Thread: Strengthening Amboyna Burl

I bought a real nice piece of Amboyna Burl. It had the bark still on it. Because it was so close to the bark, there are some cracks that go down into the wood. The place I bought it from sold it as Acrylized, and I believe it is, but the cracks are still a weak spot. I am afraid that they will break under stress.
How can this be overcome? Should I soak them in Polyurethane? Should I make a coffer dam around them and pour in liquid epoxy, and let it seep down into the cracks?
Any ideas?

Im not sure there is a 100% guarantee cure for repairing the cracks. But I believe your best bet would be a CA finish (super glue) there is info in the wiki on how to do it. I found that Gorilla glue makes a super glue which works well and is more application friendly than some of the other brands I have tried. Good luck hope that helped
Reguards Tony

i only trust a few stablizers out there to handle my wood. that said if there were cracks in the wood no matter how good the stablizer they are not filled

i cut around the worst of the and then back fill with CA (this takes time )
also as you would guess not makeing the scales not as thin helps but can make them look chunky

I agree with filling with CA. I would also try to cut around the cracks. I personally stabilize all my own woods, but rarely ever risk going through the whole process on questionable wood. Another option is to back the wood. there have been some nice scales made from laminates.

-G

Use thin CA on the back (side that will be the inside of the scale) but you have to use thin CA. They make a thin, medium and thick, each has a different use. The thin CA will wick into the cracks and glue them together. I use an epoxy resin finish on all my burl wood. Makes them tough as nails.

I use un-stabilized burl for most projects, but the same applies: Use a liner. It helps tremendously and looks great.

Another tip I could throw out there is that CA, epoxy, poly-glues and pretty much all other adhesives will stick better if you can rough up the area a little by sanding and then THOROUGHLY degrease it. Degreasing is of prime importance with un-stabilized Amboyna burl as it tends to be a little resinous.

CA all your hairline cracks before you start wanting to bend the wood in any way, and make sure to let it cure a few hours before continuing work.

Finishes that work best to strengthen the burl: Thinned oils*, Water based polyurethane, Lacquer, CA, Epoxy, rub-in Polyurethane

Finishes to avoid: Wax, Brush-on polyurethane, Shellac**

*only applicable for un-stabilized stock. Using oil on properly stabilized burl is a waste of time because it will never penetrate. Usually used in conjunction with a protective top coat and may be easily colored with pigments or dies.

** Feel free to use as a barrier or wash coat, but don't expect it to perform well as a top coat. Shellac is not very tolerant of tension due to its inherently thin application.