What woods need stabilized?

[Sugar Creek Pen Co.]

Is there a list or resource somewhere that list which woods do/dont need stabilized?

 

[JohnU]

I've never seen a list of either. Usually it's a choice based on the condition of the wood and what you're doing with it. Most can be turned without unless it's punky or rotted. I've had maple burl that was fine and then others that were soft or more dried based on facts like how old it was, when it was cut, and how it was stored. If it's an oily wood like olive, cocobolo, bocote, etc. it doesn't need it.

 

[egnald]

Like John said. Unless it is punky soft or otherwise obvious that it needs to be stabilized, I simply turn and finish a pen to see how it turns and finishes to decide whether or not it needs to be stabilized -- I've done this with several kinds of burls. Of course on some woods I pseudo-stabilize them while I am turning by applying thin CA glue to the blank and letting it cure to harden a thin layer of the wood. Then I turn for a while and repeat the process until I'm done.

Dave

 

[BHuij]

It is my understanding that if you're applying a CA finish, that's effectively the same thing as stabilizing the wood. So if that's your plan, then you only really need to stabilize if the wood would otherwise fly apart during turning. I've turned a fair amount of un-stabilized buckeye burl, for example. That stuff is like styrofoam when you turn it, but when it's CA finished, it's just as smooth, glossy, and strong as anything else.

If you don't want to use a CA finish, you'd probably want to stabilize more or less any burl.