Spalted Maple
 

I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable. Thanks.

Jeff T.

Jeff wrote:
I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable. Thanks.

Jeff T.



Depending on the size of the area, CA glue (aka SuperGlue) might do the trick.

-John

Jeff wrote:
I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable. Thanks.

Jeff T.


Jeff:

Assuming you're trying to stabilize dark spalting, you can try adding a
tinted epoxy to the spot. Another option is to use cyano-acrylate (super
glue) on the area to stabilize it.

~Mark.

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable.
Thanks.

I have only used spalted maple once, so I don't qualify as a expert, but I
applied BLO and applied BLO and applied BLO ad infinitum; it drank it up
like a sponge. Came out great and quite stable.

"Woody" wrote in message
...
Jeff wrote:
I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable.
Thanks.

Assuming you're trying to stabilize dark spalting, you can try adding a
tinted epoxy to the spot. Another option is to use cyano-acrylate (super
glue) on the area to stabilize it.


I would assume (yep) that he's trying to stabilize the white areas, which,
as they are the ones which have lost lignin, are the soft ones, rather than
the stained darker areas. Minwax and others make "stabilizers" if you're
looking for commercial products.

Turners use CA - hot and fast - somewhat unpredictable, shellac, or
lacquer to stiffen the fibers. I'm going to doubt that BLO will ever be
even as tough as the spalted wood, since a cured oil can be easily rolled
off an impervious surface with a fingernail. Now if it had a high phenolic
or urethane resin content, perhaps, but the others are faster and darken
less.

I'm going to doubt that BLO will ever be
even as tough as the spalted wood, since a cured oil can be easily rolled
off an impervious surface with a fingernail.

The piece in question is a cover to a letter box, right next to my desk
here.
When I bought it, it was like balsa wood; now it is more like hard maple.
It is also twice the weight.

Jeff wrote:
: I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
: spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable. Thanks.


Try the product he


http://www.rotdoctor.com


It's a thin, penetrating epoxy that was originally
developed for repaiing rotted wood in boats.

Several people have suggested using CA glue. Be careful -- there have
been several reports on rec.crafts.woodturning of spalted maple combusting
after being loaded up with CA glue.

-- Andy Barss

thanks for all the suggestions

Jeff
"Andrew Barss" wrote in message
...
Jeff wrote:
: I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in
: spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable.
Thanks.


Try the product he


http://www.rotdoctor.com


It's a thin, penetrating epoxy that was originally
developed for repaiing rotted wood in boats.

Several people have suggested using CA glue. Be careful -- there have
been several reports on rec.crafts.woodturning of spalted maple combusting
after being loaded up with CA glue.

-- Andy Barss