how to stablize wood

[dave hiltz]

Can someone tell me how I can stablize some burls I have?  I will be cutting up the burls and need to know what to do from there to keep them from cracking all to heck.  Any info would be great, thanks Dave.

[beaver#1]

do a search.  this topic just came up and mighht be further down the page.

[kbaknife]

Send it to Knife and Gun Finishing supplies. Do NOT waste your time and materials trying to do it yourself. Whatever you come up with will be sub-standard and your time is better spent making knives.
I send all of my stuff to the above.
I just sent 12 pieces out to get stabilized and it cost me $84.00. That's 7 bucks apiece!!!
Black Ash, curly maple, crotch walnut, curly walnut, hickory.
They will be stabilized 100% and I didn't waste a minute or a dime.
And when I send blocks, I send them 6 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide and 1 1/4 thick. You pay by the weight, so if I had sent smaller blocks, it would have been less!
Have the pros do it.

[d. ward]

contact info Knife and Gun Finishing Supplies 1972 Forest Ave.Lakeside Az.85929...bd

[tippit]

Karl,  When they stabilize it, is there any shrinkage later to the finished knife handle wood...like the drying/low humidity of winter?  How dry does the wood need to be...before you send it to them?  Thanks...tippit

[kbaknife]

Very, very seldom have I ever heard of any movement.
Personally, I have NEVER experienced any dimensional instability.
I believe they want the wood at about 8% moisture.
I get my wood, cut it up into over-sized blocks, seal the ends in melted parafin, and put them on a rack up in the open rafters of my garage for at least 6 months.
The only things I do not stabilize are Blackwood, Ironwood, Ebony. I'll use raw curly maple, but then it gets an extended finishing process.
That stabilizing process impregnates the wood right down to the cellular level of the wood filaments basically turning it into a piece of plastic.
I can't recommend it more.
And the only way it gets done correctly is with the high tech process they have.
And, it's cheap! When all is considered.

[mwmwmb]

you think they can stabilize my buddy Burl Williams?

[kbaknife]

It worked for Burl Ives.

[tippit]

Karl, I'm going to give this a try.  Thanks

[kbaknife]

You will NOT be disappointed!!

 http://www.knifeandgun.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=71

[dave hiltz]

thanks for the info, I have two 4 foot round maple burls and 3 2 foot round cherry burls.  I will cut them up and sent them out.  Thanks againe for the info. Dave.

[sticshooter]

dave when your done lets see that burl.<><

[imskippy]

I think I'll try some aswell. I have some fresh tulip that I need to get cut up and some fresh cherry I need to cut aswell. I was going to try the minwax wood hardener but this sounds like the right way to go. Skippy

[kbaknife]

I sent off one piece of curly maple. 6 inches by 1 5/16 by 2 1/4.
One of the exact same size that has NOT been stabilized weighs 5.4 ounces.
The one I had stabilized weighs 11.2 ounces.