Strengthening spongy wood

[Kerrowman]

Hi all,

I’m working on a big piece of spalted beech (or so my friendly tree surgeon tells me) to make a large bowl and there is quite a lot of spongy decaying wood that I need to stabilise and harden and I’m wondering what the best mix to use is.

I also have an elm burr that needs the edges of its holes strengthening before I fill them with Glasscast 50 resin.

Based on my limited experience I have tried some 1LB shellac to soak in and will see how that works but I’ve also wondering if regular diluted cellulose sealer would work as well or perhaps some diluted ‘Minwax’ water based sealer.

I can’t get hold of the Minwax anyway so I’m hoping that what I have already done, or diluted Chestnut cellulose sealer, or even some alcohol diluted Rustins shellac sealer, both of which I already have, would also work well.

Appreciate some suggestions.

Thanks

Jules

 

[RichardG]

I’ve never tried turning it but Ronseal wet rot hardener has done miracles on wood repairs that I thought were beyond recovery.

 

[Kerrowman]

Yes I use it on joinery around the house and it’s good stuff but am also not sure how suitable it is for lathe based work.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The wood hardener is extremely hard to try to cut through, though. I've used cellulose sealer successfully, but you need to use it every couple of cuts, it doesn't harden to any depth.

 

[Kerrowman]

I thought that might be an issue. Maybe one should just keep soaking it in the first application till it will take no more and, if it’s runny enough, that will penetrate deep enough for enough cuts.

I don’t know what’s in Rustins shellac sealer besides the shellac but the advantage of the sealer approach is that it dries quickly so one can react quickly to newly appearing soft wood.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've soaked stuff really well, but it still seemed to work better coat by coat. I wonder whether the wood acts as a filter to the solids allowing the solvent to penetrate but not the solid parts? It takes only a minute or two to do and dry so It's no big deal to keep doing it.

 

[Kerrowman]

Sounds reasonable but what are you using - diluted regular cellulose or shellac sealer?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Diluted cellulose.

 

[Dalboy]

Rough cut to size first then sander sealer. This has worked for me on many occasions I still have a large bowl to finish by taking the foot off which I had to do this with. Unfortunatley it will not get done for a month or two as having a new workshop installed so will not be able to show it yet

 

[Kerrowman]

Yes I’ve given a few costs of diluted sealer to the area but even though quite hard now here are lots of small holes to fill which I will probably do with CA.

 

[Dave Brookes]

Try Drechsler woodhardener, best I’ve ever used on splayed timber, it does not colour the wood at all.
Not sure where you can get it from now the Toolpost has closed.

Dave

 

[woodfarmer]

I would first turn them as they are as you would turn wet wood. Then allow lots of cheap ebay superglue to soak in it.
Let them be for a week or so then finish turn. You may have to wipe some parts with superglue and "fine finish" the item.