Stabilization Mix

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dwpenworks

dwpenworks

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Oct 6, 2005
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Location
Indiana, USA.
I don't often need to ask questions in this forum because they are almost always answered by someone else's question.
I love to cut up my own wood straight from the log. I have been stabilizing my own blanks for a little while now. I am finding that I am using a lot of polyurethane though. At first I was using polycrylic (expensive) went to polyurethane (thinner viscosity but still pricey) and today went to polyurethane mixed with deft. But I had a problem with that stuff solidifying. And finally my question...
What do you all use? Is there a recipe you folks could share with me, because my wife is about to yell at me for buying more polyurethane.

Thanks
 
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Minwax wood stabilizer is what I have and what I have been reading works well for others.

But I'm interested in hearing others' recipes too.

GK
 
The plexiglass seems as though it would be a thick viscosity to get into the pores of the wood. I will look up the threads though. I'd like to learn more about the minwax stuff. Please keep it coming folks as I think this is a good topic for conversation.
 
I've been looking at the minwax wood hardener. Looks good from what I can tell. Not terribly expensive at Amazon.com. I haven't had a chance to look at the plexiglass yet. Basically I have green wood. (a lot of green wood, I sell firewood year round) I'm looking for that chemical that will rid the wood of excess moisture and stabilize at the same time for low dollar. (firewood not selling too much in the summer time.) If you all can help I will wait patiently. (or at least try to) Thanks in advance
 
I use a mixture of plexiglass disolved in acetone to the cosistency of cough syrup take a day or so to get it fully dissolved. after disolve i put the mixture in a big mason jar and drop the wood in. put in my pressure poit pull a vaccum to about 20. I like the vacumm because with pressure it like a sitting bomb pressure explosion[xx(] vacumm implosion little safer. leave in till the wood sinks couple of days pull out of the pot acetone will evaperate and the plexiglass stays in. Make sure your leftover mixture is covered so the acetone will not evaperate. any questions feel free to ask will answer best that I can.

Thanks Jim
 
dwpenworks ... try boiling your wood as per the directions here (I bet you will have a new method in no time ... I know I did!) Read Steve Russell's website here: http://www.woodturningvideosplus.com/boiling-green-wood.html

My formula: Methyl Ethyl Keytone with as much clean, white styrofoam as can be dissolved. Completely cover the pre-drilled blanks for a few days, remove, drain, and let dry. The MEK is definitely not to be messed around with as it is very readily absorbed by the skin (as are the fumes if inhaled) and it WILL effect your health if precautions are not observed at all times. MEK is available at many professional paint stores. MEK is also the only solvent that does not make an unusable gooey mess of styrofoam. End results ... nice hardened punky woods that are reasonably well protected from the elements.
 
I used the minwax wood hardener with epoxy resin and had pretty good results on some punky wood. I left several pieces in the soup for a few days (until they sank) then fished them out and let them dry. You can get several batches out of the mixture if you pour it back into an airtight container.
 
Hey All,

Here is an idea:

Could you use Polyester Resin, like Silmar 41, thinned with acetone to a point where it could penetrate well. You could wix less activator than usual to stop it from setting up too fast, then put it in a vacuum, then pressure like you do when you are making worthless wood.

What do you think? Would that work?

Steve
 
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