Glue and water for stabilizing funky wood

[killerbeast]

I remember reading somewhere about stabilizing funky wood with heavy spalting, for turning using a mix of white glue(carpenters glue) and water. i have been searching for the article/forum thread. I sure someone here can help me.

The idea was to mix water and glue and submerge the rotted wood in the mix. Then let dry and turn. but the details elude me...

The reason is that i have a very very nice pice of Birch with some beautiful colors black red green and blue. But some areas are så soft that turning is difficult, and sanding impossible..

[BernieP]

G'Day Rasmus

The thread you need is Al's (OGYT) #16 here http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=53409&highlight=stabilizing

Cheers
Bernie

[killerbeast]

Thank you :-)
Anybody done more experimenting on this technique with soaking

[rsser]

Seems some US turners use thin CA.

I'd be more inclined to use blond shellac than CA or white glue: likely less interference with the finish and easier on your nasal passages.

If there's not much punky wood, easiest is shear cutting with freshly sharpened tools.

Then for sanding, use the shellac or just spray with water to swell the fibres.

Just my two bits worth.

[hughie]

For me it depends on how bad or much of it there is. Spots or small amounts I use CA...too lazy to wait for the alternative :U

Larger amounts I have used Floods Penetrol or thin lacquer. Both work ok for me

[TTIT]

...........I'd be more inclined to use blond shellac than CA or white glue: likely less interference with the finish and easier on your nasal passages.
..................................
Just my two bits worth.Gotta try this blond shellac stuff one day! Will it soak into firmer but open grained timbers like Jacaranda and such Ern????

[rsser]

Vern, haven't turned J. (but am eyeing off one down the road, heheh). Have done spalted Sassafras and Peppercorn and lightly spalted Birch.

But I'd guess so, and when used in sanding sealer mode dilute 1:1 or even more. See the tech sheet on the ubeaut site.

Of course the more you dilute the more it penetrates but the more coats you need to stabilise punky wood.

Dunno how far it penetrates since I've only used shellac in this application for the last pass or two, or for sanding.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

I found white glue doesn't penetrate deeply enough, no matter how it's thinned. Then again, I've manly experimented on dinki di Aussie woods so cheap imitation yankee varieties might be different... :innocent:

My preference is for a Tung Oil:Turps mix (about 50:50) and leaving it in a vacuum chamber until the blank sinks to the bottom.

[killerbeast]

not beeing Yank (mutter mutter) and not having at vac chamber would it work with just soaking ??

[rsser]

heheh.

Put it in a plastic bag, suck out the air with a straw? Try not to drink too much before driving ;-}

[killerbeast]

hehe of course... dont drinkt tung oil and dive...

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

It works... eventually.

That's how I stabilised my first punky pen blanks - we all gotta start somewhere - but they took weeks rather than hours. And that was for pen blanks. I imagine larger pieces would take forever and a day.