Working with unstable wood

[Gabericks]

Hey Pros, my sons friend was kind enough to invite us to attend the President's Cup this week with he and his dad. I wanted to do something nice for them. I helped the grounds keeper by removing a tree branch from the ground to my pocket on the 18th hole. I wish it were hardwood. It's dry, soft and dead. It is porous.
I don't have the tools or the experience for a formal stabilization process.
Can anyone suggest a poor man's way to stabilize this material that would allow me to turn with a sharp tool? Thanks

 

[Curly]

Thin CA glue all over it. Turn a little off then another round of CA. Repeat until done. You can use a little accelerator if it you don't want to wait while it cures. Wear a charcoal filtered respirator if you don't have very good ventilation. The CA hardens and stabilizes the wood as you go. Best if you can do a CA finish to top it off. Have fun.

 

[wouldentu2?]

There is a minwax product that works well if you soak it in it. Now that I think of it I believe it's name is Wood Hardener.

 

[Jarod888]

Opps. Wrong thread.

 

[Ray-CA]

Hey Pros, my sons friend was kind enough to invite us to attend the President's Cup this week with he and his dad. I wanted to do something nice for them. I helped the grounds keeper by removing a tree branch from the ground to my pocket on the 18th hole. I wish it were hardwood. It's dry, soft and dead. It is porous.
I don't have the tools or the experience for a formal stabilization process.
Can anyone suggest a poor man's way to stabilize this material that would allow me to turn with a sharp tool? Thanks

If it's really important to you don't mess around. Send it someone who will stabilize it properly for you. I've used Kate (https://bullseyeturningsupply.com/) for several of my projects.

 

[farmer]

Wood mainly moves according to the humidity or moisture content.
As long as the wood is moving its never stable