Stabelizing thread extension

[woodspinner]

As the my other thread was getting a little long I thought I would start another.
Some have mentioned using acetone and plexiglass.
How is it done. Do you add plexiglass to the acetone until the solution has hit saturation or what?

Bill

 

[pen-turners]

Bill,
I have done this very successfully. Actually I estimated. I took a one quart can and put in small pieces of 1/8" plexiglas (about 1/3 of an 8x24" sheet) and then filled the rest of the container up with acetone. It was dissolved after one day so I added 5 blanks and let them sit for 5 days and then dry for 5. The results were great!!! I used spalted buckeye burl and it was saturated without pre-drilling. I actually added a red dye to the mixture to help me judge saturation. No exact formula here, just a guess that happened to work.

Chris

 

[GregMuller]

I have been following the discussions on wood stablizing and have a couple of questions being new to pen turning. Why do you stablize the wood? Do I need to do this process to the blanks I get from suppliers such as Penn State? How does this affect the wood after turning? Does it change the way I finish the Pen? Thanks for the help.

 

[woodspinner]

No, all wood does not need to be stabelized.
Some of the wood you buy does come stabelized. You will see that in the catalogue advertisement.
In my thinking the very soft or unstable wood need to be so that you can turn it thin on the tube.
These are opinions of a new to pen turning guy. I have been turning for about 10 years but in larger items. I have only been doing pens for about three months but what a thump they are. I am hooked. My wife has already given me a talking to about the credit card and questioned if I was about done spending :-( .

Good turning and be safe
Bill

 

[woodspinner]

Sorry I didn't answer all of your question
Little affect on the wood. All it does is make the wood stable, as it is called.
Finishing is the same.
Bill

 

[Efletche]

Like Bill said, many woods already come stabilized, (burls come to mind). I have been practicing on stabilizing some heavily spalted maple and some spalted Ambrosia maple. These woods are cery light and when you try turning these woods, there is severe tear out and the shavings usually come off as a fine dust, not shavings. The stabilizing of these woods, for me, reduces the risk of tear out and ruining these beutiful blanks. Of course, I keep a lerge bottle of CA on hand too.

 

[tipusnr]

I'm looking to "stabilize" some really soft redwood that is really not very good for turning as heat effects it as well (makes it expand and peel off the tube). But this wood is used a lot where I work and has become a challenge. I'm hoping that vacuum stabilization will "harden" it a bit.

I also have some driftwood from vacations that I hope to make use of through this process. The whole idea, for me at least, it to be able to use woods that don't want to play well.

 

[woodspinner]

Another one that needs it is Purple Heart. Did one pen today and the side started to chip out. I stabelized the other blanks I had. I use a vacuum and a Qt. jar to 28" hg.. The purple heart turned the hardner purple and I am looking forward to seeing what color it will turn my next batch.

Good turning and be safe
Bill

 

[Darley]

woodspinner did you drill the tube hole of your purple heart before stabelized it or not.

Serge