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Question about stabilizing

C

Chris Serra

Joined
Dec 6, 2018
Messages
2
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Location
Pasadena, Maryland
Hi everyone.

I’ve been turning on and off for the last year or so. Last few months have been mostly pens, giving most away to friends and co workers. I turn mostly pre cut wood pen blanks, and some acrylic.

My question is this...my buddy is spending some vacation time in Australia, and has grabbed some pieces off wood that has washed up on shore, and some he’s gotten from the forest... the outback I presume...

I’m sure These pieces have taken quite a bit of abuse. What is the best way to prepare them to turn? Should I stabilize them, can they be stabilized, should I just use alumilite?

I’ve not done anything like this before and I do t want to mess up the few pieces he brings back.

Thanks for the help and guidance!

Chris
 
My first question is the procedure to bring them into the US? He might not be able to bring them in, depending on the type of wood, parasites, bugs, diseases, etc. Driftwood might not be readily identifiable as fresh cut wood so that would raise some other questions. Don't get your hopes up.
 
Import questions aside, to stabilize a small soft blank I would suggest cactus juice. You will also need a vacuum chamber and a small toaster oven(it makes a mess in the oven). I have had good success with it with very soft and punky woods. You’ll end up with a very hard blank that turns almost like acrylic. Turntex.com should give you all the info you need about cactus juice.
 
I just got back from Argentina, with about 40 pounds worth of wood. As long as there is no bark you have no problem. Customs won't even inspect your luggage. Unless a drug sniffing dog jumps all over you that is... It's up to you to be responsible and don't bring back a pest or a disease back to your home town or the USA. If in doubt, then you tell the agriculture inspector that you have some wood for him to check out, to make sure it's ok to bring in...
 
This thread reminded me of a story a friend shared with me. He was putting together some furniture imported from China, when he noticed a bug crawl out of the wood. Very soon after, all of his ash trees were dead and he learned that the bug was an invasive emerald ash borer. It's better to be extra careful when moving wood to different parts of the world. Between the vacuum and the oven, I don't think anything could survive the cactus juice process. Any other commercial stabilizer will probably kill off anything in the wood as well. Your friend could also microwave or bake the wood before leaving Australia if you wanted to be sure no critters were in the wood.
 
Good idea, Guy. Emiliano, thanks for sharing your experience. Here in TN, we are battling a host of aquatic invasive species. Plus, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is battling deadly insects and innumerable wild hogs who tear up the ground around the old homesteads. The wife and I were in the park several years ago and the ground around a cabin looked like it had been plowed.
 
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