Stabilized wood - question

[John Keeton]

I have contemplated using a stabilized burl for a finial. I know that I need to use scrapers with a negative rake for finish cuts on stabilized wood, but I wonder if it will take fine detail and withstand being turned to very small diameters. Anyone ever try this with any degree of success - or failure???

[Jake Helmboldt]

I have contemplated using a stabilized burl for a finial. I know that I need to use scrapers with a negative rake for finish cuts on stabilized wood, but I wonder if it will take fine detail and withstand being turned to very small diameters. Anyone ever try this with any degree of success - or failure???

John I've turned some stabilized spalted dogwood to fairly small diameters, though I'm suspecting you are planning a finial (and I've not gone that thin). I've found that I need to try all the tools in the arsenal (very sharp detail gouge, skew, light shear scraping) to see what works on the particular piece. In the end I've found you need to deal with tearout and have to leave a little extra material to allow more sanding. Your mileage may vary.

[Chris Stolicky]

I would do the fine cuts with a skew. That is what I have used when I made some finials for ornaments.

[David E Keller]

John, I've not turned finials with stabilized wood, but I've used it a bunch in pen making. The stabilizing only enhances the workability of the wood at hand, so I don't think you'll have any trouble. You can use your normal tooling for making the finials.

My only concern would be that it's burl, and you never know what's inside a piece of it. Stabilizing doesn't completely fill voids and inclusions, so any given piece may be unsuitable.

In short, stabilizing will make any species of wood stronger and more apt to tolerate being turned to a small diameter, but burl is burl.

Let me know if you need some wood to play with... I've got stabilized blanks in a number of species and colors.

[James Combs]

My only comment would be is that stabilized pen blanks seem to be a lot harder then the natural wood and therefore tend to break/crack/shatter easier. But if sharp tools are used they will accept finer detail.