Stabilization on steroids

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Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
K folks!

Many of you know I've been dabbling with stabilization....
Well after 18 months and muchos deniro on RND I've finally cracked a stabilization process I am happy to promote.

Check the following out.....even I did not believe the numbers....:eek:


Two pieces of test wood, the same scale cut in half..

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Scales zeroed

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The untreated piece

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The treated piece

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Thats a 200% increase in weight.....
Now the acid test so to speak....

Untreated floats nicely

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Treated it did not just go to the bottom....it sank like a stone.....
Previous processes have managed to get a 60% weight increase, with this new process and formula the weight increase is in the region of 200%

AND as importantly the material is a pleasure to shape and sand.....a key benefit as someone pointed out to me recently :D

I'll do some more before and after shots, after I've finished stabilizing a backlog of customers wood.

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Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
That is very impressive. I'd like to see the results with antler and bone too.

Ah good idea......I've around several hundred pairs of buffalo and camel bone in the webshop......I anticipate some stock will go missing this weekend for research and development :rolleyes:

Also got some Reindeer Antler left, however that is already very dense, suspect a piece of Roe antler would give a good result........

Tom
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,479
Stourton,UK
I'm looking for some thick stabalised Reindeer and camel bone for a re-handle of one of my knives that I'm sending to Stu M. We need to talk.
 

sasquatch

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 15, 2008
2,812
0
47
Northampton
Nice one Tom, I'll be up for some of that when it's ready! Lookin good. If you're willing to do scales people send you I've got a couple sets of scales I'd love to have treated. Thanks again for throwing in the brass liners with my last order, I've put them to good use;

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61763

Looks much better for it, thanks again. Cheers fella!
 

Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
NThanks again for throwing in the brass liners with my last order, I've put them to good use;

You certainly did, lovely work indeed... :)



Nice one Tom, I'll be up for some of that when it's ready! Lookin good. If you're willing to do scales people send you I've got a couple sets of scales I'd love to have treated.

No problem, send away :)

Cheers
Tom
 

Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
Example of wood a customer sent for processing, completed this morning.

Here you go folks.......looks gorgeous and feels solid in the hand......AND what you see is literally 5 minutes light sanding and a quick polish....

Note the resins used were clear, I'll be looking at colours in a few weeks..:D

Cheers
Tom


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Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
I'm not exactly sure what stabilisation is with regards to wood. Could someone explain what is being done here?

Eric

Stabilization is the process of forcing a resinous type substance into the wood.
Not just the surface but to fully saturate it......

The very thing that attracts us in pretty woods, are generally the structural weakness in the wood......
The strongest structure for wood is a straight parallel grain, great in the loft, looks pretty boring as knife scales.
i.e. Did you know spalting occurs as an early part of the rotting process and is caused by bacteria/fungus and actually weakens the wood.....
Many lathe folks do not work with some woods because the woods fall apart and are inherently dangerous when turning at speed....bits flying off.
In the knife world you end up with split, cracked handles......

Stabilization is like the proverbial fly in amber, the wood is literally cast in time, each fibre is bound together, it never needs treating, is waterproof and is resistant to the elements.

So you can have gorgeous looking wood that is inherently weak which when treated, exceeds the strength of the hardest of solid woods.


Hope this makes sense.

Tom
 

Eric_Methven

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 20, 2005
3,600
42
73
Durham City, County Durham
Yes indeed, it makes perfect sense. And is exactly the solution for a few projects I was contemplating.
Thanks so much for the explanation. Do you have any links to info on the actual techniques and processes involved that you can recommend yourself?

Eric
 

Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
Do you have any links to info on the actual techniques and processes involved that you can recommend yourself?

Eric

If I understand your question correctly...
The techniques, process and indeed the chemicals employed have taken over 18 months to perfect, 000's has been spent on equipment made to my own specification (As for the investment of time...let's not go there )....
So let us just say that parts of the process include insane amounts of pressure and some heat...and a resin of sorts....and leave it at that :rolleyes:

For the rest of the process and chemicals involved,I'd have to k*ll you...:)

Cheers
Tom
 

Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
Here is an example of beautiful wood that was quite fragile and split in several areas.
Indeed sections were missing, shame as it is one of the tightest spaltings I've seen to date....

Here are a few before photo's so you get a feel for the wood condition.
As you can see...bits missing and a few war wounds to boot...

Oh and if anyone is interested...there are before and after weighing shots too :)


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and after a quick sanding and light polish......and yes that really is the post processing weight... :)


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Can't wait to see it on a knife :D

Tom
 

Biker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Fascinating reading this. Glad you got the results you were after in the end.

I found a bit of spalted beech in our wood stack we bought for our woodburner. I was horrified such a gorgeous piece of wood was dsitined for the fire, until I picked it up, it was very spongey and light, good only for burning. I have some other bits tucked away but realise now that they will need to be stabilised if I'm ever to use them. Ho hum. Maybe one day, but I'm no knifemaker.

Good luck with all the work you're going to have come your way from knife makers as such.
 

Leonidas

Settler
Oct 13, 2008
673
0
Briton
www.mammothblades.com
Some of you may recall a certain someone coming up with the idea of stabilizing a Kuksa....

Well it certainly is a more complex process than processing scales but I do like a challenge...

Anyhew, here are a few pics of the partially finished Kuksa....quick sand and a few minutes on the buffer and bob's your auntie...!

Note the cracks are sealed beautifully, all the way through too :thumbsup:
Also tis quite a bit heavier :D
Hope you like.

Tom

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