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Thread: Stabilisation

  1. #1
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    Default Stabilisation

    I would like to know what stabilisation actually achieves does it make timber impermeable to moisture ?
    I did a search, their are many many threads on the process, could not find anything on "why"

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  3. #2
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    Default

    It is used to harden, strengthen, solidify softer woods, especially spalted, so you can use them. You are in part plasticizing it but it isn't going to be waterproof, possibly a little more resistant.

    Pete

  4. #3
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    Thanks

  5. #4
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    Impermeable does not happen- movement ALWAYS will. The term wood stabilisation is generally referred to GREEN wood soaked in various chemicals to avoid it shrinking TOO much. This replaces some of the water in the wood with other things to avoid the shrinkage of drying. None of this stops wood from taking and losing moisture as atmospheric conditions demand. Stabilised wood will still behave much like any other wood. The waxes etc. help with the initial shrinkage -but by no way make them go away forever. Good for things like green turning -but they will still warp -but without treatment they WOULD crack/ split.

  6. #5
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    Stabilising with stabilising resin (like Cactus Juice) is a process that replaces any air voids (at the microscopic/cellular level, not cracks or voids) with resin. This means the timber will no longer move due to changes in moisture content. It does not make the timber waterproof but does helps with water resistance.

    The process you go through to do it properly is to first dry the timber to 0% moisture content. The only way to do this is in an oven at above 100C until it stops losing weight. After drying the timber is then submerged in the stabilising resin under vacuum to remove all the air, then the vacuum is released and the timber left to soak, allowing the resin to fill all the voids that were previously filled with air. After soaking, for up to 4 times the vacuum time, the timber is baked in an oven to set the resin.

    In oily timbers the microscopic voids are filled with air and oil and drying the timber will not remove the oil. Under vacuum the oil can be sucked out into your vacuum pump contaminating your pump oil. Likewise if your timber is not dry any moisture and/or sap can be sucked into your vacuum pump again contaminating your pump oil and sometimes seizing the pump.

    How long does it take, some of our Aussie hardwoods can take days even weeks for the air to be removed, and therefore soaking can take weeks to months. Add to that the original drying time in the oven, it can take a long long time. The vacuum chamber/pump setup can cost heaps, likewise the actual resin also costs a lot, so the whole process is not cheap.

    When should you stabilise timber - its mainly for punky spalted rotten timbers as it hardens it makes the timber stable from a moisture content perspective. Knife makers tend to prefer stabilised timbers for their handles as the timber will last a lot longer. A lot of people stabilise timber to stop it cracking from moisture content changes, unfortunately however, the timber often cracks in the drying process.

    Is it worth it for woodturning pieces, IMHO only if the blank is very soft or rotten, as long as the timber is solid then there is no need. Very large blanks are hard to stabilise anyway, they don't fit in the vacuum chambers anyway. I've partially stabilised rotten bowl blanks by drying and then soaking the timber in a large plastic bag before baking in a large oven. This does not completely stabilise the timber but will Harden up the timber to the depth of penetration.

    Hope this helps.
    Neil
    ____________________________________________
    Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new

  7. #6
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    Thanks for all the replies.

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