How to stabilize wood aslan wrote in July 25th, 2018
Today I would like to show you how we stabilize wood in two colors.
All stabilization equipment can be purchased from the Chinese.
We will need:
1) Vacuum chamber with lid
2) Vacuum pump
3) And the polymer itself for stabilization, we use anacrol + dyes
We will stabilize it in two colors - blue and red. Pour anacrol into the container and add red dye. For 1 liter of anacrol you need 10 grams of dye. Mix everything thoroughly.
Then we completely place the block in the liquid so that it does not float up, you can press it down with a weight. Turn on Vacuum pump and form a vacuum in the chamber to release air from the bar and fill it with anacrol.
Since we are stabilizing in two colors, first we need to soak the bar in red anacrol for about half, this is 30 minutes.
While the bar is soaking, we take another container, pour anacrol and add blue dye. Stir also thoroughly.
After 30 minutes, turn off the vacuum pump, restore the pressure in the chamber and take out the bar, wipe it and place it in another container with blue anacrol. We turn on the vacuum pump again and now wait an hour and a half for the block to be completely soaked.
After an hour and a half, turn off the vacuum pump and check the bar; if it sinks in the liquid and does not float up, then everything worked out and the bar is completely saturated. If the bar floats, then we leave it in the liquid overnight; there is no need to turn on the vacuum pump, let it soak on its own.
When the block stops floating, take it out and wrap it in cling film.
Anacrol hardens at 90-100 degrees; the polymerization process can be carried out in an electric oven, oven or in boiling water. I cook bars.
Bring the water to a boil and place the bar in it, cook for 40 minutes.
After that, we remove the film, sand it to remove excess anacrol, sand it and this is what we get in the end:
And here’s what it looks like as a knife handle after polishing:
Hmm... this topic interested me when I decided to make a knife... or rather a handle for a knife. I doubt, of course, the academic validity of this term. For example, in an article about wood bending I used the phrase “wood stabilization” in a different sense - as the ability of the wood structure to restore its physical Chemical properties after exposure to temperature, solvents (in a broad sense) and physical influences that temporarily change the plastic properties of wood. So that article was more about stabilization curved shape... and the article climbed to the top on the topic of this article.
Agree that when you come across articles that do not correspond to the request based on a specific request, you begin to get annoyed either with the search engine algorithms or with the authors of such materials. Therefore, in order for site visitors to learn something useful, I will write what I know about this. Review article... in places.
So, under wood stabilization Most understand the result of a kind of “preservation” of wood, in which its performance properties are improved by an order of magnitude.
Wood can be preserved or stabilized using different materials:
Impregnation with hot linseed oil (environmentally friendly and food-grade option);
Impregnation with various exotic natural oils, for example, poppy, walnut, hemp, white acacia, lalemantia, pine and spruce seed oils, elderberry, wood (tung), perilla, niger... (all oils listed in the article completely polymerize, i.e. become hard... for comparison, sunflower oil does not polymerize)
Boiling wood in oleoresin (resin) coniferous species);
Chelyabinsk sleepers are so harsh because they are impregnated with coal oil;
Impregnation with wax, both natural and with artificial additives;
Impregnation with artificial compounds that, when dry, form a solid material, for example, varnishes, paints, impregnations, drying oils, liquid plastics(polymers)…
One of these days I will combine natural “stabilizers”: linseed oil, beeswax(an excellent antiseptic) and carnauba wax (the most shiny, hard and refractory) for impregnation cutting board*** for food products. I will melt the wax in a water bath in linseed oil and soak it hot.
On the left is granulated purified beeswax, on the right are strips of carnauba wax (feels like brittle plastic).
The essence remains the same - a preservative substance is introduced into the pores and cells of wood, which can react with the “wood” and/or which polymerizes on its own.
Wood stabilization technology can be roughly divided into two large stages:
Impregnation process and
Polymerization process.
You can soak it in the following ways:
Cold impregnation (suitable for small and thin workpieces);
Hot: holding/cooking in hot compositions, which are usually more fluid when hot and polymerize better;
Using a vacuum method (wood is placed in a chamber from which air is pumped out, it also comes out of the pores of the wood... and is filled with a preservative compound that penetrates well into them);
Under pressure (wood is placed in a chamber and in a stabilizing composition, and overpressure... under pressure, the air in wood practically disappears in volume, and its place in the pores is taken by a preservative composition).
Polymerization process Both pressure and temperature can help. For example, when bamboo is treated with heat, the sugar it contains caramelizes, giving the bamboo wood new and improved properties and Brown color different shades.
Wood that has undergone a stabilization procedure is usually:
Much heavier;
Has a different color, depending on the technology and materials used (for example, green pores);
It has stabilized physical and chemical properties of the polymer, reinforced with wood fibers, which change little under the influence of adverse conditions.
[comments/discussion]
| Kirill Boronin (15:01 10/27/2017) Hello. Carving from wood various products, asked to make a mortar and pestle. I’m thinking of making it out of beech, but I would like to maximize the wood’s resistance to friction. I usually soak my work mineral oil and beeswax. Is flax, tung, or some other safe material suitable for my purposes? food products oil-wax mixture? How much stronger will the wood become? |
| VECCHIO ALBERO (06:47 05/21/2017) Good afternoon, I am interested in stabilizing large slabs of wood, what composition is best to use, and what stabilization method is best suited for this? Thank you |
| Andrew (00:58 05/07/2017) Andron, I think such bars are filled with multi-colored polymers, much like in the “drawing on water” techniques. Look in the search. |
| Andron (16:39 05/06/2017) Hi all! Tell me how to stabilize pieces of wood in two or more colors? Thank you |
| Andrew (07:36 03/24/2017) Alexey, all methods of “real” stabilization of large boards and shields are quite expensive and labor-intensive. Among the relatively accessible ones we can highlight vacuum method. One of the simplest but least effective methods is impregnation with hot oil. Most likely it will only be saturated upper layer and therefore it is advisable to use open-pore wood such as ash or oak. Or you can look towards thermowood - it is more stable, but it can still lead. As an experiment, you can try saturating the wood with a two-component primer for exotic wood. This soil has a viscosity like water and when dry it becomes like “glass”. |
| Alexey (16:21 03/23/2017) Hello. I am interested in stabilizing a solid-lamella Shield that will be located on the street, what is the best method to use so that it does not move. Cold impregnation, hot impregnation, vacuum methods, under pressure, or maybe some other method? Maybe add wax? Which polymerization method is better to use and will there be a difference? |
| Andrew (20:36 03/10/2017) Maxim, the essence of stabilization is the complete impregnation of wood. Logs in finished house impregnation is unrealistic. Even if you just saturate the top layer of the timber, it will take a long time and be expensive. |
| Maxim (05:53 03/07/2017) Hello. Interested in log stabilization, more precisely log house. What is the best way to do this and with what???? This is how I use linseed oil the best option?!?!?! |
| Andrew (20:56 01/05/2017) Of course you can. Depends on the effect you want to achieve. Dyes and pigments must be compatible with wood stabilizing agents |
| Elnur (13:21 01/04/2017) Is it possible to add dyes to get unusual flowers wood, and which ones are better (pigments, dyes, fat-soluble) |
| Andrew (02:59 08.12.2016) I answer such questions by mail. |
| Marseille (13:05 04/21/2016) I am interested in stabilizing large-sized wood (steps, stringers, carved sculptures, etc.). |
|
Kozhevnikov Nikolay Gennadievich(19:11 25.03.2015) Kind...! I don’t know your name and patronymic, I hope we’ll meet you. I would like to find out the following: is it possible to make a blank for the butt and fore-end of a hunting rifle from stabilized wood? |
To work with wood, a carpenter uses his hands and equipment. Even if the craftsman has enough experience, unprepared wood can ruin all efforts. This indicates the need to stabilize the material. If you do not expose it to such influence, the structure may dry out and warp.
When working with soft varieties such as aspen, linden and pine, you will notice that this requirement is not so critical, since they are not used for critical structural elements. But cracked window casing or a dried out spoon can still ruin your mood.
Making chairs and kitchen fronts, such wood is rarely used. The issue of material predictability finished product important for carpenters. To prevent cracking and warping, there are methods, one of which is stabilization.
Technologies can be different, some are complex, others are simple, and others are completely high-tech. Today it is common to use concentrated acids and apply heat and pressure to the wood. This is difficult to do at home.
But if you do not intend to retreat from the idea, then you can pay attention to Solovetsky Monastery, which has stood for several centuries. Some elements of the building have not been affected by time. Decorative details, roofing and steps do not violate the idea of wood durability. The secret is the salt. To stabilize wood at home, you will need to prepare electric stove and a bucket.
Using salt for stabilization
To prevent cracking and warping of wood, you need to prepare a tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water. Some masters use different concentrations. The wood will need to be boiled in salt water until the active release of foam stops. This will indicate that the material is ready.
Stabilization of wood at home next stage provides for drying of workpieces. They must be removed from the liquid and left at room temperature. If there is a stove, then the elements can be placed on top of the firebox. In just three days you will receive stabilized material.
Some craftsmen claim that the cherries will need to be dried for a very long time, sometimes this process takes up to 2 years. Stabilized wood and regular wood will differ in appearance. The part that was in the brine will darken a little. You can scrape and sand the surface. Color shades can be aligned. Wood sometimes takes on a pearlescent tint.
What happens during stabilization
After reviewing the information above, you were able to understand that the external appearance of the material changes after stabilization. If you are interested in what processes occur inside, then you can remember that wood is a mixture of ether-containing components, lignin and cellulose.
The first component of coniferous species is resin. Rosin and turpentine are made from it. As for grenadil, this ingredient makes up an oil with a specific taste and smell. If you want to understand why the material “relaxes” after stabilizing wood at home, you can imagine cellulose as reinforcement, while lignin becomes concrete.
Exposure to temperature will destroy the bond between these materials, as a result of which reinforced concrete becomes plastic. Internal tension will be relieved. Enough important role At the same time, salt plays. It makes the boiling point above 100 °C, which is enough to destroy the cell membranes of wood.
Main goals of stabilization
Stabilizing wood at home may be necessary to speed up drying many times over. This distinguishes the process from the natural one. Using this technique allows you to eliminate warping and eliminate cracks during and after drying. Wood acquires antiseptic properties and becomes more durable.
Description of the impregnating composition "ANACROL"
If you are looking for a substance for stabilization, then you should consider Anacrol-90. It is an impregnation mixture made from dimethacrylic polyester, which cures into a thermosetting polymer at a temperature of 95 °C.
The material is resistant to impact chemical substances type:
· alkalis;
· alcohols;
· antifreeze;
· petroleum products;
· transmission oils;
· dissolving salts;
· acid solutions;
· freons.
The main area of application of Anacrol-90 is the elimination of corrosion, sealing in micropores and microcracks of porous structures. The composition is compatible with sealing technologies, wet and dry vacuum, wet vacuum-pressure and dry vacuum-pressure methods. The size of microdefects can reach 0.1 mm.
The mixture includes a latent polymerization initiator, so the chemical properties are stable during long-term storage. The impregnation process can be easily controlled. Its duration and curing time are minimal. Stabilized wood can be subjected to hydro- and pneumatic tests, as well as pressure testing.
The composition is removed from the surface by washing in water. On environment harmful effects he does not provide. Wastewater is decomposed in treatment plants biological structures. In order to obtain stabilized wood, you will need to consume 3.5 g per kilogram of material, which is slightly more compared to the consumption liquid glass. Polymerization is non-shrinking, which guarantees high-quality sealing for the entire service life of the product.
Properties of liquid material
The chemical base is dimethacrylic polyester. Specific gravity reaches 1.10 g/cm³. In appearance, Anacrol is a mobile liquid that can have colors from light yellow to brown. Dynamic viscosity can be 15 mPa*s. Typical curing time at 95°C is 8 minutes.
Properties of the cured material
The cured material can be used in air at temperatures from -60 to +180 °C. Short-term exposure to temperatures can reach 200 °C. Without oxygen, the temperature range expands and ranges from -60 to +250 °C.
Instructions for use
The stabilization process with the substance described above includes two stages: impregnation and heat treatment. The impregnation method is selected depending on the type of wood you will be working with. The most accessible and simple technology is natural impregnation. The bars are immersed in a container with a substance, and the effect is carried out naturally due to the capillary effect.
Stabilization of wood with Anacrol at this stage takes up to 2 weeks. The tree stops absorbing the substance, after which the finished bars sink. It is recommended to monitor absorption using a scale, as some samples may not sink due to physical properties or the presence of closed pores. During this time, almost any tree will be soaked to its full depth.
Wood stabilization liquid can also be used for vacuum impregnation. A special camera is used for this. The bars are completely immersed in a container, which is sent to the chamber. Air is pumped out of it. Due to the abundance of oxygen coming out of the bars, the composition begins to boil. The process ends, and then the products are kept in this state for about 60 minutes. After returning atmospheric pressure The block is not removed, but remains in the liquid for another day.
Using birch sap
Stabilizing wood with birch sap is also quite popular. The technology remains almost unchanged. The composition must act on the material in a vacuum, and then the workpieces are exposed to a temperature of 90 °C. According to the principle of imported branded stabilizers, the substance is mixed with dyes. The composition is transparent. It is easy to dilute it with pigments that hardly change color.
Application of polymers
Buravit Expert acts as polymers for stabilizing wood. This one-component substance eliminates problems with dosing and mixing the activator. The composition is characterized by high penetrating abilities. After baking, it becomes harder and denser, allowing the stabilized bars to reduce moisture absorption.
“Buravit” for stabilizing wood has a transparent color. Its viscosity and density can be compared with the density and viscosity of water. The polymerization temperature reaches 90 °C. In the process, it becomes harder and denser. You can use the substance at home. It contains optical additives that highlight the structure of wood.
Finally
Wood without stabilization can change its structure and color over time, warp and become cracked. If you use it for interior decoration, this question is especially relevant. You can purchase stabilized material in the store, but it is much more expensive than regular, untreated material.
If you want to reduce drying time, stabilization is especially recommended. You can carry out such work yourself. For this purpose, the market today offers many solutions, among them various polymers and mixtures such as Anacrol-90 should be highlighted.
Stabilized (polymerized) wood is wood processed in a special way in order to improve its performance properties. Stabilized wood, compared to conventional natural wood, is resistant to fluctuations in temperature and humidity, has high density and hardness.
Stabilized wood is not affected by ultraviolet rays, technical oils, organic solvents, can withstand heating with an open flame up to a temperature of 250⁰C for a short time without external changes.
In addition, stabilized wood has an unusually beautiful appearance, easily processed as manually, and with the help various devices For machining(turning, planing, grinding, polishing).
Stabilized wood can have a natural wood color or be painted in one or more colors. It is noteworthy that during the stabilization process the wood undergoes complete through-processing (impregnation), so its coloring is also end-to-end in nature. Treated wood gives off the tactile sensations of the warmth of natural wood.
Stabilization, or as they also say, conservation of wood, is the impregnation of wood with special chemical compounds followed by forced drying, during which polymerization (hardening) of the impregnating substance occurs in the fibers and capillaries of the wood. To make stabilized wood, you can use different chemical compositions. It can be natural oils(linen, hemp, walnut, wood, etc.), various kinds of varnishes, paints, impregnations, polymers, resins. High-quality stabilization is a rather expensive and labor-intensive process, since to obtain the best effect it is necessary to create certain temperature conditions, vacuum, pressure level, etc.
For stabilization, wood with a pronounced fine texture and tint is used. Most often these are burls from trees such as maple, chestnut, elm, birch, as well as valuable wood species such as Karelian birch.
Properly manufactured stabilized wood turns out to be extremely beautiful and acquires unique wear-resistant properties.
What is stabilized wood used for?
Mainly, stabilized wood is used by craftsmen to make exclusive knife handles. self made. But it can also be used to make various exclusive crafts.
On the website in the Photo Gallery section you can see exclusive handmade knives that use stabilized wood made by me.
Today is an important day for us! Just yesterday we assembled it and today we will try it out. Along the way, we’ll look at the currently popular impregnations and answer the question: “How to stabilize wood at home?” Well, and most importantly, let’s get acquainted with the stabilization process “live”.
I’ll say right away that in order to stabilize wood it is not necessary to have a vacuum chamber and so on. related equipment. At the moment, it is easy to find sellers on the Internet offering modern polymer impregnations that independently and easily penetrate the pores of the workpiece. To stabilize in such solutions, it is necessary to immerse the workpiece in them and leave it... for 1.5-2 weeks (!). The only condition is that the wood must be sufficiently dry and the material itself sufficiently porous. Hard wood cannot be stabilized in this way.
We will check today if this is actually true. And we stabilize the walnut bars in two ways - using vacuum chamber and without. But if in the first case we will see the result today, then in the absence of vacuum equipment the result will have to wait.
So we come to the most important thing, namely a review of modern and popular polymer impregnations presented today on the Internet.
- "Anacrol"
This is an impregnating composition based on dimethacrylic polyester, which quickly polymerizes at a temperature of (95±5) ºС to form a thermosetting polymer. This composition was developed to seal micropores and microcracks, preventing internal corrosion in products made of ferrous and non-ferrous metals produced by casting or powder metallurgy.
However, high penetrating ability, non-shrink polymerization and the final properties of the resulting polymer, namely its high strength and chemical resistance, combined with operating temperatures from -60 ºС to +180 ºС, made a very interesting application Anacrol-90 and for stabilization/preservation of wood.
Website: http://www.a-germetik.ru/
- "100term"
This is a clear liquid stabilizing agent made from four thermosetting polymers with a simplified solid state reaction; a product created specifically for the highest quality stabilization of wood, horn and other natural materials.
100TERM is easy to use both within the walls of a professional laboratory and in an amateur workshop.
An effective non-toxic product for safe impregnation and stabilization (wood, textiles, paper, carbon fiber, fiberglass, leather, horn, fur, cones, corn leaves, etc.)
Website: http://100term.ru/
- "Buravid"
Polymer for wood stabilization. Private development. To be honest, we haven’t tried it at work yet. Implemented through the VK group, you can also see examples of stabilization based on Buravid there.
Website: https://vk.com/buravid
How else can you stabilize wood?
There are a lot of options. You can use:
- any oils that can polymerize: flaxseed, poppy seed, nut, hemp, acacia;
- natural wax: beeswax, carnauba;
- boiling in coniferous resin;
- varnishes, drying oil, epoxy resin.
All of the compositions listed above will answer your question: “How to stabilize wood at home?”
The process that we will consider below is based on vacuum impregnation with Anacrol impregnating composition, and is also suitable for impregnation with other polymers and natural oils.
Let's move directly to the stabilization process
How do we know that in both cases the stabilization process was successful?
- Firstly, in case of successful impregnation, the bars must be completely immersed in the solution, i.e. drown in it.
- Secondly, we will control the quality of impregnation by control weighing the bars before impregnation, after impregnation and after polymerization of the compositions.
- Thirdly, we will carry out the final stabilization process, namely drying and curing of the polymer different ways: in the oven and by cooking in boiling water.
- Fourthly, we will make products from the resulting material, namely knife handles, and see if they differ visually.
All results, as always, will be available in our regular section.
Go!
Our experimental material is four blocks of walnut. Input data:
- Bar No. 1: initial weight 122 g; stabilization in the composition of Anacrol (without dye); soaking in polymer without using vacuum equipment for 1.5 weeks; final process -
- Bar No. 2: initial weight 116 g; stabilization in the composition of Anacrol (without dye); soaking in polymer without using vacuum equipment for 1.5 weeks; final process -
- Bar No. 3: initial weight 112 g; stabilization with Anacrol (red dye) using vacuum equipment; final process - oven at 100 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours.
- Bar No. 4: initial weight 110 g; stabilization with Anacrol (brown dye) using vacuum equipment; final process - cooking in boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours.
Why do we weigh bars? Not only to understand that the wood has absorbed the composition. If you plan to engage in commercial stabilization, then by weighing the bar “before and after”, determine how much of the impregnating composition it has absorbed, thereby obtaining one of its cost values.
For our purposes we will use the same plastic containers, which we number in accordance with the markings of the bars.
Stage 1
- We immerse the bars from No. 1 and No. 2 in “Anakrol”
- Leave for 1.5 weeks.
