Spalted buckeye

In the pen world we normally get it stabilized under pressure for a piece that big I am not sure of what you would do. If you had a tub big enough you could fill it with minwax wood stabilizer but that would be very costly. Wish I could help more.

-- www.cabinfevercreations.com

I’d look at some of the ways folks do bar tops with two part resins. Rather than soaking the whole thing, maybe build a lip around the edge and pour a thin epoxy or resin wood hardener in the resulting tray.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

For turning, I soak soft and/or spalted woods in repeated applications of thinned sanding sealer and allow to dry completely.

I have to say that I am incredibly jealous that you have a piece of Buckeye, spalted no less, that measures as large as you do. I’d kill for a piece of wood like that up here in Alaska. Sigh.

-- Jim Wright, Stonekettle Station

The correct answer is to send it to me, you really don’t want it. Yup that’s it. :)

-- ~Larry Columbus, OH

There is an epoxy on the market that will stabilize your buckeye. It is liquid and is mixed in 2 parts.

Here is the link for it. It is called CPES clear penetrating epoxy selaer. It will basically turn the wood to plastic. Very good stuff. It is well worth stabilizing your piece of buckeye. That is a large board. Very rare.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

Thanks for the info everyone. Larry I will take your advise under consideration lol . John will that epoxy take oil or what is the best finish in your opinion.

-- donald mee

Ask Ted Frumkin- he’s on L/J site or his website address is around-the-bend.com He does a lot of nice work with big pieces of wood.

-- Homer : "Oh, and how is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain."

yes a epoxy such as west systems, or system 3 can soak into the wood and harden the surface. just work it in with a gloved hand (get a slow cure epoxy so it has time to soak in) on a molecular level epoxy is one of the strongest chains. it will do what you wish it to do. G