A thought on stabilizing

[Texatdurango]

In another thread a member asked where he could find some amboyna burl and his thread was hijacked and quickly turned into a ****ing contest about stabilizing.

This got me to thinking. I honestly believe that many members are making WAY TOO BIG OF A DEAL over stabilizing and think they have to stabilize every piece of wood they turn and I just don't get it!

I have turned my fair share of burls including a lot af amboyna and I've never felt the need to stabilize any of it! SOME woods could stand stabilizing, MOST don't!

I have a feeling that this whole stabilizing FAD got started when some inexperienced turners started turning some woods they were not ready for, got some catches, ruined some expensive blanks then thought the answer was to stabilize EVERYTHING. That way they could attack the blanks with their super duty carbide insert tools with the force of a bull and no harm was done.

For me, the smell that fills my shop when I turn amboyna is worth taking my time and actually letting the tool cut the wood rather than plowing through a stabilized blank.

 

[MesquiteMan]

Believe it or not, I agree with you George!

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Well said, George!

Certainly, some woods benefit from stabilizing - redwood burl, for example....but you're definitely right on the money!

 

[mick]

Me too!

 

[greggas]

George,

You hit the nail on the head.

While I love to stabilize a good spalted chunk of pinky wood to see what I get I have never understood why so many feel the need to stabilize a piece of wood just because it is not very dense. Stabilizing also produces unintended color changes that are not always desirable.

Just like you said....sharp tools

 

[Bigj51]

To each his own..... I for one love turning stabilized wood, and not because I attack it with my tools. The overall durability of a stabilized wood pen sells it for me. I will agree that not every wood requires stabilization, but a lot of my spalted burls that have been attacked by bugs/worms most definitely do. There is absolutely zero chance that anyone will convince me that it is not necessary to stabilize my favorite of woods - buckeye burl. It is so incredibly soft that even if you are able to turn it into a pen, it wood dent and ding up so so easy. I fully support every turners decision to turn what ever material he/she chooses. I myself know what I like, and I greatly appreciate Curtis and his cactus juice! :cowboy:

 

[Texatdurango]

To each his own.....

Agreed! Notice I mentioned the thread on amboyna and singled out amboyna, to me that is one burl that turns like butter just like it is. One species of wood I LOVE to turn is the dyed/stabilized box elder burl. Like I said, stabilizing has it's places, but I get the impression that some think it's a prerequisite to turning anything.

 

[Jim Burr]

I'd submit that the different means of obtaining a blank suitable for turning by anyone in their on means is their choice. Some stuff to some people is great stabilzed and to others, not. Turn what makes you happy!

 

[alamocdc]

Well said, George. None of my Amboyna has been stabilized, and the smell is amazing. But then many other woods also leave a nice smell when turning... like Camphor, Eucalyptus, Mesquite (yes, Mesquite) and many, many others. This is lost to the chemical smell of stabilization. Even Redwood and Redwood burl is turnable without stabilization. It is just so light you get dust instead of shavings (at least I do). But that doesn't hurt the blank, or the look of the pen when finished.

On the other hand, I have my share of spalted woods that are all but turnable without stabilization.

 

[crabcreekind]

I agree completely. Stabilized wood is nice to have, but alot of blanks dont even need it. But on the other hand doesnt it prevent warping/cracking stuff like that from happening?

But what really gets me is when people say they need stabilized olive, lignum, or cocobolo. I mean seriously those are some of the hardest woods there are, and they are some of the best turning wood there is. Its like putting a cherry on top of another cherry on top of your ice cream sundae.

 

[Bigj51]

To each his own.....

Agreed! Notice I mentioned the thread on amboyna and singled out amboyna, to me that is one burl that turns like butter just like it is. One species of wood I LOVE to turn is the dyed/stabilized box elder burl. Like I said, stabilizing has it's places, but I get the impression that some think it's a prerequisite to turning anything.

I have very solid piece of amboyna burl with heartwood and sapwood that I acquired from islewoods on eBay that is absolutely stunning. I just keep looking at it and can't decide what to make with it! I love box elder burl and just won 2 eBay auctions from a vendor in Canada for 18 pieces of really pretty box elder burl.

 

[Bigj51]

I agree completely. Stabilized wood is nice to have, but alot of blanks dont even need it. But on the other hand doesnt it prevent warping/cracking stuff like that from happening?

But what really gets me is when people say they need stabilized olive, lignum, or cocobolo. I mean seriously those are some of the hardest woods there are, and they are some of the best turning wood there is. Its like putting a cherry on top of another cherry on top of your ice cream sundae.

Love turning olive wood! In my opinion, it is one of the finest turning, drilling, sanding non stabilized woods out there. And has a great smell at that!

 

[Randy Simmons]

I second. I DO fancy some dyed/stabilized maple, box elder, and buckeye. But I enjoy the concentration that it takes to turn some of the more brittle burls.

 

[mikespenturningz]

I just got into stabilizing with Cactus Juice and have been through about 2/3 of a gallon stabilizing and am now on my first new gallon. I am stabilizing mostly the light woods buckeye burl, redwood, claro walnut and spalted woods. I find that you can also get some very interesting effects with dye or double dying in the stabilization process. I don't use CA for a finish so these woods especially would be very easy do dent because they don't have the CA protection. I have not bothered to stabilize any of my blanks that are already pretty robust to begin with and won't bother to do so!

 

[nativewooder]

George, you are absolutely right! I do search for stabilized blanks for specific pens, like for my Cardiologist or if it is requested. As a general rule I do not use them as I would rather become a better turner. To each his own!:biggrin:

 

[Fireengines]

Guys….
I just purchased MesquiteMan's Hobby Penmaker's Vacuum Chamber for the main purpose of stabilizing old historic wood. I can't wait to get it.
As mentioned in another thread, I have a piece of pine from the original Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery in Milwaukee, WI. This wood is almost 100 years old and is very dry and brittle. Additionally, it came from the ceiling and has suffered many years of cigar smoke. Because of this, I think trying to turn it in this condition would be impossible. So, would stabilizing the wood allow me to turn it without in falling apart?

 

[robutacion]

Yes I also agree intirelly with George and others, the issue of wood stabilisation has now become a easy issue to deal with, thanks to Curtis and his work on providing that possibility to many of us that have a true need for such wood hardening process however, there ate many woods out there that just don't soak anything or very little, amazingly as I have been finding out these last few weeks, since I got my 16lt capacity stabilising chamber working.

Was absolutely no effort in emptying 2 x gallons of the Juice, in the very first day I started and while some of the softer woods that have been "screaming" for some hardening/proper stabilisation, done what I was expected them to do in regards to "drinking" the juice, I have had a few knife blocks that I put in the chamber for stabilising, together with a few other wood species, and after 3 hours at full vacuum, some didn't soak more than 5% maximum for the weight shown so, there is no doubt in my mind that wood stabilising for pen makers, is a much more critical step than for pen makers and while some woods can gain considerably by stabilisation, the vast majority of woods available out there, have absolutely no need for stabilisation...!

Still, an after some years of struggling with, to find a way to be able to properly stabilised some woods, a stabilisation chamber and some Juice are as handy to have as pot pressures have became for casting. Is good to have those options available to you, for when required...!

Cheers
George

 

[Gilrock]

I realize I never understood why people were stabilizing wood. I thought it was to put an end to some type of decay that was going on and I always wondered doesn't sealing the wood with CA stop that. I never knew it was to stiffen up the wood.

 

[Justturnin]

I agree to a large extent. Rarely do I stabilize solid wood unless they could come in contact with water or moisture. I like to stabilize bottle stoppers for softer woods and a wood razor handle to protect it from water but pens, it has to be almost crumbling in my hands.

 

[steamshovel]

They make masonry bits that will go through bricks like butter. They also make masonry saw blades. When you get a a piece of the brick down to a 3/4 by 3/4 x5" with the hole in it put the brass insert in and turn on the lathe. I think I would rather have the brick whole rather than pulverized. I have seen pens made from marble and granite and they looked good. Its just an idea. I have several hundred brick with a name on them. I think I can use the broken up bricks to make a pen to go with a good brick.
The reason I came here was about chestnut wood, do I need to stablize or not. I have never stablized before. I guess I could try a piece first.

Preston