What woods need to be stablized?

U

unky_gumbi

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Aug 28, 2009
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I have looked through the stickies and did a search, with little luck. I was just wondering if there is a list of woods that should be stabilized and ones that can get away with not being stabilized, thanks.

George
 
Here's a list posted a while back:


Woods That Stabilize



Wood was used for centuries before stabilization. In my opinion, not all woods can or should be stabilized.
We've learned a little about which woods react well to being stabilized.

When I write about stabilization I'm referring to professional stabilization by companies like K&G and WSSI.
Immersing wood under vacuum in Minwax Wood Hardener, tung oil, linseed oil or polyurethane is not the same as
professional stabilizing. The chemicals are different and more importantly the results are different.
If you choose to do your own stabilizing you should tell your customers. Letting customers think wood has been
professionally stabilized is the same as buying damascus and letting your customer think you made it. If you
do your own stabilizing buy a good moisture meter. We've found wood responds better to stabilizing when the
moisture content is 6% or less.

Woods Than Responded Well To Stabilizing:
- Acacia
- Afzelia
- Alder
- Amboyna
- Black Ash
- Bamboo
- Beech
- Beefwood
- Birch
- African Blackwood
- Box Elder
- Bubinga
- Buckeye
- Canary Wood
- Carob
- Chechen
- Cherry
- Coolibah
- Cottonwood
- Carpathian Elm
- Elm
- Eucalyptus
- Gum
- Jarrah
- Koa
- Locust
- Madrone
- Santos Mahogany
- Maidou
- Brown Mallee
- Red Mallee
- Mango
- Maple
- Masur Birch
- Mesquite
- Mulberry
- Oregon Myrtle
- Tasmanian Myrtle
- Needlewood
- Australian Oak
- Oak
- Olive
- Tasmanian Olive
- Osage Orange
- Paduak
- Black Palm
- Red Palm
- Pecan
- Pink Ivory
- Pistachio
- Purpleheart
- Redwood
- Russian Olive
- Sandalwood
- Sapele
- Sheoak
- Sycamore
- Tambootie
- Teak
- Tulipwood
- Vitex
- Black Walnut
- English Walnut
- Wenge
- Woody Pear
- York Gum
- Zebrawood

Woods With Limitations:
- Bocote - May Weep Stabilant
- Ebony - Scales Only
- Asian Ebony - Scales Only
- Striped Ebony - Scales Only
- Juniper - May Weep Stabilant
- Snakewood - Scales Only
- Thuya - May Weep Stabilant
- Claro Walnut - May Turn Black
- Pacific Yew - May Weep Stabilant
- Ziricote - May Weep Stabilant

Woods Where Stabilizing Did Not Work:
- Cedar - Stabilant Did Not Polymerize
- Curly Ipe - Stabilant Did Not Penetrate
- Lacewood - Wood Turned Black
- Limba - Wood Turned Ugly
- Merbau - Stabilant Did Not Penetrate

Woods We Have Not Tested:
- Cocobolo
- Desert Ironwood
- Kingwood
- Lignum Vitae
- Bolivian Rosewood
- Honduran Rosewood
- Indian Rosewood
- Verawood


Hope it's useful.
 
As a very general rule of thumb, I've found that most tropical woods (cocobolo, rosewood, amboyna, teak, mahogany, etc.) Have a high enough natural oil content that they don't need to be stabilized. Different story when you get into the temperate-climate woods.
 
Great list and yes this is the sort of information I was looking for. I am not looking to recreate the wheel and start stabilizing my own wood, more of looking for information on what woods I would have to buy pre-stabilized and what woods I would I would be safe not stabilizing, and only using tung oil on.

I may give the minwax wood hardener and vacuum thing a try on some scales I have here, but I know this is not stabilized wood and is just a home remedy to toughen up what I have here already.

I don't have any customers yet and feel I am a good year or so away from being confident enough in my making skills to sell to anyone other then friends for the cost of materials. I am looking at it as a hobby right now and my friends are field testers and they know it. Selling for the cost of materials just keeps me in materials, and they know that sooner or later the cheap knife supply will dry up.
 
Best thing I've found (before seeing that list) Unk is if you're looking at something in particular. Contact the place that will be doing the stabilizing for you and ask them about getting it done.
 
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