Griz]

I have never had the black of spalted wood "run" when stabilized... usually that happens in the sanding of an unstabilized blank where the black spalt ends up being deposited into the softer heartwood sections during sanding... if anything, the stabilization process with cause the black spalt to be embedded with the plastic and it will not go anywhere..
As Lou said, just about all spalted woods will be improved by stabilization.. I had some gorgeous spalted beech and some really nasty spalted red oak that I could not turn without cursing.. sent them out for stabilization and now they are a dream... I still find a few inclusions in the red oak, but that was to be expected.. but most of them are filled with the stabilizer...
Even the "harder" spalted woods benefit from stabilization... some of the really soft spalts may not stabilize well and will take a curved set during stabilization.. this is a chance you have to take...
I just ordered 20 of the black line maples that Bryant is selling.. they will most likely go out to be stabilized, especially if they are as good as the pictures show...
Also as Lou stated.. do not waste your money stabilizing so-so looking blanks... of course I have turned some so-so blanks to find gold inside.. but that is up to you as to whether you want to spend the $1/blank...

 

[Kurt Aebi]

If you use Minwax's wood hardner for stabailzing, I have experienced the "running" of the black with Maple. I have been getting th eparts together to make a vaccum chamber so I can do the Vaccum-Poly method.