Thread: My first attempt at making scales

Laburnum is a small European tree which is often used in woodturning. Since it is so small, there is no commercial access to the wood. Chances are your friend, or his friend, cut down the tree himself.

If the wood has been drying for years, chances are it is fine. If it is still wet, laburnum is likely to check or split, so you may have trouble.

The grain is usually straight, and the wood is fairly strong and hard. It is considered fairly dense and heavy, weighing in at around 50lb per cubic foot.

And stabilizing is a process where dry wood is treated with a liquid resin that hardens, essentially making the wood a plastic, almost impervious to water. A worthwhile but expensive process. The major benefit is that softer wood, like spalted woods, can now be cut and used like any regular hardwood. K&G and WSSI are two of the more popular wood stabilizing outfits in N.A\merica.

Best of luck,