I would like to turn some flyrod reel seat inserts from fancy burl (amboyna, afzelia, gmelia, kelat, etc) but am concerned about tear out. What should I use to impregnate the burl to avoid this problem? These are cured blanks intended for pen making.

I've turned a lot of fly reel seats, including some Amboyna and other burls from 'pen blank' stock, and I can't see a reason to stabilize the wood. I've also not encountered much tear-out with the dense burls (very sharp tools are a must, of course). I only use a 3/8' bore on a 3/8" mandrel, with a bit of masking tape to keep the blank very snug which keeps vibration to a minimum. The smaller than standard bore fits nicely on my 3-5 wts, so the finished wood is still relatively thick and stable. If the sanded seat is free of flaws/cracks, I finish with about 6 coats of (thin and med) CA. Also, once a fly seat is installed, it's effectively sealed from air and moisture at both ends and down the bore with the epoxy used to glue it to the blank and the end cap. Some of the spalted maples may be need some stabilization but most of those dense burls are fine as is. All I know is, I've not had any failures.

Wood is a dynamic medium which can undergo shape changes (warping is an example) before or after turning on a lathe (or running through a planer for that matter). Internal stresses are at play, and after turning the wood blank to round you offer the wood a chance to shift again. This seems especially true with burl wood, which is an odd conglomeration to start with. I recently turned and finished some red mallee burl and weeks later I can detect minor ripples here and there when I study the surface finish. Just the nature of the beast.

Stabilizing may help reduce shape changes after turning but there still is no guaranty. I turned an insert out of "stabilized" amboyna burl and the finished insert is now so distorted that I set it aside as an example of how extreme the shifting of energy in wood can be, even if it is stabilized.

As Jim pointed out keeping tools sharp is helpful, but if the particular wood you're turning is prone to tear outs, stop well short of your target diameter and sand to the final dimension.

Jeff

Not all stabilization processes are equal. I have pur'd on @#$%& some that were not done as I would like - not complete. Don't know why I keep looking there because the best source is Mike at Stabilization Specialists, Intl - just Google them.
My opinion is thaTyou have to use stabilized wood. To spend all that time building something and have it destroy itself does not make any sense to me. Especially around water - double especial around saltwater.
Herb

Gerald, I have had some peices just about finished and POW a blow out. Since then I have gone Very Very slow when reaching the final size. I have also gone to the practice of doing a "final" sharping on the wet stone when I get down there. I have also had a tip work out well for me. What ever finish you might use (true oil, turners oil) put a small amount on the piece as you take the last little bit off, the finish will act as a lube, sort of like shaving cream does when you shave your face. It has worked well for me and I have seen a difference.

If you are looking for stabilized blanks check out site sponcer and all around great guy, Steve at reelseatblanks.com (link right of here) he is very knowlegable and willing to help.