Hardening Softwood

[impala59]

Following on from the wood glue thread, I wondered if anyone had any ideas on hardening softwood to give it better structural integrity and longevity. Heat would appear to be one way and epoxy another but i am not sure how that would achieve internal hardness. Any pointers gentlemen?

[Walker570]

You can buy fluid which will make the wood VERY resistant. I forget the name now and I believe I purchased my small bottle from Axmisnter.  You put the wood in a vaccum and the fluid is sucked into the fibres. I did some spalted wood for knife handles and was pleased with the result..  Maybe put wood stabalizer in google and see if it comes up.

[moondoggy]

Wood turners use resin impregnation using thin resin, a vacuum chamber and an oven. Obviously, that is only suitable for small pieces of wood that can fit into the chamber and oven. There are people who offer this service if you don’t want to buy the equipment.

3 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

You can buy fluid which will make the wood VERY resistant. I forget the name now and I believe I purchased my small bottle from Axmisnter.  You put the wood in a vaccum and the fluid is sucked into the fibres. I did some spalted wood for knife handles and was pleased with the result..  Maybe put wood stabalizer in google and see if it comes up.

Cactus Juice is a very popular one. It’s American and quite difficult to find in this country.

Edited November 6, 2020 by moondoggy

[fatchap]

1 hour ago, moondoggy said:

Wood turners use resin impregnation using thin resin, a vacuum chamber and an oven. Obviously, that is only suitable for small pieces of wood that can fit into the chamber and oven. There are people who offer this service if you don’t want to buy the equipment.

Cactus Juice is a very popular one. It’s American and quite difficult to find in this country.

Cactus Juice is as rare as rocking horse **** in the UK. You can find it on the American sites but I haven't found one yet that ships to the UK.

Depending on the size and shape of the wood, a wood stabilizer would do the trick, brushing it on won't fully penertrate the wood. you would need to put say the sawn end in a bucket of stabilizer and it will be drawn up the grain, probably take a while but it does work, similar method with preserving fence post's

Edited November 6, 2020 by fatchap

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Just use this;

 

[moondoggy]

27 minutes ago, fatchap said:

Cactus Juice is as rare as rocking horse **** in the UK. You can find it on the American sites but I haven't found one yet that ships to the UK.

Depending on the size and shape of the wood, a wood stabilizer would do the trick, brushing it on won't fully penertrate the wood. you would need to put say the sawn end in a bucket of stabilizer and it will be drawn up the grain, probably take a while but it does work, similar method with preserving fence post's

Try here: -

https://houseofresin.co.uk/cactus-juice-stabilizing-resin-1-89-litres-1-2-us-gallon/

[fatchap]

9 minutes ago, moondoggy said:

Try here: -

https://houseofresin.co.uk/cactus-juice-stabilizing-resin-1-89-litres-1-2-us-gallon/

Cheers for that, will be ordering some pronto.

[team tractor]

Accoya is pickled softwood . We dip everything in preservatives . 
kiln drying is meant to help the internal structures. 
On the structural side this is already graded when you buy it. 6ths,5ths ,4ths , clears , unsorted, c24 ,c16 , red deal , white wood . 
 

what is it your trying to achieve? 

why softwood ? 
 

 

[moondoggy]

29 minutes ago, team tractor said:

Accoya is pickled softwood . We dip everything in preservatives . 
kiln drying is meant to help the internal structures. 
On the structural side this is already graded when you buy it. 6ths,5ths ,4ths , clears , unsorted, c24 ,c16 , red deal , white wood . 
 

what is it your trying to achieve? 

why softwood ? 
 

 

He’s pining for some hardwood! 😁

[team tractor]

1 hour ago, moondoggy said:

He’s pining for some hardwood! 😁

I might have a bit 😀

[johnphilip]

5 hours ago, moondoggy said:

Wood turners use resin impregnation using thin resin, a vacuum chamber and an oven. Obviously, that is only suitable for small pieces of wood that can fit into the chamber and oven. There are people who offer this service if you don’t want to buy the equipment.

Cactus Juice is a very popular one. It’s American and quite difficult to find in this country.

Yes they use one called Alumilite they put it in a pressure pan to draw out the bubbles in the resin . Like you say they are well into it over there . You can get some bits of dyed bits of ebay , but not cheap . I tried it once without the pressure pot . It did not go off right what a mess it made of my lathe like millions of fibers every were 😀😀

[moondoggy]

49 minutes ago, johnphilip said:

Yes they use one called Alumilite they put it in a pressure pan to draw out the bubbles in the resin . Like you say they are well into it over there . You can get some bits of dyed bits of ebay , but not cheap . I tried it once without the pressure pot . It did not go off right what a mess it made of my lathe like millions of fibers every were 😀😀

I have seen and heard of people using Alumilite. That sort of thing is very big in pen turning circles as they look for very unusual and interesting woods. These types of wood are often useless in their current forms and so they use the resins to make them usable. The thing with pen turning is, the pieces of wood involved are very small. As such, they lend themselves perfectly to the techniques involved.

I looked into doing it myself, but I could not justify the costs involved in buying the equipment and materials required. However, for those who do go down that route, the results can be stunning.

Edited November 6, 2020 by moondoggy

[impala59]

5 hours ago, team tractor said:

 

what is it your trying to achieve? 

why softwood ? 
 

 

I have been given a pine table top (45mm thick) and want to use it for guitar bodies. It is dented in places due to its relative softness. I was hoping to be able to harden it so as to preserve the finishes, oiled, painted or lacquered. Possibly, surface hardening will suffice as the parts would be difficult to get in a vacuum chamber ( roughly 17” x 13” x 44mm )

[Saltings]

On 06/11/2020 at 22:59, impala59 said:

I have been given a pine table top (45mm thick) and want to use it for guitar bodies. It is dented in places due to its relative softness. I was hoping to be able to harden it so as to preserve the finishes, oiled, painted or lacquered. Possibly, surface hardening will suffice as the parts would be difficult to get in a vacuum chamber ( roughly 17” x 13” x 44mm )

you could cut the shape then epoxy resin with a fine fiberglass cloth  sand and buff to a shine  or paint etc  west coast fiberglass supplies     done this on wainey edge coffee tables and some plank worktops with wainey edges and spalted timbers   looks a treat only up really close can you see the matting  or just use the epoxy and polish 

[impala59]

Any particular brand of epoxy you recommend? 

[Saltings]

1 hour ago, impala59 said:

Any particular brand of epoxy you recommend? 

sorry my bad  east coat fiber glass for me what i have used in the past large areas slow cure   axminster do east coast resins  more expensive than direct   resins    fast or slow hardener      matting     https://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/  a really help full company a phone call away   i have used polyurethane  resins in the past 

[oldypigeonpopper]

On 06/11/2020 at 16:27, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Just use this;

 

🤔😀

[impala59]

Getting a bit slow in my old age, I just got it! 
very nearly asked Dave TC what Pfizer made for diy use!!!!

I could try mashing some up in resin I suppose 🤪🤪🤪

[Saltings]

i will check tins tomorrow what i have used in the past and get back to you  

[Dave-G]

Dunno if it helps your project but a lot of model aircraft builders requiring a lightweight structure 'paint' balsa wood with superglue to strengthen its outer surface.

[team tractor]

7 hours ago, Dave-G said:

Dunno if it helps your project but a lot of model aircraft builders requiring a lightweight structure 'paint' balsa wood with superglue to strengthen its outer surface.

I always find it strange that balsa is hardwood too . 

[derek720]

the difference between hardwood and softwood is if a tree looses its leaves in the winter (Deciduous) its classed as a hardwood   

[team tractor]

5 hours ago, derek720 said:

the difference between hardwood and softwood is if a tree looses its leaves in the winter (Deciduous) its classed as a hardwood   

Softwood needles 

hardwood leaves 👍😎

[Dave-G]

Thanks for the info chaps - I knew balsa was classed as hardwood but dint know why.