Stabilising timber?

[Polestar]

I'm looking to make my first knife, and notice that many makers use 'stabilised' timber for the handles - especially burr. How do you stabilise it? I have a lump of burr (not sure what sort) which was bought for turning, but never used. Cheers

 

[cgait]

If I'm right in thinking. Stabiling wood is expensive to perform to just one piece. I think it would be cheaper for you to buy a piece or two of stabilised wood .

Brisa have an explanation of what stabilised wood is.

http://www.brisa.fi/start3.html

Bottom of the page in a small box .

Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Stew]

If I'm right in thinking. Stabiling wood is expensive to perform to just one piece. I think it would be cheaper for you to buy a piece or two of stabilised wood .

Brisa have an explanation of what stabilised wood is.

http://www.brisa.fi/start3.html

Bottom of the page in a small box .

Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Try this link instead:

http://www.brisa.fi/stab.html

 

[cgait]

I really should've checked that the link worked shouldn't I .

Oh well sorted now.

 

[C_Claycomb]

There are different kinds of stabilizing. I think that the wood that Brisa uses comes from Wood Stabilizing Specialists International in the US, and as such is cheaper to buy direct. Anyway, the resin does not fill voids. There are some that do. Resin impreg lets you use wood that would otherwise be too soft, but you can use things like cocobolo, bocote, rose wood, imbuya and many other oily tropical woods and get a similar level of durability, if not quite as much fancy grain.

I think that home stabilizing has been discussed over on British Blades, Bladeforums and Custom Knife directory forums. Not really something to be started unless you plan to do a lot.

 

[Polestar]

Thanks all. I'll have a look on BB etc. but it doesn't sound as though it's a DIY thing. I might have a go with the burr as it looks prety 'solid'. I'll let you know.

 

[Longstrider]

I've seen talk on a couple of knife forums where guys have done a sort of "home stabilising" job on wood by soaking it in superglue. The idea is that you soak, then dry, soak then dry. Keep doing this until the wood stops taking up the glue. It would be best to buy a fairly big bottle of superglue if you were to try this I guess, rather than those tiny little tubes it normally comes in. Lots of places sell it in larger bottles, such as Maplin Electronics. Proper name (I think) for superglue is Cyanoacetate, and it's worth knowing that it is an anaerobic adhesive, i.e it sets when the air is kept away from it rather than when the air gets to it (The opposite to paint, basically) If trying to stabilise wood slabs for knife handles it might be worth trying to wrap them in cling film between soakings to cure the glue, then simply sand the cling film off when you are ready to soak again.
If you try it, let us know how you get on?

 

[Jared]

Super glues are Cyanoacrylates.

Another place to get larger quantities is RS.

 

[Longstrider]

I was close ! *LOL*