How to send wood to be stabilized?

[Maelstrom78]

I have some birdseye maple and walnut that I would like to get stabilized.

The maple is in rough boards maybe 8" width x 3/4 thick and 5 feet long. The walnut is made from a tree that grew on the property I grew up on and is roughly .375 thick and 8" wide and a couple feet long

I believe the moisture content should be low, but my question is how should I cut it up? Should I cut them into oversized scales ("thought I remembered Stacy writing that one time) / blocks? Send the whole thing out in larger pieces?

Thanks!

Second question is are there any good colors that ppl like with walnut and birdseye maple to get them stained with? I'd like to have some natural wood and some stained for variety.

Thanks!

 

[viral]

To answer your first part, I send mine as oversized blocks. The wood will warp and twist and all kinds of things. Then I clean it up with a 36 grit belt and cut to scales if I that's what I want. I'm not saying you'll have a lot of loss, but it's just easier to clean up 1 piece and then split it rather than 2 pieces.
Go to K&Gs website or WSSI and check out their colors. They don't 'stain' the wood any colors, they dye the wood. It's pulled under vacuum for 100% penetration. Walnut is normally kept natural but maple go be any color under the rainbow. A lot of people are keen on greens/blues. But you can also pick a black/brown. This makes maple quite appealing.