Stabilizing and Dyeing Results

R A Wilson

R A Wilson

Joined
Dec 5, 2000
Messages
54
Well I finally did it..... I had some spalted maple burl that i picked up at a good price and tried my hand at stabilizing. I used a quart jar, Min Wax wood hardner(bought at my local hardware store) and Rit fabric dye(Grocery store in the laundry detergent isle). The block is about 5"x1 1/2"x1". I mixed the hardner and dye in the jar and placed the block in side, screwed the cap on tight, shook it good, and put it in a sunny spot for about a week. For the first couple of hours it bubbled(like soda)I guess this was the air escapeing from the wood.I let it cure in a sunny spot also for about 24hrs. Upon splitting the wood i found penetration throughout and all the interior voids were filled (there were a couple of exterior voids that I didn't bother to sand out so i filled these with super glue). This wood was crumbling spalt that I couldn't use.......But after this process it was hard and solid and took a buff like Micarta. Here is a poor:( picture showing the results compared to another piece of the spalted burl. I used the wine colored dye, but there is a bunch of colors to choose from. This process would probably be alot quicker for those of you with a vacuum chamber......<BR>
<IMG SRC="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid26/pe1af826a7df35c18bca654a437e92b04/fe3c8de7.jpg.orig.jpg">
 
Hey Wilson

That`s cool:cool:
I use wood hardner but I cut by 1/3 with
acetone for better penetration?
It`s good to know that the color will
penetrate all the through. Thanks for the
info:)
 
Yhat turned out cool!!!!!!
Have you tried this with one of the dogs chew bones yet? It looks cool with the bone also.This also works on your local bleached out sheds also.
Bruce
 
I can't wait to try some antler and bone. I have some mammoth ivory on order and will try stabilizing using this method also (with out the dye though) I will let you all know how it turns out.
 
Outstanding results RA!! I tried some green rit dye on maple and it didn't take at all. Maybe I used the wrong kind. Was your's the powder or liquid?
 
Michael,
I used the powder. I desolved it in the minwax wood hardner and let the wood soak. The wood hardner is thin(like water) and designed to penetrate the wood. The sample piece was spalted burl and quite soft, maybe that is why i got good penetration with the dye. I have a piece of very dense burl in now and will let you know the results when it is done.
 
That's fantastic, Rob! It looks great. Thanks for the sharing your results! I can't wait to try!
 
Wow, that looks pretty cool. Interesting idea. I went to the hardware store and got some Minwax wood hardener and acetone a couple days ago.

I'm now trying it now with a piece of birdseye maple. Got a big jar, put saran wrap on the top, put the lid over it, and then another layer of saran wrap and then some tape on it. I dyed the thing with an entire packet of Scarlet 5 Rit Dye, and the solution is cut with about 1/3 Acetone.

This wood hardener dries up pretty quickly, and I was afraid that it might have dried up at the top (and sealed out more of the stuff from coming in) since I didn't have the liquid all the way up for a while. Hopefully it didn't self seal and prevent the inner wood from dyeing and stabilizing. I'll see in a week I guess.
 
Chang
It should be ok. I got mine in a big
coffe can & I have not had any problems.
I just shake it every now an then(when I
remember to)
 
Sylvester, cool. I'm really eager to see how my scarlet birdseye maple turns out. I think I may have put a bit too much dye in, because some of its sitting at the bottom. Oh well. I hope this solution is reuseable, because it cost me $8.99 for the wood hardener, a dollar for the acetone, and $3 for the dyes. Expensive solution.
 
Sylvester,
I buy mostly from the smaller chain stores, if I buy from a chain store at all. I like to support small business. $8.99 was actually the list price, but they give students a 15% discount, so I actually paid about $7.64 + tax.
I guess they don't expect students to be that into tools and hardware (I buy a lot of stuff from them), so I've saved a lot of money off the list prices and I get to support small business, so I think I'm getting a pretty good deal overall.
 
Is this stuff reusable?
What's the largest piece of wood you've done succesfully?

Today we made soup stock at work and we used some beef bones. When we were done I cleaned a few up and boiled them even longer.
Has anyone tried this on bones? What dyes did you use?...Color?
Thanks
 
Try this guys it worked very well for me and is much quicker:p

Find your favorite Jar (I use an olive Jar)

Heat up your wood hardener in the jar using a heat gun or blow dryer with the lid just sitting on the top.

Heat until it is past warm to the touch or you see it start to bubble. Keep the lid just sitting on the top.
BE CAREFUL IT IS FLAMABLE

Take your wood, bone Etc & Microwave it for 30 sec's (NO Longer, Ask how I know this)

Put it straight into the Woodhardener. Use tongs
BE SURE to use newspaper beneath. It will bubble like crazy. If you have too much stuff in the jar you will be explaining the stains!!!

If it floats weight it down with a piece of steel, a rock whatever.

Set the lid back on the top.

After it cools to just warm, screw the lid on tight and stick in the fridge overnight.

You will get a great vacuum and good penetration.

ANOTHER word of caution: If you over-buff this stuff and get it hot it will OOOOOZE out of the poors and make you unhappy!

Otherwise it works great, just sand to about 400-600 then buff.
 
Robert, Why couldn't you have posted that just a few hours earlier?:)
I put some redwood burl in in a jar with some woodhardener,acetone,and rit dye (wine). The wood barely fit in the jar 5x2x2. I then put it in the warm sun for a few hours. It's now on top of the snakes cage where it is warm. I think I'll give it about 10 days since it is a slightly thicker piece of wood.
wish me luck!
Robert, Thanks for the tips, next time I'll try it your way.
I still don't know if this stuff is reusable.
 
Definetly reusable untill its just about gone.
As it goes down just add Acetone and more Dye if it needs it. It will go a long way.
 
Shappa,

You can do basicly the same thing, but with out the micro wave and heat gun.It won't be as fast as Roberts techque but if you already have some soaking try this. I use a large mouth quart mason jar, the kind used for canning with a good sealing lid. I use both wood hardener or oil base polyurethane, both cut 50% with acetone. Haven't tried the dye yet,but I'm going to, that really turned out great. I just leave the lid screwed down loose so the pressure in the jar can escape as it heats in the sun, set the jar on a piece of sheet iron or something that will get hot as the sun hits it( you know like an aluminum boat seat in the summer, with shorts on :eek: )
Now after the contents and the jar get hot, screw the lid down tight, when the jar cools at night it will create a vacuum and the next day when it heats up again it will create a pressure chamber, don't open for 4 days. I've done birdeye maple, zebrawood,lacewood,red heart,etc and when I open the jar they will no longer float after removing the weight I have holding them down. I'm pretty sloppy so even through its not as fast as Roberts techque, this way I can do it outside and I don't have to listen to the wife chew on me for a week after making a mess.:D
Have fun
Bill
 
Not my idea but it works.

Soak handle in acetone for 10 minutes,
the massage some good 24 hour epoxy into
all sufaces with your fingers. After it
sets rub it out with 600 grit & water,
then polish. I use to do something like that
on gunstocks some years ago
 
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