Sealing Spalted Hickory

[Andrew Hale]

I guess I’m on a roll today. Finally got around to processing a hickory branch that blew down a couple of years ago. I use branch loosely, as the base diameter was 35 inches. Lots of clean smaller blanks and some simply massive chunks of spalted wood. It still turns fairly easily with the addition of Minwax hardener or PC-Petrifier, so I’m having a little fun with it. Some of the chunks are starting to show checking and I’m not confident that I won’t get a heavy dose of absorption with Anchorseal. This is Pignut hickory and has relatively open pores, made more so by the softer spalting. Anyone tried this? I have a stack of spalted maple that I cut on the sawmill 10 years ago and the Anchorseal soaked in 3-4”. Not excited about repeating that here.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

Last summer I cut a chunk off of a hickory log. The piece I couldn't get to right away I coated all sides of it with some old oil base varnish I had, It sat outside for a couple months and didn't crack, then I rough turned it into a bowl and didn't have any problems. It was spalted but not as much as yours. How far does the Minwax wood hardner penetrate, I've been thinking of trying it for some spalted wood that is soft in some spots.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I turned some 200 year old hickory stair posts that was salvaged from an old building being torn down, that was some really hard dry wood.

 

[Andrew Hale]

Last summer I cut a chunk off of a hickory log. The piece I couldn't get to right away I coated all sides of it with some old oil base varnish I had, It sat outside for a couple months and didn't crack, then I rough turned it into a bowl and didn't have any problems. It was spalted but not as much as yours. How far does the Minwax wood hardner penetrate, I've been thinking of trying it for some spalted wood that is soft in some spots.

The Minwax seems to soak in fairly deeply, 1/4” or so. I try to get pretty close to my target shape, then soak it well and let it dry. It won’t prevent tear out completely, but will give you a fighting chance. It’s stinky stuff, and I don’t really like to breathe the dust, but it certainly helps.

 

[Andrew Hale]

I turned some 200 year old hickory stair posts that was salvaged from an old building being torn down, that was some really hard dry wood.

But so much much fun! I salvaged some beech beams a few years ago from a home built in 1852, just beautiful. Pretty sure the kids wandered off with the bowls……