How to fill voids in pen blanks

[unidave]

I turned a nice piece of Carolina Cherry Burl. After I waxed it, a large void (1/16th in.) and many tiny voids showed wax build-up that I had to pick out with a razor blade.
I've heard the term "stabilizing" and assume it means filling the voids prior to turning but can't find out how. I read one thread that you can use CA to fill the voids but that seems VERY messy.
Is stabilizing something the end user can do? Should it be done before sanding or before turning?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Tom Lewis]

I have had lots of wood stabilized. I have made handmade knives for over 25 years and have all my maple burl etc. handle wood stabilized. It has been my experience that stabilizing does not do a very good job of filling voids in the wood. I fill the voids with superglue. If they are large I use the gel and if they are small I use the thin superglue.
Stabilization works on soft woods and does not really do much for dense woods like ironwood or rosewood.
On the Knifemaker Forums there are lots of threads about how to stabilize wood. Methods run from soaking wood in minwax hardner to pulling a highpressure vaccume on the wood which is imersed in a special solution and then putting high pressure on the immersed wood.
K & G Knifesuply in Arizona does a good job stabilizing wood.

 

[J. Fred Muggs]

Filling with Ca glue is really not too messy if you use Tom's technique - thin for small voids, thick or gel for larger.

Many other things can also be used: Sawdust and Ca mixed works well. Even contrasting colored wood for unique effects. Try Brass filings from the local hardware's key making machine held with CA glue. An epoxy product called RayCrete works well. Inlace sold by Craft Supplies and others offers finely ground semiprecious gemstones for a turquoise (or other stone) look. Simple dyed epoxy looks good in some cases. I've used finely ground mica powders sold as "Pearlex" at art supply stores - comes in a variety of metallic colors and some dual color combo colors that change colors with changing light angles. Experiment. Let your imagination run wild. Find something new that none of us have tried before and report back.

Every once in a great while it's best just to leave the void there. Some customers like the "character".

 

[unidave]

Filling voids

Sorry to be dense....
At what stage do you add the CA? Before turning? Before finish cut?
How do mix wood dust into CA without the glue setting before you're done?
The reason I want to fill the voids is because they fill with wax and it's not pretty. I've spent up to an hour carefully scraping the wax from the voids.

Thanks for the info so far, I feel like I'm close.....

 

[Ed Davidson]

Dave,

Here's a on-line tutorial that might be helpful: Inlay Turnings using CA

 

[mkart]

great link

Thats a great link you came across. I continue to be amazed at all the useful information I come across on this forum. 🙂
mkart

 

[Russ Fairfield]

I show you how I fill voids in pen blanks on my website at

http://www.woodturnerruss.com/Pen32a.html