This technology allows you to create unique materials with high technical and aesthetic characteristics. Let's find out how wood is stabilized at home, what compositions are needed for this, what technologies are used to carry out this operation.
Stabilization process: what is it?
This type of processing is nothing more than conservation. This is conservation, if only because the main goal of this process is to preserve the highest decorative and aesthetic properties of wood and at the same time increase strength and hardness.
Wood stabilization is the filling of the pores of the material with special compounds that can harden or have the ability to polymerize. Various oils, paints, polymers, resins are used as impregnations for such processing.
This is a rather complicated process, but if you approach it with maximum responsibility and follow all the steps described in the technology, then there is a chance to get very hard wood with an amazing pattern.
Stabilization Benefits
Stabilized wood differs significantly from ordinary wood in its properties and characteristics. After such processing, the density and hardness increase, the indicators of resistance to temperature and humidity changes improve. In addition, this material acquires a lot of other useful properties.
Stabilization of wood allows you to negate the susceptibility of the tree to the effects of ultraviolet radiation. Such a polymerized wood can withstand even short-term heating on an open fire without losing its unique characteristics. This natural material after processing by special technologies becomes impervious to various oils and organic solvents. And, finally, the most important thing that gives the tree the stabilization process is its magnificent decorative qualities. This wood is much lighter and easier to process.
Why stabilize a tree
Any type of wood, even durable and expensive, such as oak or, say, ash, is somehow affected by various destructive factors and influences. So, the tree is often worn out, when exposed to moisture it can deform, absorb moisture or dry out. Stabilization of wood helps to preserve and improve all the qualities of wood and prevent wear.
Polymerization Technology
In order to get quality material as a result, it will take a lot of time, finances and effort. It is especially difficult to obtain the desired temperaturemode, vacuum, as well as the required level of pressure, and without all these parameters, the stabilization of wood becomes impossible.
The first step is to choose the right material. Often these products will be further used for the manufacture of various decorative details, so you should choose only those rocks that have a beautiful and aesthetic texture. It can be hardwoods - birch, maple, elm, chestnut, Further, the selected pieces must be impregnated with various compositions. There are several types and methods of impregnation. So, for small thin workpieces, cold impregnation is suitable. Hot impregnation is also isolated - this is boiling or soaking the workpiece in a hot composition. When these compounds are heated, their consistency changes to a more liquid one and gets better penetrating power.
The vacuum method is also widely used - many people use it at home. So, the workpiece is placed in a special chamber, from which air is then pumped out. Together with it, the air contained in the wood comes out of the tank. Next, compounds are poured to stabilize the wood, which will very easily fill all its pores.
Another way to preserve wood is pressure impregnation. The composition is poured into the container and the workpiece is placed there. Then this container is placed in a special chamber, where excess pressure is created. As a result, air escapes from the workpiece, and the solution occupies all the pores.
Next is the polymerization process. Harvesting carefullydried at certain temperatures. There are some compounds that harden themselves. Stabilized wood becomes heavier, gets a more aesthetic appearance and color, acquires new properties.
But at the same time, wood fibers do not change their characteristics. They are, as it were, reinforcing, giving the entire workpiece an expensive and noble look.
Anacrol wood stabilization at home
This is a popular technology that is most often used to preserve wood at home. This technology provides for the presence of a vacuum installation. To assemble it, you need plastic containers, taps, pipes, as well as a compressor and a vacuum pump. All this is sure to be found in the garage of a home master. To control the pressure, a manometer is required. For drying, you can use an air grill or a powerful oven.
The blank can be a dry wood plate, let it be, for example, poplar. The prepared plate should be no more than 30 mm in thickness, and the length should not be large either. Anacrol-90 will be used as an impregnation. The size of the workpiece is chosen so that it is easier to impregnate.
First of all, the workpiece is placed in a container with the composition so that the solution completely covers it. Next, you need to create a vacuum in the flask until bubbles stop forming. Then you need to let the solution brew - it will take no more than 20 minutes. After that, in the flask it is necessary to create an excesspressure with pump and compressor. The pressure level should be from 2 to 4 atmospheres. Then they take a break of 30 minutes, and then the whole process is repeated again.
Repeat until the piece of wood starts to sink. When the bar has sunk, the process can be stopped. Now it remains only to dry a piece of poplar in the oven at a temperature of 100 degrees.
After drying, the workpiece will become much denser and will be much better polished. And if you add any dye to Anacrol-90, you can get a unique pattern. Also on sale you can find already colored composition.
Epoxy stabilization
The whole process is identical to the variant using Anacrol, however, epoxy resin diluted in alcohol for better fluidity will be used as the composition. The disadvantage of epoxy resin is that it polymerizes for a very long time, and in a vacuum it can even boil at all. But, despite all the difficulties and shortcomings, the result will exceed any expectations.
Today on sale you can find an imported polymer for stabilizing wood with different fluidity. The most liquid ones are great for this purpose.
Easy way to stabilize
This technology involves the impregnation of wood with oil. Linseed, hemp, walnut, even tung oil will do. At the same time, ordinary sunflower does not have the necessary qualities. The whole technology comes down to the fact thatthe workpiece is placed, say, in linseed oil for 10-14 days. But experts recommend using the vacuum method.
Stabilization technology from the masters of the Solovetsky Monastery
As you know, this monastery is built of wood. For centuries, some elements of the buildings of the monastery block have not been adversely affected by the atmosphere, moisture and time. Some details even violate all the laws of physics. But everything turned out to be very simple - it's s alt.
In order to perform the stabilization procedure using this method, you will need water and s alt. So, you need to prepare a bucket of water and a tablespoon of s alt for every liter. S alt must be dissolved in water, put the blanks there and cook for two hours. When the water stops foaming, the wood is ready. It remains only to dry the blanks.
