Walnut Burl- stabilize or not?

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jjjaworski

jjjaworski

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2012
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914
Location
Las Cruces, NM
I have cut up some local walnut burl and am wondering if I should bother to stabilize it or not.

I am finally getting the hang of my Cactus Juice system and have stabilized some box elder and tamarind blanks.

The walnut I cut up had some spalting and punky spots so I have stabilized a couple to see how they turn.

This is all air dried and has some nice color to it. It is a local strain of walnut called Mimbres Walnut and was cut from a fallen tree in Capitan, NM several years ago.

I am considering posting some in the deals and trades forum or classifieds so this is important since I don't want to list something that will cause a fellow turner problems.

Photos later if need be.
 
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If it's like the walnut and is spalted or slightly punky, then it would benefit from stabilizing with CJ. If it is fairly solid than it may or may not be of benefit.
 
The pieces from the tree that are a bit punky don't seem to like cactus juice as much as the box elder or tamarind. I am turning a small piece of the burl in the next day or two to see how solid it is.

The CA reinforcement seems like a much better approach. Saves more time and materials as well.
 
jjjaworski said:
The pieces from the tree that are a bit punky don't seem to like cactus juice as much as the box elder or tamarind. I am turning a small piece of the burl in the next day or two to see how solid it is.

The CA reinforcement seems like a much better approach. Saves more time and materials as well.
Click to expand...

What do you mean 'doesn't seem to like cactus juice'? While I haven't stabilized as much as some others, I have yet to find punky wood that couldn't be 'juiced'.
 
For me I would look at how stable it already is. If it is nice and stable I wouldn't stabilize it. If it is at all unstable then you stabilize?
 
mikespenturningz said:
For me I would look at how stable it already is. If it is nice and stable I wouldn't stabilize it. If it is at all unstable then you stabilize?
Click to expand...

They are actually pretty stable with the usual small checks here and there and small voids by some of the eyes. I am running one through the process now that had some checking to see if it is worth the effort.

I'm at work and things are slow so i am stabilizing a bunch of spalted tamarind I got some time back along with some box elder burl.
 
If it was air dried just be sure it is dry enough before stabilizing. It won't take well if the wood is on the moist end of things. That said, I've stabilized a bunch (well, enough to be halfway through my 2nd gallon at least) and I've never turned a piece and thought "Damn, wish I hadn't stabilized that". But of course, there were pieces I turned that I did not stabilize, and wished I had.
 
I still have to get to turning any of the blanks I have stabilized..*G* .. busy with so much else it seems. I am almost through my first 1/2 gallon and have a gallon on the way.

My big issue is being at 4000 ft. I can only pull 25.5 inches Hg with my two stage oil filled pump.
 
I will usually bake my blanks for several hours if there is any question about the moisture content. Then I stabilize it. I am getting ready to order my 3rd gallon of Cactus Juice it is great stuff.
 
mikespenturningz said:
I will usually bake my blanks for several hours if there is any question about the moisture content. Then I stabilize it. I am getting ready to order my 3rd gallon of Cactus Juice it is great stuff.
Click to expand...

I like the Cactus juice also. No issues with moisture in the blanks. It is pretty dry here in NM and the timber was cut 5-7 years back. I blanked stuff up about 2 years ago.
 
jjjaworski said:
I still have to get to turning any of the blanks I have stabilized..*G* .. busy with so much else it seems. I am almost through my first 1/2 gallon and have a gallon on the way.

My big issue is being at 4000 ft. I can only pull 25.5 inches Hg with my two stage oil filled pump.
Click to expand...
Well, according to Curtis' handy dandy
Maximum Theoretical Vacuum Calculator
the best you will be able to pull at 4000ft is 25.88 inches.
 
If I was smarter I would have looked at that months ago when I got the system and not been fretting about trying to pull 28 inches ...chuckle.
Sometimes I am a slow learner it seems.

Monty said:
jjjaworski said:
I still have to get to turning any of the blanks I have stabilized..*G* .. busy with so much else it seems. I am almost through my first 1/2 gallon and have a gallon on the way.

My big issue is being at 4000 ft. I can only pull 25.5 inches Hg with my two stage oil filled pump.
Click to expand...
Well, according to Curtis' handy dandy
Maximum Theoretical Vacuum Calculator
the best you will be able to pull at 4000ft is 25.88 inches.
Click to expand...
 
jjjaworski said:
If I was smarter I would have looked at that months ago when I got the system and not been fretting about trying to pull 28 inches ...chuckle.
Sometimes I am a slow learner it seems.

Monty said:
jjjaworski said:
I still have to get to turning any of the blanks I have stabilized..*G* .. busy with so much else it seems. I am almost through my first 1/2 gallon and have a gallon on the way.

My big issue is being at 4000 ft. I can only pull 25.5 inches Hg with my two stage oil filled pump.
Click to expand...
Well, according to Curtis' handy dandy
Maximum Theoretical Vacuum Calculator
the best you will be able to pull at 4000ft is 25.88 inches.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
It was one of those Homer Simpson moments....DUUUUUUUH.:biggrin:
 
James, Just remember that, at 4,000' asl, you have a head start on those of us a lower elevations! There is less air in your wood to remove than there is at my elevation of 797' asl. Your results will be just as good as the fellow that pulls 29.48 at sea level. Remember to think of vacuum in % of maximum theoretical vacuum rather than getting hung up on the actual inHg you are pulling since the definition of a perfect vacuum is the absence of all air (for our purposes). In your case, you are removing 98.53% of the air from your chamber which is a really good vacuum!
 
Curtis,

Thanks for the information on that. I'm feeling much better knowing that.
I am very happy with the way the process is working. As with all new endeavors frustrating moments and hiccups occur along the way as we learn .

I am trying a few different wood species as well and finding which are easier to stabilize and which are not so easy. I even did some pine bark blanks for my boss.

I am looking forward getting better with this system. So far it is working out swell.
 
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