# Turning stabilized/spalted blanks?



## flyfisher117 (Mar 23, 2012)

I cant seem to find any info about this so im resulting in asking.

I want to try my hand at turning some of these "fancier" pen blanks.  Been looking at some Stabilized Buckeye as well as Boxelder Burl blanks as well as some Spalted Maple.  

Im still going to call myself a beginner, Ive completed probably 25 Slimline style pens using mainly plastic and basic woods like Tulip, Zebra, Cocobolo, Purple Heart, and One other that I cant remember the name.  I attempted a Keychain with Black Palm but that ended in a bit of a disaster.

Ive never tried any of these Stabilized blanks, Can anyone make any recomendations on types of wood that are easier to turn? Dont require light touches and ultra sharp tools?  

Also how does one finish a penblank that has been stabilized? Is it the same as any other?  Couple of coats of CA, polished with Micro mesh then buffed?


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## Andrew_K99 (Mar 23, 2012)

These blanks turn quite easily, similar to acrylic, but less chance of chips IMO.

Finish with a couple costs of CA and they look great!

AK


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## Bigj51 (Mar 23, 2012)

If I an turning wood blanks, then 95% of the time it is a stabilized blank. They just turn and finish so much better than their ubstabilzed counterparts. Finishing is pretty straight forward. I usually sand up through 15000 with micro mesh and finish with shellawax. I am just now beginning to use the CA finish and the results are amazing. With stabilized blanks you get to use would that would often be to light and soft to use effectively. Stabilized Buckeye Burl and Box Elder burl are 2 of my personal favorites! You cant go wrong with them. Go for it and enjoy the results!


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## thewishman (Mar 24, 2012)

Stabilized wood is easy to turn and you don't need to put a finish on top. Just turn, sand and polish. You can add a finish if you want to.

Buckeye is about the most varied, as it is the root of the tree and may have inclusions that fall out while turning. You can fill those spots with dust from the blank, brass filings, crushed stone, coffee grounds or just about anything else - just fill in the hole with a material and add CA glue.

Good luck and have fun.


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## jppensplus (Mar 24, 2012)

Now and then I happen to obtain a yellow-dyed and stabilized box elder burl that just POPS out at you---as in all blanks, you never know what the pen is going to look like until you get down close to the finished size--but when the yellow-dyed and stabilized boxelder burl has black eyes and lots and lots of figure, it's a sight to behold!!


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## flyfisher117 (Mar 24, 2012)

I have some Crushed Turquois, would I be able to put this into any gaps that may appear?

I really want to get a few now, hopefully can make it to town tomorrow.


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## Bigj51 (Mar 24, 2012)

flyfisher117 said:


> I have some Crushed Turquois, would I be able to put this into any gaps that may appear?
> 
> I really want to get a few now, hopefully can make it to town tomorrow.



Absolutely! Just use the thin CA and it'll work great.


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## azamiryou (Mar 24, 2012)

flyfisher117 said:


> I want to try my hand at turning some of these "fancier" pen blanks.  Been looking at some Stabilized Buckeye as well as Boxelder Burl blanks as well as some Spalted Maple.



"Stabilized" means it's impregnated with some sort of binder (glue), like a resin. This is used to strengthen wood, harden it, and give it more consistent turning characteristics. For soft and fragile woods, stabilization makes it _much_ easier to turn. Be aware, though, that the shavings and dust you create will include the resin as well as the wood.

Other woods can be tricky to turn, but it sounds like you have plenty of experience to handle them. Burls have grain going every which way, so they can be a little unpredictable and chunks can fly off. Go slow, and if you're worried, you can stabilize parts of it yourself by drizzling on a little CA and letting it soak in and cure. For really difficult woods, you may want to keep hitting it with CA as you go, whenever you've turned past where the CA has soaked into.

Spalts are essentially partially rotted wood, so without stabilization they can be very soft and punky. Go slow and add CA if you need to to keep it from flying apart. Beware of the sawdust... the spalting is caused by fungus, so your sawdust can include fungus and spores, which some people are very reactive to.

Have fun! These woods make for really striking pens.


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## flyfisher117 (Mar 25, 2012)

Alrighty thanks for the tips guys, just one more question.

When finishing a stabilized blank without CA.  Would i just do what i Normally do on a pen? Start sanding with sanding paper from 300-800 grit then use my Micro Mesh like it was a normal CA finish?


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