What does everyone use for wood hardener

[Arlin Eastman]

for spalted or punkie woods and how do you use it.

Also how much if it will it take to do a piece of wood say 10"x10"

Will any of these products work and how would you get it into the heart of the wood.


https://www.acehardware.com/departments/...lsrc=aw.ds


https://www.homedepot.com/p/PC-Products-...lsrc=aw.ds



https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-41700000-H...B000BPINKS


Thanks

[MsNomer]

More than 20 years ago, I patched my garage door with Abatron. There was major damage with chunks of structural parts rotted away. It is still holding.

[Wildwood]

Arlin not all spalted wood is salvageable or good for woodturning!

JMHO, CA glue about as sophisticated as you want to get. Yes may require frequent applications (turn, re-apply, turn).

Those expensive Abatron products both you and Carolyn mention are great for what they are design to do! Cannot say would not work for your application but consider the cost. Same could be said for PC Products Petrifier.

Minwax Wood Hardener gets mix reviews; not so great for spalted wood bowls or hollow forms. Pen turners have used it in pressure pot or soaking jar for pen & bottle stopper blanks with some success.

Where I live in NC log on the ground can start spalting in as little as six months the amount varies by species. Other species totally rotten in a year or two and not worth the effort.

[Arlin Eastman]

Carolyn

Thank you.  I am looking for things that will soak in quite aways not just a few inches so we can turn it.

Bill

Boy o boy I would love to get a log from you for us to use. 


I know I read in the past here where others have stabilized thick stuff so they can turn it.

Yesterday I remembered something about Cactus Juice and contacted them and waiting for an email from them to know more about it and hoping it will work.

[EightFingers]

I use the Minwax. Any holes get filled with epoxy or ca.

[Wildwood]

Sorry Arlin don’t have any spalted wood on hand to send you. Will contact you if come across some. Reason recommend using CA glue, apply, turn, reapply its least expensive method know if really need it. Have turned a lot of spalted wood and never needed apply CA while turning. Yes have thrown some pieces away that proved to difficult to save.

When start talking about stabilizing chambers, pressure pots, vacuum pumps in addition other hardware and whatever resin want to use Initial cost gets ones attention. Yes lot of folks enjoy the whole process of stabilizing wood and have produces some really great projects.

Don’t sell much these days so would take too long to recoup any money for my efforts.

[Arlin Eastman]

I was thinking last night that a pot is not needed.  Like in the military we just plastic sheet and put the object in the edge and put a tube under the clay and seal it all up and turn on the vacuum and the fiberglass would be sucked down into the object.

[SteveS]

I don't use anything. If wood is that far gone I don't use it. Any hardener is expensive and too much trouble to use for turnings.

[JIMB49]

Hi Arlin
 A good friend uses 
 Pentacryl Wood Stabilizer
far from cheap works great he soaks his blanks for almost a week
I was told that is almost 70 bucks for a gal
uses a rubber maid container 

[Wildwood]

Arlin, with right resin and simple mold don’t need much other hardware. See what Philip has done with cut off & other scraps of wood.
http://moulthropstudios.com/philip_works.html#

About 7 minutes into the video will see his molding & use of epoxy resin explained.
http://moulthropstudios.com/philip_works.html#

Different approach:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-wj_-i20c4

Some do & don’t:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQrbdtYz9Pg

If look here can see many folks have filled voids, crack in the turnings using small mounts of dyed epoxy resin. Still expensive and lot of trial & error.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=epo...BasicHover

Good luck with it!