What's the best way to stabilize wood?

Mr_Mauser

Mr_Mauser

Joined
May 12, 2005
Messages
768
Hello. I am a young maker, 18 to be exact (I wouldn't even call myself a maker, more of an attempter) who is just starting out dabbling in knifemaking. I don't know much of anything other than I like custom knives. I am wanting to stabilize my own wood and am wondering if any of you veterans would be able to lend me your divine wisdom in this area, or any area of knifemaking. Thanks for your help!
 
Send it to Mike Ludeman at WSSI :)

Just my humble opinion, but it's not worth dicking around with. You can send it to Mike and get it done right the first time, and if you figure the costs in... it's cheaper to send it to him than to mess around and do it yourself.

And this is coming from a sole-authorship snob :D

BTW, I got pretty serious when I was your age....bought a Burr King grinder, baldor buffer, and bandsaw after HS graduation. Of course an Engineering degree got in my way and detoured me for awhile, but I've been a full time maker now for almost 5 years (now 27).

-Nick-

http://www.wheelerknives.com
 
What Nick said....Mike can do it for you jus' fine...he'll leave you with a better product than you can do yourself...

A lot I think depends on the wood you are using. Some woods get along just fine without stabilizing.

But if you gotta do it yerself...I remember hearing one of the big names...at the ABANA conference in St.Louis...years ago...talk about stabilizing small pieces of wood in a bell jar. He would put in a glass jar full of thompsons water seal...sink the wood in it...seal it in the jar...and then put a vaccum on it...when the bubbles stopped froming...it was done...thewn he would take it out and let the whole mess dry...if I remember it took a long time to dry...

Never tried it personally.

My favorite is still Maple and boiled linseed oil...how dumb is that?

Just my two cents...

BTW...I like your attitude about being an "attempter" ...dang all of us are "attempters" ...I am mostly an "OOPSER"...succeed through failure..

GOod luck...welcome to the neighborhood.

Shane
 
shane justice said:
But if you gotta do it yerself...I remember hearing one of the big names...at the ABANA conference in St.Louis...years ago...talk about stabilizing small pieces of wood in a bell jar. He would put in a glass jar full of thompsons water seal...sink the wood in it...seal it in the jar...and then put a vaccum on it...when the bubbles stopped froming...it was done...thewn he would take it out and let the whole mess dry...if I remember it took a long time to dry...

Shane
Click to expand...

I do it this way but with minwax wood hardener
if doing it this way
make sure you leave it in the medium for a while after the vacuum so the vacuumed now in the wood draws it in fully, some guys don't understand that the bubbles is air coming out of the wood AND being replaced by the vacuum and if you take it out before the vacuumed pockets are filled with the medium your using it don't do much for you...it's not as good as the pro stuff
but for sole-authorship :D I want to do it myself.. pun intended :)

haha Nick read what you said :D

there is a lot said for material that is prepared right for handles in the first place you don't really have to stabilize wood.
BUT it's just what your looking for and trying to get out of it..
 
Thanks for the info. I'm looking for a good grinder, but I don't really know what would be best. I can read books but I'd rather have someone's own opinion. I found it rather ironic that Mr. Wheeler got into knifemaking right out of graduation then had to wait for engineering school. I start college for engineering in the fall. Don't know what kind yet. Hopefully that will come later. Thanks again!
 
Nick's right,you can't do it yourself .It is about the same as alloying your own steel. The home treatments with min-wax is not the same as stabilizing with MMA.To end the debate,remember that the chemical you need ( not to mention the stabilization equipment) costs about $300 for a bucket - and it goes bad in about 6 months.Mike at WSSI or Ken at K&G both do a good job for about $10 a pound of wood.Price goes down with quantity.
Stacy
 
bladsmth said:
Nick's right,you can't do it yourself .It is about the same as alloying your own steel. The home treatments with min-wax is not the same as stabilizing with MMA.To end the debate,remember that the chemical you need ( not to mention the stabilization equipment) costs about $300 for a bucket - and it goes bad in about 6 months.Mike at WSSI or Ken at K&G both do a good job for about $10 a pound of wood.Price goes down with quantity.
Stacy
Click to expand...
:confused:
as I said it's not the same, and I believe it is better, but it won't end the debate by a long shot..
sole-authorship or not? for one..
there are too many answers to just end it because some believe it right or the only way :confused: :( .. sure it may be the right way for you but may not be for me, ..it depends on too many variables to just say, do it my way it's the right way, I won't limit myself that way..

some say no don't use anything, if you can't work wood with-out adding something to it then maybe you should not use wood but that is another mans opinion and just that...
, is it still wood in the sense of wood? plywood is wood BUT? :barf: :confused: this is just MHO and I'd have it no other way... ;)
 
what they didn't tell you is that most good wood does not require being stabilized with plastics. proper finishing and care of knives is what is really important.
 
Stabilized wood still moves, just less than it would otherwise. This includes both minwax treated and WSSI treated.
 
Shakudo said:
what they didn't tell you is that most good wood does not require being stabilized with plastics. proper finishing and care of knives is what is really important.
Click to expand...

I didn't say that?? :confused: :D

Tracy is right.. ;) IMHO :)
 
Mr Mauser,
I have a vacuum system and have tried several stabilizing mediums. There is some initial "frothing", so make sure, if you try this, that there is a collection jar between the pump and the chamber that contains your liquid and wood. The froth will end up in there instead of your pump. I am using a two stage diaphragm pump. I have tried WEST epoxy diluted with acetone, Minwax wood hardener, polyurethane, MMA with benzoyl peroxide as a catalyst (this mixture can become unstable, read up on it first), and a few others. None of them did the job that WSSI or K+G can do. There is something I haven't tried yet called Nelsonite, available at http://www.elliscustomknives.com Good luck and be careful, these are all very flammable products.
Bill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top