Thread: Need info from a woodworking expert

I went this route because my TI razor has buckeye burl scales, and they are solid. It seems I have some more research to do before I commit to this. Thanks for the input.

You have to be careful working with burl. The irregular grain pattern that gives it its beauty can also make it crack, break, and fly apart on you. Stabilizing it with a wood hardener, glue, epoxy, or whatever makes it workable with a lower chance of it breaking apart while working with it. For thin sections like razor scales, backing it with a solid veneer is a good idea.

Those TI scales look like they were stabilized with epoxy under pressure.

Check with the place you bought your burl from and see if it is stabilized and what type of stabilization it has.

Ok i asked him. So if it hasn't been epoxy stabilized, is that something I can do myself? Or is that the one you need a vacuum to do? Thanks again for the help.

Take my advice and use a liner with burl - whether stabilised or not. I read that stabilising increases density but does not increase the tensile strength a great deal. Using a veneer such as Wenge adds the linear grain strength that will help help the scales from cracking.

With pieces that size I would look for a reputable commercial stabiliser - there are articles on DIY stabilising if you search.

Originally Posted by UKRob

Take my advice and use a liner with burl - whether stabilised or not. I read that stabilising increases density but does not increase the tensile strength a great deal. Using a veneer such as Wenge adds the linear grain strength that will help help the scales from cracking.

With pieces that size I would look for a reputable commercial stabiliser - there are articles on DIY stabilising if you search.

+1 to the above. I do all my burl scales that way for added strength. Burls bend and break fairly easily in that thickness, even when stabilised. I like african blackwood for the backing, doesn't warp, and is a deep nice black color.

Based on this I'm going to wing it on my first set. I really like the look a lot better when there is no second layer. If it fails I'll be sure to do it with a liner, just personal preference.