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Spalted wood: finishes & hardening softer wood

I usually do several things. First thing I do is to use a tool with a sharper edge. My usual bowl gouge has a 55 degree cutting tip. I will change to the Stewart Batty grind of 40 degrees if it will let me rub the bevel. If it's a shallow bowl or the outside of a vessel I will often switch to my detail gouge which has an angle of 35 degrees. Many times I'll just go straight to the Hunter Osprey which has an angle of 30 degrees +/- a little. If I don't think those will work or many times along with those I coat the area with lacquer thinned 50/50 with lacquer thinner. Of it's a small area I might use Thin CA instead. Usually several coats of thinned lacquer and let it dry helps tremendously. I also try very hard not to force the cut. Speed up the lathe and slow down my feed rate so the tool cutting at the speed that produces less tearout. worse case scenario I turn off the lathe and use a hand held cabinet scraper on the offending area.
 
Zach LaPerriere said:
hopefully hardening spalted wood.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I've done a few that were so punky you could stick you finger through.

I turned it roughly to size/shape, then soaked the soft areas with Minwax Wood Hardener.
You can start with that, but its just more volume of wood to soak and hence more cost.

It hardens in about 30 min, but I leave it longer (just in case), then finish turn it.
At that point the section are very hard and can be sanded (slowly - too much heat causes melting).
 
Thanks, John. I purposely made the spalted bowls and plates shallow. I'll have to try the 35 degree detail gouge. I just haven't had much luck with the Osprey, try as I have—but I realize I haven't tried it on spalted wood. I've watched your video, followed instructions as best as I can, kept he speed slow, barely rubbed the bevel. I've give it another try.

Thanks, Olaf. That's great to know about the Minwax hardener.
 
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