Stupid question

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Gary Max

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After reading the post about Stablized Sample reveiws that I was a part of----there is something I do not understand.
I can see why you would want to Stablize wood the is soft such as Buckeye burl or spalted woods---I also get why you would want to do the dyed wood thing like BB's eye candy (nice stuff).
Now for the question.
Why in the heck do they stablize a perfect block of wood. Some of this wood is so dang hard it's like turning rock. I do not understand why this is a good thing.
Is this just a way to sell more wood????????
 
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To take something godd and make it better.....I don't know.
I sent some red & brown mellee to be stabilized before, not sure why,
as this wood is ussually hard as a rock. But it did come out nicer than
a non stabilized blank. Also, if yo are makeing a fontain pen, I wold think
a pregnated blank with a finish over it, would resist ink stains better.
 
Anthony if you could buy blanks for less----like Amboyna ----which would you rather have----stablized or not.
I had one of the test blanks just break apart on the lathe because it was so dang hard. It looked like glass breaking almost--- not something that I could of done. Plus drilling these super blanks, I am talking about burning up a drill bit. They need to be drilled at 500 RPMs
I guess I am just hard headed.
 
I would rather have both [:)] The exabition grade amboyna from CSU we bought, that stuff was really nice. But a have set 10 aside to send to be stabilized. I was not surprised when I blew the black palm cap up drilling it. I felt it was my fault for being in a hurry and drilling way to fast. But I was a little floored when the other black palm blew when I have just barely put the bit to it. I just think, the extra PITA it is to drill and turn, is worth it on the finished product.
 
I guess if I turned more of that wood, I would mess up less.
It's kinda a treat for me to have that fancy stuff. And you are right about the wood we got from CSUSA---that was the best I have ever seen--- darn shame I am out of it.
 
Originally posted by PenWorks
<br />To take something godd and make it better.....I don't know.
I sent some red & brown mellee to be stabilized before, not sure why,
as this wood is ussually hard as a rock. But it did come out nicer than
a non stabilized blank. Also, if yo are makeing a fontain pen, I wold think
a pregnated blank with a finish over it, would resist ink stains better.
Click to expand...

Tony, who did the stabilizing on your mallee? I inquired of one of the better known stable guys and he said it was not suitable for the process in his experience.
 
One reason to have any wood stabalized. is to help remove the movment it naturally has. A great example of why to do this is a Polaris pen I made last year. it is Water Buffallo horn with a maple strip running through it. after making it you could not feel any seam between the maple and horn. over the summer the maple expanded and you could feel a slight ridge where it met the horn. now that it is all nice and dry again. the pieces fit smoothly again. Stabalization helps reduce this expansion and contraction. it can cause the wood to actually crack. glue bonds to be broken, and gaps to appear between wood and fittings. I simply consider stabalized wood to be the only acceptable material for pens I am selling. I have to many pens that have cracked in my display case to trust plain wood.
 
Gary I too wondered why they stabilized some of those samples. The curly maple bottle stopper I turned was "solid". I mentioned to Jeff in my first email to him it was like a rock. Do I think it was too hard. I am not sure. I need to get a piece of unstabilized curly maple and make a bottle stopper out of it. Then I can compare them side to side.
 
For me,. stabilized wood makes everything go quicker. In general, I have an easier time drilling, turning is more uniform, sanding is a breeze and finishing time is dramatically reduced. Another advantage, with some woods, is the ability to professionally dye the wood. Again, for me, it's a money versus time trade-off.
 
Some Cross-cut woods splinter too easily, and that's why it can be a benefit to stabilize. I tried to get my curly maple dyed only, but they wouldn't do it, without stabilizing it. Kind of irritating, as curly maple is fun to turn. Some folks won't do x-cut, unless it's stabilized.
Rob
 
Originally posted by airrat
<br />Gary I too wondered why they stabilized some of those samples. The curly maple bottle stopper I turned was "solid". I mentioned to Jeff in my first email to him it was like a rock. Do I think it was too hard. I am not sure. I need to get a piece of unstabilized curly maple and make a bottle stopper out of it. Then I can compare them side to side.
Click to expand...

Some maple is hard like a rock. That's why some maples are referred to as "rock maple". [:p] But, even really hard it can be very nice to work.
 
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