Spalted Maple

[Jeff]

I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable. Thanks.

Jeff T.

[John Girouard]

Depending on the size of the area, CA glue (aka SuperGlue) might do the trick.

-John

[Woody]

Jeff:

Assuming you're trying to stabilize dark spalting, you can try adding a tinted epoxy to the spot. Another option is to use cyano-acrylate (super glue) on the area to stabilize it.

~Mark.

[Toller]

I have only used spalted maple once, so I don't qualify as a expert, but I applied BLO and applied BLO and applied BLO ad infinitum; it drank it up like a sponge. Came out great and quite stable.

[George]

I would assume (yep) that he's trying to stabilize the white areas, which, as they are the ones which have lost lignin, are the soft ones, rather than the stained darker areas. Minwax and others make "stabilizers" if you're looking for commercial products.

Turners use CA - hot and fast - somewhat unpredictable, shellac, or lacquer to stiffen the fibers. I'm going to doubt that BLO will ever be even as tough as the spalted wood, since a cured oil can be easily rolled off an impervious surface with a fingernail. Now if it had a high phenolic or urethane resin content, perhaps, but the others are faster and darken less.

[Toller]

The piece in question is a cover to a letter box, right next to my desk here. When I bought it, it was like balsa wood; now it is more like hard maple. It is also twice the weight.

[Andrew Barss]

Jeff wrote: : I have a piece of maple with very heavy spalting. It is rather soft in : spots. Is there a way to stabilize the wood to make it more durable. Thanks.

Try the product here:

's a thin, penetrating epoxy that was originally developed for repaiing rotted wood in boats.

Several people have suggested using CA glue. Be careful -- there have been several reports on rec.crafts.woodturning of spalted maple combusting after being loaded up with CA glue.

-- Andy Barss

[Jeff]