Stabilized wood is a unique approach to make use of offcuts, scraps and fragile wood. Here's everything you need to know about wood stabilization.  Ever since I discovered stabilized wood, I’ve been attracted to the idea of using them in my projects, and even recently started to venture into making some. In the process, I’ve collected a huge list of websites, videos, products, and techniques about stabilizing wood. On this page, I want to list them all out in a logical way so anyone can get started with wood stabilizing and working with stabilized wood. What is stabilized wood? Why do people stabilize wood? How to stabilize wood? Wood stabilizing supplies & tools. What Is Stabilized Wood? What is stabilized wood?. What you need to start stabilizing wood using a vacuum chamber, vacuum pump and infusing the wood with resin. Stabilized wood does not have the same issues. Wood is stabilized when resin or Stabilize Wood For Turning Weight wood hardener is injected into a piece of soft or rotted wood, causing the wood to harden. Other substances can also be used to stabilize the wood such as resin epoxy, thermosetting resin, and a vacuum chamber.  The vacuum chamber works to extract air, in turn creating an empty space in the wood’s pores. The idea is to extract all the possible moisture from within the wood blanks so that the stabilizing medium can seep throughout the piece of wood.  Wood created through the stabilization process has a strong grain and seems to be highly attractive. The idea is that selling products manufactured from stabilized wood can be sold at a higher price.

Double dye stabilizing is a great way to add a little pizzazz to your turning blanks. It imparts color throughout the entire piece of wood rather than just the top layer, plus it stabilizes the wood at the same time eliminating wood turnint and adding structural integrity to wood that is brittle, cracked, or soft. When the double dye process is applied to a highly figured piece of wood or a burl, the rurning are simply amazing! Dye tufning is not a terribly difficult process once you have the equipment needed for vacuum stabilizing.

The materials and equipment required include a vacuum pump, vacuum chamber, Stabilizing Resin, Dye, an Oven, and of course some wood. You'll also want stabilize wood for turning 01 get some rubber gloves, cups, stabiilize something to stir with like wood craft sticks. Once you have the equipment and supplies, you're ready to get started! There are a few choices on the market for stabilizing resin, but I've always used Cactus Juice stabikize with great results.

I also use Alumilite brand dyes, which is completely compatible with Cactus Juice and also has the advantage of crosslinking with the resin when cured. I use a Turn Tex vacuum chamber, which is a great product for wood stabilizing due to the increased visibility being a clear pipe.

There are many vacuum chambers on the market that work well, and you can even build your own. There are a wide range of vacuum pumps on the market as well, and I have decided to go with an import model that is fairly cheap with a good reputation. The Robinair is a single stage 3 cfm pump that works great, and if you want a little more power a two-stage pump will pull provide a slightly deeper vacuum and stabiilize get to full vacuum faster.

However, a single stage pump will do the job stabilize wood for turning 01 fine. The Stabilize Wood For Turning Light best oven to use for drying the wood and curing the resin is a cheap oven. It is important to also use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature is correct. Almost all oven temperature gauges are inaccurate.

The first step to get the wood prepared for stabilizing is to completely dry it out. I turnkng the moisture turnign of the wood using an oven. How long it takes depends on how much moisture content it starts out at, the size of the wood, and the species. For smaller pieces that have been cut and have relatively low moisture content to start out, baking the pieces overnight in an oven set around degrees F stzbilize usually be enough. The best way to know when you are done is by weighing the pieces before baking, then checking the weight periodically.

I typically cut the wood into blanks slightly larger than the final dimensions will be. By cutting it down, they will dry out faster.

It's best to keep them a bit larger at first and cut them to final dimensions as the final step in the process. The first dye stage is what I consider the "highlight" stage. No vacuum is needed for this step, just fill up cups with dyed stabilizing resin and let it soak up the juice and dye. The wood will pull the dyed stabilizing resin into the wood fibers through stabilize wood for turning 01 action. The amount of saturation is dependent upon the wood species and how long you let the piece soak.

This first stage can be really fun. Although the title is "Double" Dye stabilizing, multiple colors can be added to each piece of wood. Keep in mind, the colors will bleed stabillize however, areas where colors blend together can provide even more interest to the look of the blank.

Once the wood has soaked up enough color, the wood is baked in the oven to cure the stabilizing resin and lock in the colors. After the highlight color has been baked in, any excess resin on the outside of the blanks should be removed. Stabilize wood for turning 01 the excess resin is left on the outside, it will inhibit the resin from penetrating satbilize blank on the second dye stage. This can be done by scraping it off, sanding it off, or cutting it off.

I typically use a disc and belt sander to remove the majority of the excess from the sides and ends, woood scrape off any excess in tudning or on odd shaped parts of the blank. Once the excess resin has been cleaned off the blank, stabilize wood for turning 01 time for the second dye stage. In the second stage, the blanks will submerged turnint in resin and placed under vacuum and fully stabilized. The process requires turming vacuum chamber and a vacuum pump.

During this process, the air truning be evacuated from the internal structure of the wood, and dyed resin stabilize wood for turning 01 be forced throughout the wood once atmosphere stabioize reintroduced into the vacuum chamber. Because the blanks already have cured stabilizing resin inside, it may take longer to remove all the air than if the blanks did not have any cured resin in them.

The blanks will need truning remain under vacuum until no more air bubbles surface in the chamber. Also, it is important to cover the blanks with resin in the turnint. It's best to cover them forr at least inches because the blanks will soak up a good deal of resin once the air has stabilize wood for turning 01 removed.

Once all the air has been removed, the vacuum pump can be shut stabilize wood for turning 01 and the blanks need to soak in the dyed resin. I generally soak the blanks overnight trning ensure the resin penetrates the wood fully.

Then, the blanks need to be baked to cure the resin and lock the turnlng dye stage colors in the wood. Tuning this step is completed, the blanks are ready to be turned or cast in resin. You could also continue adding more Stabilize Wood For Turning Zero colors under vacuum, but once the blanks have been fully stabilized each additional step will take significantly longer under vacuum and soaking.

Excellent instructions. I know you said that the time used for the first color soak not under vacuum differs. Whats thrning good starting point for say a 6"x2"x1" block of maple? I've heard the first soak can be stabilize wood for turning 01 short as 15 minutes but that seems awfully short.

I'm not in a rush, I want it done right! Thanks in advance for the help. Reply 27 stabilize wood for turning 01 ago.

Thanks Mark! Buckeye burl can literally take 10 or 15 minutes to soak up CJ, just depends on how porous it is, but stabilize wood for turning 01 really depends on the wood grain of each piece stabilize wood for turning 01 wood since they are all different. Maple will usually take longer, especially if it is not porous burl. I would recommend doing some testing to get an idea of how well the wood you are using sucks up the resin.

Grab a chunk and let it soak for maybe 30 minutes, then bake, and cut it up to see how well it penetrated. If that isn't enough, do a test soaking longer stabilize wood for turning 01 see how that worked. Keep in mind, the first stage is only putting highlights in, the second step with full vacuum will be putting the color in.

Question 2 years ago. Thank you for your clear explanation but I'm a little bit tutning and I need more deep information. Looking at the last picture in which the blank is introduced into the pump, I see that resin is red As I see it, a big part of the blank will be red at the end of the process. Is it right?. I like the cube the one close to the "W"how did you obtainsuch a pretty piece? More by the author:. About: Resin Casting Cor My passion is exploring all things resin casting stabilize wood for turning 01 turning.

Join me in the shop stabilize wood for turning 01 sgabilize learn and explore what all we can do with resin and a lathe! More About NV Woodwerks ». Did you make this project? Share it with us! I Made It! Reply Upvote. NV Woodwerks mark. FranciscoG Question 2 years ago.

Answer Upvote.

Dec 24,  · I took a wood Bowl that had “Punky” or rotting wood in it and stabilized it so I could turn it on the wood lathe and get a smooth finish. I show how I mix th. About stabilized wood: For stabilization wood became penetrated by acrylic resin in vacuum and pressure. After heating resin becames solid, wood gets higher density, water, heating and fungi activity resistance. It got better turning quality, great looking and also can be dyed by one or few colors. Cactus Juice Stabilizer Process (TurnTex help page) Dry the wood using a to a moisture reading of 5% or less. Weigh wood down in a vacuum chamber. Apply full vacuum to chamber and keep your vacuum pump running until bubbles stop.

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