# Finishing Stabilized Wood



## wdcav1952 (May 26, 2005)

I just turned a cigar pen using some apple wood that Steve at River Ridge stabilized for me.  My question is this.  Will I get any long term finish benefit from using Enduro on it, or should I go from Micro Mesh to TSW?

Wayne, ya got your ears on, buddy? [8D]  TIA


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## mrcook4570 (May 26, 2005)

I have no experience with enduro (I use BLO/CA), but I do apply a finish to stabilized blanks for two reasons.  First, it seems to give it a little extra shine and depth.  Also, (maybe I'm wrong about this part, but it seems logical to me) as the applied finish gradually wears, you are left with a highly polished blank underneath, which will then start to wear.  So it seems to me that an applied finish will buy some time before the blank starts to show any wear and tear, but an unfinshed blank will be immediately subjected to the wear and tear of daily use.


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## driften (May 26, 2005)

The books I have read say you can just polish the stabilized wood with no finish, putting TSW on top is not really a finish and a good idea on any case. I just MM to 1200 and buff my stabilized stuff just like I would for Acrylic pens.


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## ctEaglesc (May 26, 2005)

Finish it .
If it were the same as an acrylic pen it would be a solid color and not look like the wood underneath.
The stabilizing did not turn the wood into plastic.
it filled the posres with stabilizing material but there is still wood there and when the stabilizing material wears off the wood will be exposed.


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## wdcav1952 (May 26, 2005)

Thanks Eagle.  As soon as I get back from Radio Shack with a new toggle switch for my lathe, I will start putting on the Enduro.  I thought finishing was the best idea, but wanted confirmation.


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## ctEaglesc (May 26, 2005)

> _Originally posted by wdcav1952_
> <br />Thanks Eagle.  As soon as I get back from Radio Shack with a new toggle switch for my lathe, I will start putting on the Enduro.  I thought finishing was the best idea, but wanted confirmation.


Don't take my word for it,I hardly do commercially stabilized pens.
The answer I gave was paraphrased from one I remembered when someone else  asked the question.It made perfect sense to me.
Without naming a source, I tried a dyed stabilized blank.
The appearance I got was similar to a piece of plywood I dyed.
The color was not all teh way through the wood.It did.If I buy a violet dyed piece of wood I expect the whole thing to look violete.
I can do a lousy job dying wood myself.
As far as stabilizing goes I do that  with CA.
No it is not the same, but the feel of the pen is not the same as a stabilized pen  either when finished.
I have no problems with anyone who wants to turn stabilized blanks.
I just don't care to.I'd rather hone mychisels and skills.


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## vick (May 26, 2005)

I think that the train of thought for not useing a finsh on a stabelized blank is because the stabelizing resin is much more durable than most finishes.  As the softer finish starts to wear of you may get a splotchy appearance to the pen, but no more so than any finished pen (probably less).  I have been using a spabelized Redwood burl pen with no finish for almost a year now and it still looks great.


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## DCBluesman (May 26, 2005)

I agree with you to a point, Vick, however there are some woods, and even some pieces of the same species of wood that will accept resin differently.  Not all stabilized blanks have a consistent fill with resin.  For that reason, if for no other reason, you will probably want to put a finish on stabilized wood.


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## vick (May 26, 2005)

Good point Lou.  Also I was talking in general of professionally stabelized, not home brewed stabelization.


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## wdcav1952 (May 26, 2005)

The wood that I started  the thread discussing was professionally stabilized.  I agree with Lou that the process is not perferct.  I have used wood stabilized by Steve White, and also purchased from major suppliers.  There will be small defects, seen or unseen.  As hard as Enduro is, I feel that it is appropriate here.  For the record Mike, I am not one who tries to stabilize wood at home.  Been there, tried that, wasted the money. []


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## wayneis (May 26, 2005)

Professionally stabilized woods take the agent differently depending on the hardness and how porus it is.  Not every piece of redwood for instance will take stabilizing the same.

I use Enduro and I use it on all of my stabilized blanks and I don't bother with stabilizing them myself, like William I send them out to Steve White.

Wayne


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## its_virgil (Jun 3, 2005)

I finish all pens with CA/BLO....that is all pens...wood: stabilized or not, plastic, acrylics, homemade, store bought, antler, PVC, PR....but, there are a few woods that don't take to CA at times.
Do a good turn daily!
Don


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## Rudy Vey (Jun 4, 2005)

In my opinion there is no need for a finish on resin-stabilized wood, coming from BB or Steve White. I do a lot of these and have yet to put a finish on them - with the resin within- the finish is build in! But I do a very good job on sanding, starting 400 grit and then through all the MM grits, finishing up with an automotive polishing compound. What I get is an extreme smooth surface with a nice sheen. It is not glossy, but a gloss is not what I want anyways, just smoooooooth.


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