# burls and stabalization



## crashgtr (Jun 22, 2006)

How and when should a blank be stabilized? What is the benefit?

If I got my hands on a burl, do I need to do anything with it before I try to make pens or other objects from it?

thanks,
Liz


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## Rifleman1776 (Jun 22, 2006)

Some burl woods are just looking for an excuse to fly apart while being turned. Stabilizing is the only way to go. And, many, after stable show a beauty that can be amazing. You asked when. Uh...before turning. []


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## Dario (Jun 22, 2006)

You can also stabilize after turning with thin CA.  It won't have the same benefit as commercially stabilized blanks but will improve the piece tremendously especially when working with softer woods like buckeye.

I also try to fill voids/holes and reinforce inclusions (like bark, etc.) with thin CA before turning...and it helps keep the blanks intact as Frank said [].  Sometimes it is a good practice to run a generous amount of thin CA inside the drilled hole.  I do that on blanks that looks like needing it....spritz it with accelerator and re-drill before gluing the tube.


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## Daniel (Jun 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by crashgtr_
> <br />How and when should a blank be stabilized? What is the benefit?
> 
> thanks,
> Liz


Wood never stops moving. It expends and contracts with changes in humidity and temperature. one way to deal with this for penmaking is gluing the brass tube in the wood. this is more to give the thin wood strength then to deal with expension though and will allow the wood to crack when it shrinks. I have pens that have cracked even a couple of years after having been made.
true stabalizeaton in the form we are looking for fills the cells of the wood with basically Acrylic so that they cannot absorb moisture from the air and expend. this removing the woods tendancy to expend and contract. eleminating splits. being bonded together by acrylic also makes brittle or fragile woods strong enough to be turned.
I have had so much bad experience with unstabalized woods cracking that I don't offer anything on my web site that is not a stabalized wood, except those like cocobolo that cannot be stabalized.
be awaire that wood turners traditionally talk about stabalizing wood in regard to getting it to dry evenly and without splitting. this is not what penturners are refering to when we speak of stabalized wood.


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jun 22, 2006)

I turned tons of burl and I never had to stabalize any of it, so far not a single piece has fallen apart.

 - If there are voids, I fill them with coffee gounds and thin CA.

 - If the burl is punky, that is a different story.

What condition is burl in?


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## badwin (Jun 22, 2006)

Ron
I know this is off topic from Burls but I was at your web site and had a look at those bracelets you made.  They are fantastic.  I would like to try one for my daughter and my wife. Are they hard to turn and would you be willing to share the instructions.  
Thanks 
Brian


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## wdcav1952 (Jun 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA_
> <br />I turned tons of burl and I never had to stabalize any of it, so far not a single piece has fallen apart.
> 
> - If there are voids, I fill them with coffee gounds and thin CA.
> ...



Show off! [][][]


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## Ron in Drums PA (Jun 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by wdcav1952_
> <br />
> 
> 
> ...




Who Me??????


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## wdcav1952 (Jun 22, 2006)

LOL []


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## Daniel (Jun 22, 2006)

I wanna see the pile of pens you turn out of those [}]


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## Rifleman1776 (Jun 23, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA_
> <br />I turned tons of burl and I never had to stabalize any of it, so far not a single piece has fallen apart.
> 
> - If there are voids, I fill them with coffee gounds and thin CA.
> ...


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## crashgtr (Jul 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Ron in Drums PA_
> <br />I turned tons of burl and I never had to stabalize any of it, so far not a single piece has fallen apart.
> 
> - If there are voids, I fill them with coffee gounds and thin CA.
> ...


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## Pipes (Jul 21, 2006)

Iam unstable and so was this befor I turned it !! LOL I stablised it with thin CA after turning with sharp tools and a LOT a care !!! By the way it sold in less than a Hr on our web site :O)













http://affordablepipes.com/


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## emackrell (Jul 26, 2006)

Slightly off topic, but why can't cocobolo be stabilized?  Just curious.

cheers  Eileen


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## Dario (Jul 26, 2006)

Basically you can stabilize almost anything...question is how much benefit will you get?

I've read that cocobolo can be stabilized...but with minimal or no benefit...so it is almost a waste to do so.


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