leatherbird said:Being as hard as it is,is lignum vitae stabilized for optimum performance?
Actually, I'm not exactly sure what people mean by "stabilized" but I presume you mean treated so it's dimensionally stable and won't crack, chip, warp, break, splinter, change color, bleach out, darken, oxidize or otherwize change in any undesirable manner. Lignum vitae is naturally oily, so it really doesn't require any stabilization to prevent any of those things.
For stabilization of most woods I expect techniques range from sugaring the fay ends to pressure injecting epoxy. I'm presuming that you plane and scrape the wood rather than sand it so you don't get any particles of silicate in the grain and that you have properly cured it before finishing. I expect that most people finish for a clear finish with oil finishes, epoxy finishes, laquer finishes, polyurethane, varnish and super glue. Lignum vitae doesn't require any of that, you can carve it with a sharp knife and it not only will remain stable, it looks like you just buffed it with a polishing wheel.
