Minwax Wood Hardener

Available at your local hardware store for about $10.00 a bottle. Minwax high performance wood hardener is made up of extra hard resins that are disolved in a solvent solution. The mixture penetrates the wood pores and as the solvents evaporate they leave behind the resin which hardens or stabilizes the wood.

This product is easy to use and from what I’ve read on different pen turning and knife making forums, the majority of people that have tried it have experienced positive results.

Here’s how it works:

Always work in a well ventilated area when using this product and follow the manufacturers directions.

Your wood must be good and dry before using this product. For better product penetration, you may want to warm the wood blank before applying the wood hardener.

Shake the can well, apply the wood hardener with a disposable bristle brush to completely saturate the piece.

Apply several coats in quick succession until a shiny surface appearance is obtained. You’ll know you’ve applied enough coats when the wood stops absorbing the solution. Make sure you recap the bottle right away between coats to prolong the life of the hardener… you don’t want the stuff to thicken by letting the solvents evaporate.

Allow to dry for at least a couple of days to be sure that it’s dry right through.
Finish and seal like you normally would.

CPES – Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer

This product is used by the marine industry to repair rotten, punky wood on boats. It’s available online for about $36.00 for a 2 pint kit.

CPES is said to work best on rotten wood rather than sound wood.

It’s a clear epoxy sealer that is thin like water made for penetrating, which soaks deep into damaged or rotten wood, unlike an adhesive epoxy which just coats the surface of the wood. The epoxy resin is delivered into the wood pores through a solvent base. The same solvents also evaporate excess moisture from within the wood. All of the wood fibers and spores are then left encapsulated with the remaining epoxy. It glues the remaining fibers back together, and restores useful strength back into the wood, without changing the natural flexibility of the wood.

This product is available for both cold weather and warm weather applications.

RESINOL 90C – from Loctite

Resinol is a solution used mostly by hobbyists to stabilize homemade knife handles and grips. It cost is about $400.00 for 4 gallons and is requires additional equipment which can be very expensive. The end result is not comparable to professional stabilizing services. The wood is harder to work and quite brittle, due mainly to the higher curing temperatures required by the Resinol. (More than double that used by professional stabilizers). I also found a lot of great information on the knife forums about the Resinol 90C (this one inparticular comes to mind www.bladeforums.com)

Polyurethane Method from the IAP (International Association of Penturners)

This is a pdf file with pictures and instructions! Stabilizing wood with Polyurethane and a vacuum

Resolute by Cue Components

Resolute is a product offered by Cue Components to replace Nelsonite. It is said to produce the same results as Nelsonite with less danger and less odor and best of all less cost! Here’s a link to the Wood Stabilizing page at Cue Components

Polycryl by Preservation Solutions

Polycryl is a wood fortifier that fills and strengthens the cells in soft, punky, or spalted wood. It drys clear and will not yellow. This makes turning spalted wood a little easier. After treating your wood with Polycryl the wood must be sealed and finished as this is a water-soluble product. All types of finishes and glues can be used once Polycryl has dried into the wood.

This product is water-soluble and penetrates best when the wood is wet. It remains water soluble after it has dried into the wood and should not be used for outside projects.

Polycryl is available directly through Preservation Solutions at a cost of about $17.00 for
32 oz Polycryl

Acryloid B-72

Also called paraloid B-72 at times, is a soluble methacrylate copolymer used in the art restoration business. Some knifemakers have used it as a stabilizer for wood, bone, etc. I didn’t have any luck finding information on how to use this product, but did find several references to it in the knife forums saying that it’s a good product for stabilizing knife scales.

Acryloid B-72 is available as a 100% resin in the form of beads.

Professional Stabilizing Service

If you are in need of professional stabilization, check out www.woodstabilizer.com They have a great selection of acrylic stabilized wood pen blanks, knife scales, pistol grips, reel seats and a number of other small project blanks available.

Note: If you’re thinking of trying any of these products, please be sure and follow the directions and safety precautions provided by the manufacturers.

We hope you’ll find this information and the links helpful. If you know of a stabilizing technique that’s not on our list, or have something you’d like to add to any of the above techniques, please leave a comment!

For stabilizing green wood Pentacryl is a great product for helping prevent your wood from cracking during the drying process. Pentacryl was originally developed to preserve a number of ancient American Indian Artifacts. A number of Indian weir stakes were found in a lake by the Maine State Museum in Augusta. Some of the stakes were removed and found to be from 3000 to 6000 years old. Had the artifacts been left to dry out without being treated with a wood stabilizer, they would have cracked and deteriorated further, just as green wood cracks if is not sealed or treated.How pentacryl works. The siliconized polymers in Pentacryl penetrate into the wood , coating the cells and keeping them from collapsing. Pentracryl is envionmentally friendly, will not discolour your wood and cleans up easily with soap and water or mineral spirits. After it’s dry, you can finish your wood with any type of finish you like.

You can apply Pentacryl in two different ways. Larger pieces of green wood can be treated by brushing on the solution until the piece is completely saturated. While smaller pieces of green wood can be soaked in a container of solution… Be sure to save the remaining solution for another project. After applying the solution you will need to slowly dry the wood. The ideal conditions for drying your wood is in a cool, damp room at 60 degrees F with 60 percent relative humidity. If you don’t have an appropriate room (which most of us don’t) for drying your wood, you can use a large cardboard box (like an appliance box). Set the box over the wood and this will slow the drying. The idea is to let the moisture escape slowly. Drying time is about 3 months per inch of slab thickness.

When turning green wood, after you’ve rough turned your project, use the brush-on method of applying the Pentacryl. This will help avoid the risk of cracks in your project caused by having the wood dry out to quickly. Keep in mind that this will change the density of the wood and it will feel slightly heavier once the pentacryl has dried.

Pentacryl is Available is 3 different sizes
5 Gallon Pentacryl
1 Gallon Pentacryl
32 oz Pentacryl

For stabilizing spalted or punky wood, a good product to try is Polycryl.

Manufactered by Preservation Solutions, Polycryl is water soluble and works best when the wood is wet. Just soak the pen blanks in the solution for the recommended time and then let them dry. After using Polycryl you must use a finish on your wood to seal it. Also note that because this is a water soluble product, you should not use it for outdoor projects.

Polycryl is also available in 3 sizes.
5 Gallon Polycryl
1 Gallon Polycryl
32 oz Polycryl

Please note that if you need a true stabilized piece of wood, please consult a professional wood stabilizer that uses acrylic impregnation.  The methods in this article will not protect your wood from the natural elements of nature.

This is the unfortunate way many new turners learn about the importance of sealing green wood to prevent end grain checking. There are several different methods of doing this.

One of our favorite methods for end sealing wood turning blanks is to use hot paraffin wax. It is easy to remove when you need to use the wood and it’s inexpensive compared to some other methods. For smaller quantities of wood you can use food safe paraffin wax. It’s available at most grocery stores in the canning section for just a few dollars. You can use a coleman or camping stove if you have one available and a pot wide enough to fit the end grain portion of your wood. Melt the wax completely before you dip your wood in it. If the wax is not hot enough it won’t penetrate the wood and will just peel off. It’s also a good idea to melt the wax outdoors, as it has quite a strong odour and can smoke a little. NEVER cover the pot while you’re melting the wax as this can and will cause the fumes to collect in the pot and combust, causing a fire!

For larger pieces of wood that won’t fit in your parrafin wax pot, try using a wax emulsion sealer, such as Anchorseal from UC Coatings. Some wood supply stores carry their own brand of sealer which is usually similar to Anchorseal. It’s easy to apply with either a paint brush or a small paint roller and washes up with soap and water. We like to use two coats of anchorseal before we kiln dry our wood as it offers a little bit of extra protection… just remember that if you’re going to use two coats, you need to let the first coat dry completely before applying the second coat.

If you can’t find a wood supply store that carries wood sealer, UC Coating will delivery it to your door. They have operations in Canada and the USA. You can check them out online at www.uccoatings.com.

Make sure to seal your wood as soon as possible after cutting. If you see any visible checks…cut them off before you apply the sealer. This may seem like a lot of extra work, but believe me it will save you a lot of grief (and a lot of wood) in the end.

Yet another way to seal your wood is to paint the ends with regular household paint. This method is not food safe, but is known to work well for end sealing logs. It’s both cost effective and convenient, as most people already have a can of paint in their garage.

If you know of any other wood sealing methods that are not posted here, please leave a comment so we can share them with our other readers.

For this project you can use any type of hardwood, but in my opinion, figured wood, burls and highly detailed woods look the best. Vedder Mountain Hardwoods has a good supply of figured and spalted maple as well as maple and birch burl available.

Each stopper consists of three parts. A turning blank which is normally 1 1/2″x1 1/2″x2 1/2″, a 3/8″ piece of hardwood dowel and a stoppers cork with a 3/8″ hole in the center for attaching it to the turned top.

The tools and equipment needed for turning bottle stoppers are minimal. Here’s what you’ll need:

• A wood Lathe
• Tools – a gouge, skew and parting tool
• A chuck if you have one (otherwise you can turn the bottle stoppers between centers)
• 3/8″ drill bit
• Wood turning blanks
• 3/8″ Hardwood dowel cut to 2 1/2″
• Bottle stopper corks (can be purchased at most wood turning stores)
• Thick CA glue or epoxy
• sandpaper in a variety of grits
• Friction Polish to finish your bottle stopper or Tung Oil works as well

Once you have all your materials, you can begin by cutting your blank to just a hair longer than the size of your finished bottle stopper. Next you can mark the center of your blank on each end. Then you’ll need to drill a 3/8″hole in one end 3/4″deep. Insert some glue into the hole and tap the dowel into the blank with a hammer or mallet. Don’t worry about the dowel being to long… once the bottle stopper is finished, you’ll trim it to the right length to apply the cork.

Insert the dowel end of the blank into the chuck leaving 3/4″ of the dowel exposed (the 3/4″ is the part of the dowel that will be glued into the cork and you want to avoid damaging it in the chuck). Then bring the tailstock up and tighten it into place.

You can also turn these bottle stoppers between centers. Tap the spur center into the marked end of turning blank using a mallet and insert it into the headstock. Then bring the tailstock up and center it on the tip of the dowel and tighten it into place.

Next you start turning just as you would with any other project. Be sure and keep your tools good and sharp while turning your bottle stopper and take your time … if you have a tool catch it may ruin your blank by snapping the dowel.

After you’ve finishing turning your piece, you can start your sanding. I recommend sanding up to 800 grit for a nice glossy finish. Now you’re ready to apply your finish. I like Crystal Caot frition polish as it’s easy to apply on the lathe and dries very quickly. Another great finish is tung oil, but you’ll need to apply several coats to get a really glossy finish.

You can now remove your bottle stopper from the lathe. Measure the length of your cork to the dowel and make a mark. Trim off the extra dowel. Once you’ve done this apply a small amount of glue to the wide end of the cork base and inside the hole in the cork. Quickly slide the cork over the dowel until it’s snug against the bottom of the bottle stopper. When the glue has completely dried you can clean up the end of the dowel by touching it gently on a belt sander until it’s nice and even with the cork.

Bottle stoppers make wonderful unique gifts for Christmas or any occasion. They’re also a best seller at craft fairs if you want to turn for some extra money.

*Image provided by Running Dog Woodworking

What is spalted maple?

Spalted maple is created when the wood is infected by a variety of fungi. Each unique fungus creates a different effect in the wood during the natural process of decay. If the wood is caught and processed at the right time, before it gets soft and punky, it can create a stunning mosaic of light and dark areas most often bordered by dark lines (inklines). This provides a striking visual contrast.

Is spalted maple foodsafe?

After researching this topic in great length… this is what I found. If the wood is kiln dried, the fungi will go dormant or die. As long as you apply a durable foodsafe finish to your turning, the wood should be foodsafe. However, after having said that, I could not find any research with a solid conclusion either way. I also could not find any reported illnesses from using spalted wood in this manner. The only cautions I could find regarding the use of spalted wood were workshop related. The dust from the spalted maple and the warm damp climate of your lungs make for an ideal breeding ground for the fungi to come back to life. When you’re cutting any kind of spalted wood, please protect your lungs and use a respirator mask for your own health.

Here’s a list of some foodsafe finishes you may want to try:

Pure Tung Oil. Tung oil comes from the nut of the china wood tree. Requires many coats and provides good water-resistance.

Walnut Oil. This oil is pressed from the nuts of the walnut tree and is sold as a salad oil in health food stores or grocery stores. It’s easy to apply but requires frequent reapplication.

Mineral Oil. This oil is available for sale as a laxative in drug stores and as a wood finish in hardware stores. It’s simple to apply but requires frequent reapplication and is not very water resistant.

Beeswax. This wax can be mixed with an oil like lavender to create a pleasant smelling finish. This smells great but is not very water resistant.

Carnauba Wax. This wax is from the Brazilian palm tree. It’s a harder wax than beeswax and a little more water resistant.

Shellac. Harvested in India, shellac is a secretion from the lac bug. The most waterresistant variety is super blond shellac in flake form and can be found in most hardware stores and woodworking catalogs.

Raw Linseed Oil. This oil is pressed from flax seeds. It has a very long curing time and low water resistance. Linseed oil also requires frequent reapplication.

Quality spalted maple can be very expensive and is getting harder and harder to find. Vedder Mountain Hardwoods has a good supply of both turning blocks in spalted curly maple and spalted maple guitar tops available.