Is Stabilization Needed?

[faas]

I'm very new to penturning and am still trying to learn the ins and outs. I've been turning duck calls for about a year and know the importance of stabilizing softer woods for that application. I was wondering if it is necessary for most pen uses? Obviously something that is extremely soft or punky will need to be stabilized, but is it a common practice for all softer woods? For example, would I need to stabilize a very solid piece of cedar heartwood? What is the risk with not stabilizing?

Thanks for any help and discussion!

 

[KenV]

There are a wide range of "cedar" species -- some of which are not cedars.

Presuming you are talking about eastern red cedar (Juniper) - not necessary, but some might do it.

 

[faas]

There are a wide range of "cedar" species -- some of which are not cedars.

Presuming you are talking about eastern red cedar (Juniper) - not necessary, but some might do it.

Yeah, sorry for the vague description for the example. I can find out what it is for sure. I have a source to get a lot of cedar, pecan, paduak, hickory, etc "scraps" that I can use for blanks. I was rummaging around in the throw away pile yesterday and found some very figured cedar. Not sure which it is right now.

I assume that using a CA finish will alleviate some of the need to stabilize since you are covering the wood with a hard exterior?

 

[robertkulp]

I like to use cedar, but being a soft wood, it is very easy to get carried away and turn too much away. I have begun stabilizing my cedar (TN Red Cedar / Juniper), with Cactus Juice, not because they really need it, but because I think it just turns better. Plus, since cedar is fairly light, it adds some weight so it feels a little better balanced, especially for pens with heavy hardware.

This is just my personal preference and is in no way an actual recommendation.

Now, having said that, cedar can have some wild grain and knots. These might need to be stabilized, but thin CA should work nicely. The grind and knots can make some beautiful turnings.