# OPINIONS PLEASE: WOOD STABILIZING PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES



## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

I've searched many forums including the ones here at LJ, and I haven't found a satisfying source of info on wood stabilizing, either to suggest good products or the techniques used to accomplish the desired result. I'm set up with a vacuum system for veneer, and am considering building/purchasing a chamber for stabilizing small DRY pieces of wood, primarily for knife handles. Green wood stabilization is also something I'd like to try.

*Could everyone who has experience with stabilizing wood please suggest a product, either commercially available or homemade, along with the step-by-step procedure for using that stabilizing product? Posting your own instructional videos on YouTube would be great also.*

And if a product is especially evironmentally friendly, easy to clean up & reuse, the better it is that everyone knows about it. From the ridiculously cheap to the frighteningly expensive product, let's leave no stone unturned if possible.

I think lots of people (even folks not yet members of LJ) would benefit from a nice forum post that was a one-stop-shop for good info on this subject.

If there is a good forum with this info already out there, please post a link.
I'll start the ball rolling by citing preservation-solutions.com as a good source of products and info, but I still want to hear how you all might use any products to best advantage. 
THANKS!!


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## alohafromberkeley (Oct 26, 2011)

The forum that I can recommend is "The International Association Of Penturners" aka IAP. Lots of info and tutorials and a friendly bunch of people who like to help others to learn techniques. Sorry, I'm a computer idiot so I don't know how to hotlink. It's free to join to get access to all areas of the site. Lot's of people there who do acrylics, vacuum processes, and unusual stuff (rattlesnake skin, banksia pods) Knife maker forums are good places for learning stabilization tecniques.Sorry, I don't have experience or skill in those areas. One item that seems popular is called "PEG"- used for stabilizing green wood.Hope this helps- I apologize if all this confuses you as much as it did me.


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## alanealane (Oct 1, 2007)

I am going to continue posting on this topic as I come across more information than I did in my previous searches. Hopefully this will become a good one-stop source of stabilizing info, and I hope to learn enough to get good at the process myself. Any other posts with relevant info are totally welcome!

*THERE IS NO SINGLE PRODUCT OR PROCESS THAT I'M TRYING TO PROMOTE. I just want as many valid options as possible.*

Thanks to Wes (alohafromberkeley). The site of THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PENTURNERS is www.penturners.org

A good topic on the PENTURNERS site is Stabilizing wet material

Another good piece of info is what type of moisture meter to use (likely also discussed on other parts of the LJ site).

Here's a product called Cactus Juice that is promoted as a good stabilizer for soft or punky woods.

Part 1 of a YouTube series entitled "Working with MesquiteMan's Cactus Juice" 
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

That's it for now….


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