How or what would you guys use to stabilize say some bark. I have bark from the Punk Tree "Melaleuca quinquenervia". It was brought over here to Florida from Austria in 1800's and is considered an invasive species. It is plentiful in my area it has a very thick paper thin bark that is layered in paper thin like 20-30 sheets and sheds in thick pieces. I can see a very good possibility with it and it has a nice yellow grey good looking grain but is very spongy and unstable when it's dry it will crumble into dust.

I have been experimenting with soaking it in epoxy, varnish, tite bond & CA(krazy glue). I haven't really found the rite way yet. It looks really great off the tree but very unstable there's got to be a way. I need some of your wisdom. this could be a wonderful material if I can get it to work. There's got to be a way

Oh by the way I am getting some white birch in the next few days from a friend from N.J. where I grew up. I read a LOT on doing birch. It seems the beast way is tite bond layered, stacked and clamped. This didn't work well with the Punk Bark. But I haven't done any Birch either. So I will take all advise.


Remember your advise not only helps me but many others as well.

Bruce
I have a lot of time and little money and it all works out just fine GO FISHING <*)))))>{



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2007 12:04AM by Bruce Egolf.

you should probably look around supply places for wood turning. Many people turning wood season ad stabilie the wood themselves. For instance, [www.woodcraft.com] is one product. I've been away from wood for awhile, but I'm sure there are lots of sites and alternatives.

Superglue works well to harden porous surfaces, but does not go very far. Just an idea for somebody willing to experiment, but you could try thinning epoxy with acetone (there have been previous posts about proportioning this mix on the Board), the solvent might help penetrate the natural oils in the bark, and soak the bark well with the mixture. Any solvent that fails to evaporate will weaken the finished polymer, but in this application you do not need a tremendous amount of strength and it might be ok anyway. What you do need is a very, very thin adhesive that penetrates well. Some of the modeling cements might be worth a try as well. All I can say for sure is it could be a fun experiment!

Thanks for the ideas. The experiments I have performed so far(which take a long time and cost a lot I got a whole cabinet full of try this).

Any way that's experimenting. My problem seems to be like you said Adam penetration. I haven't found the rite combination yet. I can't get penetration the bark width is like tissue thick layered doesn't soak up the material I put on it.

I'll keep trying I think this bark is very unique like nothing I've seen and have good possibilities. It has a very nice color to it and grain if I could get it stable and retain the color. as it is raw it would just crumble to dust.

I'll take all ideas and any suggestions. Hopefully later I will get it and post some photos I'm not giving up that easily. I think this stuff could be something useful extremely light, plentiful and looks good. And it's legal to get in fact encouraged it's considered and invasive species.

Thanks for your help

Bruce
I have a lot of time and little money and it all works out just fine GO FISHING <*)))))>{

Another thought: try cutting your bark into the smallest possible strip from which you can still cut your rings and soaking them in a highly diluted solution of one of the cements that dry rather than cure along with, I still think, acetone. That way you might get a long enough soak time for the adhesive to penetrate between the bark layers. If you can carefully cut rings or squares (without the bark falling apart) before going into the soak it might even work better. Make sure you keep the acetone outside-- and also out of the hot sun or it will evaporate while you watch.