Friendly way to seal Punky Wood?

[Mark Greenbaum]

I've got a few pieces of now punky Sweet Gum, that has also gone spalted. Being southern variety sweet gum, it's a soft hardwood at best, but it 2 days away from just crumbling away to dust. I am really liking the mapping of the spalt fungus, so I was wondering if anyone has a safe and easy way to seal this stuff and get a reasonably glossy shine.

While this piece was a non-bowl, and just shaped on the outside, I applied a DNA/Super Blonde Flake Shellac mix to all surfaces. It was literally so porous the fluid practically ran right through from top to bottom. I then sealed it up in brown paper and went to eat dinner; came back and hollowed it out; then applied Doctor's Woodshop Friction polish (about 8 coats). I was thinking a couple of coats of either WOP or dilute epoxy to fill the grain and make it more gloss capable. What thinks you folks?

I know some folks would say, "Life's too short to turn punky wood", but I like to experiment.339919339920339921339922

[Tom Brouillette]

I've had moderate success with MinWax Wood Hardener. It soaks right in and sets up hard.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Another popular method is using an epoxy cocktail which is epoxy thinned with denatured alcohol.

[Art Mann]

Acetone also works as a thinner.

[Mark Greenbaum]

I've used MinWax Hardener, and it is really volatile. I'd rather do the epoxy cocktail, if that will work, even slowly. How about just WOP, to build many coats to seal and then buff?

[robert baccus]

Like the above advice try mixing epoxy or polyester resin, thinning it and putting it in a black vinyl bag with your roughed out piece. Shake it several times a day. Next morning it will be hard with no color change.

[Mark Greenbaum]

Thanks Robert. Why put it in a bag? I can paint it on and put on stilts to allow it to dry and soak in.

[Jamie Straw]

I've used MinWax Hardener, and it is really volatile. I'd rather do the epoxy cocktail, if that will work, even slowly. How about just WOP, to build many coats to seal and then buff?

Spalted maple is the specialty here in Puget Sound. Problem is, the surface of the punky part(s) is always lower than the surrounding wood. The wood hardener works, someday I'll try an epoxy cocktail.

[Brice Rogers]

I tried the minwax hardener (the solvent based variety) on Liquid amber/gum amber. I had turned a hollow vessel with walls that needed some additional thinning. It had some very small cracks in it by the opening. But I was having problems with tear-out. So I thought that I'd try the wood hardener. I saturated it and within about 5 minutes I could literally hear the wood cracking. Big cracks. Like 3/16 to 1/4 inch gaps. I'm not sure what went wrong. Perhaps there was moisture in the wood that was being forced out or forced to move and creating some differential stresses. I don't have a good explanation.

I've researched "Cactus juice". (google it). It is a thin heat-set resin. It is not cheap and it is recommended to immerse the piece in it while drawing a vacuum. It completely fills all voids and makes the piece solid. Afterwards, the "juice" is "set" by heating it. It is a watery thin resin. Perhaps if it was just put on very liberally until it was saturated and then heated (it only needs to get up to something like 150 degrees or so), it would work well.

[Olaf Vogel]

Ive also had great success with the Mnwax wood hardener.
i just wish it came in gallons. Then i would do more punky pieces!

[robert baccus]

The epoxy or polyester(think fiberglass) resin soak has saved me 30-40 punkies at least. Many selling for big bucks. The pretties spalt is always the softest-right. The thinned resin will soak quite deep in soft punky wood and much less in firm wood. The idea is to let it soak hours to penetrate the soft stuff. Thinned with acetone to almost water thin will take 8 hours or so to harden. Leave it in the bag and allow it to soak in. A thin soak in is useless as you will cut through while returning or sanding. Do not worry about the appearance after soaking as you will remove it. This leaves the pores open--most other treatments will leave them closed and will look like plastic. This is very inexpensive and fast to do. DO use vinyl as many plastics melt in acetone. This is an old boat rebuilding technique older than you are.

[Wade Holloway]

The epoxy or polyester(think fiberglass) resin soak has saved me 30-40 punkies at least. Many selling for big bucks. The pretties spalt is always the softest-right. The thinned resin will soak quite deep in soft punky wood and much less in firm wood. The idea is to let it soak hours to penetrate the soft stuff. Thinned with acetone to almost water thin will take 8 hours or so to harden. Leave it in the bag and allow it to soak in. A thin soak in is useless as you will cut through while returning or sanding. Do not worry about the appearance after soaking as you will remove it. This leaves the pores open--most other treatments will leave them closed and will look like plastic. This is very inexpensive and fast to do. DO use vinyl as many plastics melt in acetone. This is an old boat rebuilding technique older than you are.

Are you talking about something like West Epoxy System? You said "think resin", but you do mean mixed with a hardner right? I have several really nice spalted pieces of Pecan about 15 inch diameter that I am wanting to do. Was thinking about the Cactus Juice route. In fact I have a extra oven now that I was going to set up in the shop to be able to heat it. But if epoxy will work that maybe easier route to go.

[robert baccus]

I think I said think "fiberglass resin" which is cheaper and just as good. This is 10 minutes to do and cheap. West system is good as is any 2-part resin. Wal-nut store resins(usually polyester--fiberglass) are fine. When mixing thin until it starts to drip off a stiring stick.

[Mike Goetzke]

What epoxy/source are you guys using?

Thanks

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Anyone consider wood stabilization? I've been thinking about investing in a system. I've turned some stabilized maple pen blanks, and it's real pretty. No longer looks like "wood" though. Interesting colors after stabilization.