How is wood stabilized?

[hivel37]

Pardon my ignorance, when a wood is
spoken of as “stabilized”, what is meant?
And what is the process?
Thanks in advance.

 

[K Harris]

The scales are placed in a container that can be pressurized with the sealer. Air pressure is applied, and that pushes the sealer into the wood.

 

[walter o]

I was under the impression that they were placed in a vacuum to draw out the air in the wood and that allowed the chemical to penetrate into the wood

 

[hivel37]

Thanks for that. I had read somewhere that
a vacuum process was involved. My aged brain was stuck.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I was under the impression that they were placed in a vacuum to draw out the air in the wood and that allowed the chemical to penetrate into the wood

That's the process also for treated lumber.

 

[BC38]

That's the process also for treated lumber.

Yup, treated lumber is a form of stabilized wood. I believe stabilization processes pretty much all start the same way.
1) Put the wood in a tank
2) Create a vacuum in the tank,
3) allow sealer flow into the tank,
4) the wood "sucks up" the sealer as the sealer flowing into the tank relieves the vacuum
5) when the vacuum is zero
6) apply air pressure to further force more of the sealer into the wood if so desired.
I could be wrong, it certainly wouldn't be the first time.

 

[rockquarry]

Is it ever really stabilized? What about humidity/moisture causing a rifle stock to temporarliy distort and put pressure on a barrel? This often affects the established zero as well as accuracy.

 

[BB57]

Is it ever really stabilized? What about humidity/moisture causing a rifle stock to temporarliy distort and put pressure on a barrel? This often affects the established zero as well as accuracy.

Ideally, a stock will be partially cut to shape and then allowed to age for a year or two in a climate controlled environment to allow the moisture content to stabilize. Then it will be inletted, finish sanded and then finish applied inside and out to seal the stock.

That, along with a free floated barrel channel will prevent a change in zero in all but the largest humidity and temperature swings. Glass bedding the action, with ideally 1/8” - 1/4” of glass along the sides and under the action, will further stiffen the stock around the action and prevent a change in zero.

The problem is waiting a year or two for the stock blank, or better yet the duplicated stock, to fully age and stabilize isn’t cost effective for most gun makers.

—-

Laminated stocks are however much more stable as they use multiple layers of wood with opposing grain patterns bonded together under pressure with glue. Laminated stocks are in fact about 50% glue by weight. Assuming they are sealed with a finish the stock isn’t going to cause a change in point of impact.

 

[walter o]

My use of stabilized wood is in making hand gun grips . I can use stabilized wood that is too soft or for better term rotten -but with beautiful color and figure into excellent strong grips that will last a lifetime of use.The drawback is that it feels like plastic to me