Ringed Gidgee - To Stabilize or Not?

[i4Marc]

I recently bought some new Ringed Gidgee blocks from The Timber Joint in the sales sub-forum. A discussion began about whether or not it needs to be stabilized. Rather than cluttering up the sales thread any further I thought I'd open a new discussion here.


The prevailing opinion seems to be that since it's a dense, oily species it doesn't need to be stabilized. It has been additionally opined that stabilizing will deaden the depth and chatoyance of the wood (without the benefit of an oil finish).

The species probably doesn't NEED to be stabilized but will stabilizing add any benefits? Does stabilizing have a detrimental affect on the depth and shimmer of the grain?

 

[AussieBosun]

Ringed Gidgee does not need stabilising , it is a hard dense stable timber only grown in harsh conditions and i have never had an issue with checking.

However , i stabilise my own blocks and also for a few other well known makers , stabilising will not "deaden" the figure but instead it will enhance the chatoyance of the golden hues through out the grain (especially when viewed in sunlight) , i have not noticed any difference with the amount of dust created when working stabilised or not.

Stabilising takes considerably more time and effort ( up to 12 days under full vacuum and a week under pressure ) and increases in weight between 10-15% depending on the piece.

After stabilising i hand sand to 2000gt then a light buff on a loose wheel.

So , a lot of work for little return but personally i think it is worth it , already a top grade timber stabilised to bring out its absolute best qualities.

No doubt there will be some traditionalist's that may disagree but the end results speak for them selves.

220gt belt finish

3 light coats of ca @ 2000gt & buffed

on a handle @ 2000gt buffed

the only downside i have with ringed gidgee is that it is the hardest timber to photograph and capture what is going on with the figure.

 

[BonhamBlades]

Super simple Marc keep a piece or two un stabilized and send a block or two in. Make a knife with each and you be the judge.

 

[Burl Source]

I like Ringed Gidgee a lot. It is a beautiful wood and it is very dense. At one time I made a comment saying that it is like a cross of Koa and Ironwood.
With that said I also like it both in the natural form, and when it has been chemically stabilized by K&G.
I had originally thought that it could not be stabilized because of it's density and because it is a fragrant oily wood.
A couple years ago I made that comment based on what I thought. One of the knifemakers sent me a PM telling me that he had some stabilized by K&G with good results. So I sent in a small batch to K&G. They turned out great. While there was just a minimal weight gain there was still a noticeable difference. The color did not change and the figure did not diminish. Following that I have had dozens more pieces stabilized.

After trying both stabilized and untreated my opinion on the subject is that I like ringed gidgee both ways. For my own projects I am fine with untreated gidgee. For wood that I am selling, the stabilized sells faster. The biggest plus for the stabilized ringed gidgee is that it helps to prevent surface checking when the wood goes from one climate to another. But if you do a good finish that should not be a big concern.

For untreated ringed gidgee I like a danish oil finish. I have seen others get a great finish with tung oil and even with a thin CA glue finish.

There are some woods that can change coloring and have their chatoyance diminished when stabilized (not always, but sometimes happens).
Examples are bubinga and some rosewood. I have never had that happen with ringed gidgee.

So......if someone asks if the need to get ringed gidgee stabilized I would say only if that is what they want.
If they asked if it is better stabilized I would say "just a little bit, in my opinion".
In the end it is a matter of opinion. Whichever way you like best. It is a great wood either way.

 

[bodog]

Awesome information, glad to know that stabilizing doesn't kill the figure.

If stabilizing arizona ironwood made it sell faster, then you'd probably have it stabilized. That's smart business. It would even be listed for sale as stabilized ironwood. But everyone probably knows that ironwood doesn't really absorb any of the resin so it's just adding cost.

And tagging something as stabilized probably increases profit margin too. Gotta give people what they want, especially if they're willing to pay a premium for it. I just don't see how the resin could penetrate deep enough to matter unless the block is already shaped into its almost finished dimensions, not whenever it's as dense as what it is.

Is there any way to prove how deeply a wood is impregnated? Dye? It'd be cool to see the depth to which resin could impregnate a wood with a specific gravity of 1 or more.

 

[Erin Burke]

Having worked with Ringed Gidgee blocks both stabilized (from Mark) and unstabilized (from the Timber Joint), I would choose stabilized. With the unstabilized wood, I had minor issues with chipping/flaking in thin cross sections. I did not experience this with the stabilized (K&G) blocks.

Erin

 

[bodog]

I just received several blocks from Timber Source. These blocks were all heavier than blocks I've gotten that were stabilized and of equivalent size. They were of similar weight to ironwood and heavier than kingwood. Hell, these honestly feel a little heavier than the ironwood I've used. And theyre extremely beautiful. I don't know if my skills match the materials I'm working with.

 

[i4Marc]

And they smell good too!

I got my pieces from The Timber Joint yesterday.

 

[Robert Erickson]

Just received mine as well. It's really great stuff isn't it? I'm going to keep a couple natural and send a couple to K&G and compare. Thanks for starting this thread-very informative

 

[bodog]

Considering the exchange rate and the prices he charges, they're about similarly priced to good stuff here in the states. I've seen some vendors here charging 45 to 60 bucks a piece. Crazy. Not saying they're not worth it, only that Timber Source is good to go.

 

[Willie71]

I just received several blocks from Timber Source. These blocks were all heavier than blocks I've gotten that were stabilized and of equivalent size. They were of similar weight to ironwood and heavier than kingwood. Hell, these honestly feel a little heavier than the ironwood I've used. And theyre extremely beautiful. I don't know if my skills match the materials I'm working with.

The timber joint gidgee is pretty incredible. I absolutely love it. Sand to at least 2000g, thinned Danish oil finish, and a paste wax final coat. It's not as 3D as great Koa, but it is gorgeous. I'm thrilled this is available to us.

 

[bodog]

i4Marc, were you ever able to check out the stabilized vs. unstabilized gidgee?

 

[i4Marc]

bodog,

Nah, not yet. The blocks are still sitting in my drying cabinet with my other woods waiting to be stabilized. When I can afford to send out the other stuff the Gidgee will go with it. I have a good supply of stabilized blocks right now so no rush on the wood in the cabinet. I finish knives so slowly I'm not exactly scrambling for handle woods. Like Mark said, I'm sure it's good to go either way.