How important is it to stabilize pen blanks?

[hagemierj]

So I got my hands on some KOA wood and the guy threw in some odd shaped pieces from various parts of the tree, root wood in this case (I think). The best way I can describe the blanks I made is "burled". I think they're gonna look awesome as pens but wonder whether I "need" to stabilize the wood. These chunks had been sitting in a pile out back for some time (covered)... I would not really consider them "green" but am still new at this. I know that green wood can crack as it dries.

How do you know when/if you "need" to stabilize?

Thanks for your insight!

J

 

[edstreet]

This is a very dicey question because there is a wide range of answers. Soft wood, certain environments and the like will dictate the wood be stabilized. Sometimes if it's to soft to work then stabilizing will help greatly.

Before you do stabilize you have a good number of questions to answer and what I see is most does not answer them as they are done in large batches and not based on each item, this topic involves dye

 

[robutacion]

So I got my hands on some KOA wood and the guy threw in some odd shaped pieces from various parts of the tree, root wood in this case (I think). The best way I can describe the blanks I made is "burled". I think they're gonna look awesome as pens but wonder whether I "need" to stabilize the wood. These chunks had been sitting in a pile out back for some time (covered)... I would not really consider them "green" but am still new at this. I know that green wood can crack as it dries.

How do you know when/if you "need" to stabilize?

Thanks for your insight!

J

The answer may seem simple to you but, involves a lot more than what you may think however, the very first rule of wood stabilization is, the wood has to be properly dry and free of any moisture.

Some people say, well, if the wood is dry, doesn't have any moisture, right...??? Wrong, firstly different woods have different levels of dryness, for example, walnut is considered perfectly dry when the MC (moisture content %) is equal or below 8% while oily woods such as the Olive wood, is extremely difficult to get it under 12% MC.

Another example is, you have some wood that is "bone dry" however, it got wet or if was exposed to some extreme moisture from the weather, would wood is these both cases be suitable to stabilise as is, no it would not, the wood would have to be put in an oven to dry any moisture and then put into the stabilization chambers, as soon as the wood temperature drops to almost cool.

Secondly, the most use of wood stabilisation, is wood that is very soft, punky or very spalted (normally meals, soft). Many hardwoods won't stabilize properly or anything at all (too dense), and many of the medium density woods, don't really need stabilization, unless they are going to be used as knife handles or other applications where water repellent wood would be a great benefit.

In general terms, wood stabilization means, plasticizing the wood cells and therefore, make them a little harder/more stable....!

Hope this answers your questions...!

Cheers
George

 

[steve worcester]

Wood is porous. Dry in my area is different that dry in your area. As humidity increases, even "dry" wood will absorb moisture. Go from outside to inside the house, wood will absorb or dry (it is actually referred to equilibrium moisture content). That is where stabilizing comes in. It helps to eliminate the ability of the wood to expand and contract, likely to a certain limit. What that is I do not know.

Now which woods can be stabilized is part science, part conjecture. A more oily wood, like a Cocobolo or perhaps Olive, would not stabilize as well and therefore not benefit as much.

Curtis would have better info on what can and can't be stabilized, but punky spalted wood if dry, is a great candidate. I have some maples that would be useless without stabilizing. With it, it is a gem.