Stabilizing questions on bottle stopper blanks

[winpooh498]

Is there a difference in the stabilizing process between stopper blanks and pen blanks? I have turned many stabilized spalted pen blanks without a problem. Today I tried to turn a stabilized spalted maple stopper, and it seemed like the stabilizing stuff didn’t penetrate the wood. I ended up having to add it to the reject pile because of all the tare out, very FRUSTRATING!! I used very sharp tools and a light touch. I even added CA to the wood as I turned and that didn’t even help. Is this normal for the larger blanks? Or did I just get a bad blank?

Thanks for your input[:X]
Dawn

 

[broitblat]

The blanks I've worked with certainly seemed stabilized thoughout, and I haven't had much trouble. I've had one stabilized spalted blank break along one of the spalt lines, while turning, but a little CA and you can't even tell it happened.

Hopefully, your one experience was just an anomaly.

-Barry

 

[ed4copies]

Glad you decided to ask here, we can get better answers for you.[][]

 

[ed4copies]

Now I have more time.

How much had you turned off when you hit the "nonstabilized"? And was it equally "unstable" all the way around, or was there just a section that was not treated?

I agreed with Ed's statement that there are LOTS of stabilizers (people) out there, SOME may not be as good as the ones we usually use. So, was the blank purchased from a source you have used for your pen blanks? Or, were they from e-bay?

Sorry to be so nosey!![][]

 

[alamocdc]

I don't know who stabilizes the stopper blanks that BB has at Arizona Silhouette, but I turned about 30 of them in December and they were all stabilized through and through. Turning them was no problem. I haven't had any stopper blanks stabilized at River Ridge yet, but the pen blanks I had them do are just like any I've received from BB.

 

[winpooh498]

I apologize for my stupidity!
I got the blank from Arizona Silhouette (same as most of our pen blanks), and I thought that it was a stabilized blank and the first part seemed to be. I went to double check what I ordered and I realized that the blank description did not say it was stabilized. So my bad!

Thank you for your help![:I]
Dawn

 

[Mikey]

I've bought many stabilized ones from Berea and they were stabilized through the whole blank.

Of course, I've bought non stabilized blanks too.[]

 

[alamocdc]

Dawn, as you've now learned, unstabilized spalted Maple is quite difficult to turn. I use CA as I turn it, but much prefer to have it stabilized to avoid these issues.

 

[ed4copies]

Now, STICK around DAWN!!!!

The forum can always use another Dawn!!!! (My s/o is Dawn, you probably don't know that yet!)[][][]

 

[KenV]

Dawn, I did get some stabilized spalted maple from Bill B last winter that was chippy. I expect that without the resin injection, it would have been impossible. Shear scraping the last 1/8th inch was needed to get past the chipping and make it work. Ken's theory is that the spalted wood is not uniform and the penetration of resin is not uniform. Minor chips "work out" (or more accuratly fill-in") with CA glue as filler and use of shear scraping (also knows as negative rake scraper) to level the fills. I do need my "mag-eyes" on when doing the details of shear scraping.