# The good bad and ugly woods to stabilize



## Chris S.

Anyone have a list of woods that are good to stabilize, difficult but doable and plain just don't waste your time with it.

Reason I ask is I have been trying different woods and some just seem to do great and some a waste of time. Buckeye worked great. Soaked up resin well and seemed to get nice and dense. Redwood burl seemed like waste of time as turned piece last night still very soft and holes still in it. I am assuming the large pores make it hard to get any resin to stay in as just to big for resin to stay put.

Palm worked great. Pulled in lots of resin and it seemed to stay inside. Once I turn it will know for sure. Same with some maple burl I have done.

I have some manzanita burl was going to try but not sure if will be a waste of time or not. I know really dense woods like rosewood with all the oils they have is not worthwhile. What are some woods that just are not worth the effort?

Would it be worthwhile we all compile a list based on our experiences? Like a stabilizing resource for new guys.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Great Post 1


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## ironman123

Of course. Data is always useful. Correct data.


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## Tj King

I've done box elder, cherry Burl, and Maple Burl with great results. I put some cedar in last night but haven't tested it yet.


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## Kevin

ironman123 said:


> Of course. Data is always useful. Correct data.



You're correct. Anyone can publish on the internet. A big part of winning the battle in deciphering internet trash from treasure is the ability to distinguish between John Hopkins the 9th grader and Johns Hopkins University.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Funny 3


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## Nature Man

Think this would be an excellent database to start on WB. Chuck


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## ironman123

John Hopkins the 9th grader has a university (this is not correct data)

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 5


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## Chris S.

We need this John Hopkins fellow to make us a nice chart of all the types of wood, if they stabilize good, ok, or waste of time. 

So far my experience is limited. I have had good results on Hala, Maple burl, Buckeye Burl. Redwood burl overall did pick up resin but still very light. Think it needs a thicker resin to stay inside large open pours this wood has. Chittum burl and Amboyna burl really didn't seem to pick up anything. 

Woods I have yet to try are:
Koa-Thinking will not take in much but will see
Bubinga-assuming this going to be waste of time
Box elder burls
Briar burl-again assume waste of time
Flame box elder-think will work out well
Thuya burl-again probably waste of time
Hickory Burl
Oak Burl
Manzinita burl-waste of time?
Walnut Burl
A few misc woods I not sure what they are.


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## norman vandyke

These are woods I have stabilized.

Takes resin very well- box elder burl, Russian olive burl, maple burl(don't know which maple I have), mango

Needs a long soak- Koa, redwood burl

I have tried to stabilize hrb but there was no change in weight after stabilizing. I tried amboyna burl with very little resin taken in.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## El Guapo

I remember Curtis saying on his website that walnut and redwood burl need very long soaks... up to a week or more. Thanks for starting this, Chris... this will be a good resource for all the stabilizers!


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## Chris S.

So far redwood soak for a week seemed to pick up resin but still nowhere near others. Think pressure may be the key like the pros. Working out those ideas right now but that's another story and topic.

Reactions: Like 1


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## barry richardson

I have some silky oak burl pieces, still wet though, I think they would be awesome dyed and stabilized, anyone want to give it a go? All you pay is shipping and show pics of how it turned out...

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## BarnickCustomCalls

Barry I would be willing to give them a shot if no one has taken you up on this offer yet


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## barry richardson

BarnickCustomCalls said:


> Barry I would be willing to give them a shot if no one has taken you up on this offer yet


 You got it!


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## Chris S.

I really need to check back on these post more often. I could of burned those nicely with the rest of the wood I turned to charcol.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## BarnickCustomCalls

@barry richardson i just got back home and got the box opened up. This wood looks great. Thanks again for the opportunity to give this a try I am looking forward to it. Since I'm not familiar with this wood does it need to be sealed with AS or is it alright just to let air dry?


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## barry richardson

BarnickCustomCalls said:


> @barry richardson i just got back home and got the box opened up. This wood looks great. Thanks again for the opportunity to give this a try I am looking forward to it. Since I'm not familiar with this wood does it need to be sealed with AS or is it alright just to let air dry?


In my experience it dries kinda like cherry burl, it will crack some and the eyes will get pinholes if unsealed, sealing helps some, but then it dries much slower...


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## Jerry B

OK, been stabilizing for a couple years now ..... process is almost always the same, draw vacuum (@29 Hg) for 10 - 14 hours & then soak for 18 - 24 hours ........

woods I've done with optimal success :
Maple's & Maple Burl, Manzanita & Manzanita Burl, Buckeye Burl, Box Elder Burl, Black Ash Burl, Black Locust Burl, Cherry Burl, FBE & FBE Burl, Oak's & Oak Burl, Russian Olive Burl, Chechen Burl,
Eucalyptus Burl, Walnut Burl, African Sumac Burl, Rengas (Bolivian Rosewood), Coolibah Burl, PollyAnna Burl, Mallee Burls (Red & Brown), Jarrah Burl, Redwood Burl, Mesquite & Mesquite Burl,
basically any/all non oily woods, (the lighter & more porous the species, the better the results) ....

woods that don't need stabilizing :
Honduran Rosewood Burl, Almost Any Rosewood that's dense, African Blackwood, Gaboon Ebony, Any Ebony, all really dense Oily woods

Reactions: Like 2 | Sincere 1


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## DKMD

BarnickCustomCalls said:


> @barry richardson i just got back home and got the box opened up. This wood looks great. Thanks again for the opportunity to give this a try I am looking forward to it. Since I'm not familiar with this wood does it need to be sealed with AS or is it alright just to let air dry?



Just a friendly word of caution... A few people are allergic to it. I know a guy that turned a bunch of wet silky oak during the summer, scratched his man bits, and ended up on steroids... He and I could pass for twins.

I think it's a relatively uncommon allergy, but it happens.

Reactions: Funny 5


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## manbuckwal

DKMD said:


> Just a friendly word of caution... I know a guy that turned a bunch of wet silky oak during the summer, scratched his man bits, He and I could pass for twins.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## F.W.von

The man at wood products told me some woods need be stabilized twice to get em good and tough.
He also recommended vaccum pot and or pressure pot soaks
Lastly he recommended wrapping pieces in coil and then toaster oven cooking just below boiling point of water for your specific altitude.,..
Salt lake city-239degrees (4000ft above sea level)

Hope that helps


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## norman vandyke

F.W.von said:


> The man at wood products told me some woods need be stabilized twice to get em good and tough.
> He also recommended vaccum pot and or pressure pot soaks
> Lastly he recommended wrapping pieces in coil and then toaster oven cooking just below boiling point of water for your specific altitude.,..
> Salt lake city-239degrees (4000ft above sea level)
> 
> Hope that helps


Doesn't water boil at lower temperatures the higher elevation you are? 212 at sea level and lower as you get higher.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## F.W.von

Probably you are right.
One could Google their elevation and do the math. The man said to cook it just below boiling point.
I'm relaying what I'm hearing and I'm new to all this.

I only just bought my first gallon of anchorseal!


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## Chris S.

So after a month I have stabilized, or attempted to stabilize a few woods. Learned Buckeye Burl, box elder Burl and Maple Burl all stabilize well and take up lots of resin with short soaking time-about a day or so. Woods not taking up much even after long soaks, at least a week up to 3 weeks, are redwood Burl, chittum Burl, Curly Koa, and Briar burl. Still more woods to go.


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## El Guapo

Anyone have any experience stabilizing YCB? I seem to remember a post a while back (not sure where) that it is a tricky wood to stabilize, but I don't remember why or what te trick is. I have a bunch that I've been drying for a while... Hoping to start stabilizing it in a month or two.


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## chanser123

YCB is very hard to stabilize without some sort of pressure after pulling vac. I get mine super dry in the over 0%, then pull vac till no more bubbles. After this, I toss under 60 lbs of pressure for 2 days usually. Most times I find them sunk to the bottom after this. The odd time they still float a little bit so I let them keep soaking. Very tough wood to stabilize. Some seems to really take stabilizing well and others not(even with same exact technique)

Reactions: Like 3


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## BarnickCustomCalls

It took a while to try out some of the wood I got from @barry richardson a while back. I tried stabilizing them with some green dye. They look much better in person than in the pics 
http://i105.Rule #2/albums/m220/dbarnick/Mobile%20Uploads/1DBC870F-1C55-48AB-B5A1-429B0A9B4E91_zpsabbhxtny.jpg

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 5


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## barry richardson

BarnickCustomCalls said:


> It took a while to try out some of the wood I got from @barry richardson a while back. I tried stabilizing them with some green dye. They look much better in person than in the pics
> http://i105.Rule #2/albums/m220/dbarnick/Mobile%20Uploads/1DBC870F-1C55-48AB-B5A1-429B0A9B4E91_zpsabbhxtny.jpg


Those look great! Looking forward to seeing a call made from it. Did it suck up a lot of juice?


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## Kevin

BarnickCustomCalls said:


> It took a while to try out some of the wood I got from @barry richardson a while back. I tried stabilizing them with some green dye. They look much better in person than in the pics
> http://i105.Rule #2/albums/m220/dbarnick/Mobile%20Uploads/1DBC870F-1C55-48AB-B5A1-429B0A9B4E91_zpsabbhxtny.jpg



Derek those are nine kinds of cool.


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## BarnickCustomCalls

One piece seemed to suck resin in and stabilize fairly well. The other piece didn't soak it up as good. I should have maybe let them soak longer as well


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## Chris S.

Those look good to me.

I have tried a few more items. Sycamore seems to stabilize and dye very well so far. Also have some bamboo on now, will be interesting to see how that does. Will post up results from that. On a side not, i stopped wrapping blanks in tin foil and have seemed to have no ill effects of final product other than less resin to clean off when done. I put on a rack with a catch pan under them when baking. Any extra resin drips into the pan and doesn't get stuck on outside of blank. Stopped weighing blanks but never had any more resin loose due to not wrapping as opposed to wrapping.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 3


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## Chris S.

Did walnut Burl and stabilized very well. Would say was very similar to doing buckeye Burl.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Chris S.

Sappele worked well. Knife scales took half their weight up in resin.


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## Chris S.

Did some other woods for @Steve Smith . He sent me some Afzelia burl, beautiful wood but took almost no resin. Think maybe a pressure system would work better for these denser woods. Had some more sapele which performed the same way as before and some type of other wood which stabilized extremely well. Hopefully he can shed some light on what the third type of wood was as I forget but 2 pieces started out at 5.4 oz before stabilzing. After stabilizing they weighed in at 13.35 oz.


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## Mr. Peet

Chris,

Ever stabilize American white ash root with spalt and white rot? I just found 8, 1.5 sq. by 10" blanks while boxing up some books. Really do need to get the wood piles out of her dinning room and living room, but the front porch is full.

@Chris S.


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## Chris S.

No I have not but alway willing to try something new. I did do spalted Cherry which worked well. Seems like everything I have tried that is spalted or rotten stabilizes well. I make you same deal I have with others. In name of research I will make you same deal I have with others on low cost stabilizing service and stabilize this for you. You will also have additional cost of shipping too. Let me know if interested or could also work out a trade for some wood for services rendered. This is only to help you with our wood piles of course.

Oh what part of PA you from. I used to live outside of Allentown area when I was in high school.


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## Steve Smith

@Chris S. I seem to recall the third type I included was ordinary maple burl in addition to the pommele sapele.

Reactions: Creative 1


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## Chris S.

Thats what I thought it was. Either way it stabilized great. Blanks are nice and dense now. Hope they work well for you.


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## Mr. Peet

One hour north, Poconos. This is what a few look like. Never mind, she erased the stupid wood pictures. I'll take some new ones later.


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## Chris S.

I know the poconos very well spent many a summer up there water skiing and winters snow skiing. 

You doing any stabilizing yet? Love to hear results of the white ash root. If you don't stabilize I will gladly try it in the name of science.


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## Chris S.

@norman vandyke how have your results been doing Koa? I tried Koa twice so far with almost no resin intake. Are you doing it under pressure? Maybe I just need to let soak longer.


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## norman vandyke

Chris S. said:


> @norman vandyke how have your results been doing Koa? I tried Koa twice so far with almost no resin intake. Are you doing it under pressure? Maybe I just need to let soak longer.


I'm not using pressure and yes, it doesn't gain much but it does gain. I've been letting them soak for a week or two after 12 hour pull.


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## Chris S.

Thanks for the feedback. I may have to try again. I been messing around with plans for a high pressure stabilzing system to pressurize resin after pulling vacuum. Been 6 month till have any time or money to do it but if works should help out with hard words such as this. When I say high pressure looking for well over 200 PSI, ideally be more around 1000 PSI or more.


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## norman vandyke

Chris S. said:


> Thanks for the feedback. I may have to try again. I been messing around with plans for a high pressure stabilzing system to pressurize resin after pulling vacuum. Been 6 month till have any time or money to do it but if works should help out with hard words such as this. When I say high pressure looking for well over 200 PSI, ideally be more around 1000 PSI or more.


I would think pressure would make a huge difference, even just 50 pounds or more.


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## Chris S.

I will have to give it a try. Once I finally get it done will let you know.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mr. Peet

Hey Chris, my wife deleted the pictures from her camera and I never retook any. Got a few family events today so I won't be working, so I hope to get to it today and post some pics by night.

@Chris S.


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## Mr. Peet

Had to wait for the kid before firewood, so took some pics. Four pictures, of 4 sides...Which one or so should I send you? Theses are 1.5 inch square by 10" inch long. I can cut to fit 3 in a SFRB. Remember to PM an address if you'r still game.
@Chris S.


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## Chris S.

Sending PM


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## RedwoodWorkshop

Chris S. said:


> Anyone have a list of woods that are good to stabilize, difficult but doable and plain just don't waste your time with it.
> 
> Reason I ask is I have been trying different woods and some just seem to do great and some a waste of time. Buckeye worked great. Soaked up resin well and seemed to get nice and dense. Redwood burl seemed like waste of time as turned piece last night still very soft and holes still in it. I am assuming the large pores make it hard to get any resin to stay in as just to big for resin to stay put.
> 
> Palm worked great. Pulled in lots of resin and it seemed to stay inside. Once I turn it will know for sure. Same with some maple burl I have done.
> 
> I have some manzanita burl was going to try but not sure if will be a waste of time or not. I know really dense woods like rosewood with all the oils they have is not worthwhile. What are some woods that just are not worth the effort?
> 
> Would it be worthwhile we all compile a list based on our experiences? Like a stabilizing resource for new guys.



Redwood but you need to let soak for minimum 1 week prior to baking. I did that and my piece came out perfect.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Chris S.

Last redwood I did was not Burl and worked well. I will try pre soaking the redwood Burl to see what I get

Curly Eucalyptus worked well also the other day.


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