Stabilization of wood at home: compounds, technology

This technology allows creating unique materials with high technical and aesthetic characteristics. Let's find out how wood stabilization is carried out at home, what formulations will be needed for this, what technologies are used to conduct this operation.

Stabilization process: what is it?

This kind of treatment is nothing more than conservation. This is conservation, if only because the main goal of this process is to maintain the highest possible decorative and aesthetic properties of the tree and at the same time to strengthen the strength and hardness parameters.

Stabilization of wood is the pore filling of material with special compounds that can harden or have the ability to polymerize. As impregnations for such treatment, various oils, varnishes, polymers, resins are used.

This is quite a complicated process, but if you approach it with the maximum of responsibility and perform all the actions described in the technology, then there is a chance to get very hard wood with an amazing pattern.

Advantages of stabilization

Stabilized wood in its properties and characteristics is significantly different from ordinary wood. After such treatment, the density and hardness increase, the resistance to temperature and humidity drops improves. In addition, this material takes on a lot of other useful properties.

Stabilization of wood can reduce the susceptibility of the tree to ultraviolet radiation. Such a polymerized tree can withstand even brief heating on an open fire without losing its unique characteristics. This natural material after processing by special technologies becomes impenetrable for various oils and organic solvents. And, finally, the most important thing that gives the tree the process of stabilization is its magnificent decorative qualities. Such wood is much easier and easier to process.

Why Stabilize the Tree

Any wood species, even strong and expensive, such as oak or, say, ash, somehow experience the influence of different destructive factors and impacts. So, the tree often wears off, when exposed to moisture, it can deform, absorb moisture or dry up. Stabilization of wood helps to preserve and improve all the qualities of the tree and prevent its wear and tear.

Polymerization technologies

In order to get quality material as a result, it will take a lot of time, finances and forces. It is especially difficult to obtain the required temperature regime, vacuum, and also the necessary pressure level, and in fact, without observing all these parameters, stabilization of the wood becomes impossible.

The first step is to select the right material. Often, these products will be used for further production of various decorative details, so choose only those rocks that have a beautiful and aesthetic texture. It can be deciduous tree species - birch, maple, elm, chestnut,

Further selected pieces must be impregnated with various compounds. There are several types and methods of impregnation. So, for small thin blanks, cold impregnation is suitable. Also provide a hot impregnation - it is welding or soaking the billet in a hot composition. When these formulations are heated, their consistency changes to a more fluid one and gets a better penetrating power.

Also widely used vacuum method - at home, many people use it. So, the blank is placed in a special chamber, from which the air is then pumped out. Together with it, the air contained in the wood leaves the tank. Further, the formulations for stabilizing the wood are poured, which very easily fill all of its pores.

Another method of preserving wood is impregnation under excessive pressure. The composition is poured into the container and the workpiece is placed there. Then this container is placed in a special chamber, where an overpressure is created. As a result, air leaves from the preform, and the solution occupies all the pores.

Further - the process of polymerization. The workpiece is thoroughly dried 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 the wood fibers do not change their characteristics. They are, as it were, reinforcing, giving the whole workpiece an expensive and noble appearance.

Stabilization of wood "Anacrolom" at home

This is a popular technology, which is most often used for preservation of wood at home. This technology provides for a vacuum installation. To build it, you need plastic tanks, cranes, pipes, as well as a compressor and a vacuum pump. All this is sure to be found in the garage of the house master. In order to control the pressure, a manometer is absolutely necessary. For drying, you can apply aerogril or a powerful oven.

The workpiece can be a plate of dry wood, let it be, for example, poplar. The prepared plate should be no more than 30 mm in thickness, and the length should not be too large. As an impregnation, "Anacrol-90" will be used. The size of the blank 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, create a vacuum in the flask until the bubbles cease to form. Then it is necessary to give the solution to infuse it - it will take no more than 20 minutes. After this, it is necessary to create an overpressure in the flask using a pump and a compressor. The pressure level should be from 2 to 4 atmospheres. Then take a break of 30 minutes, and then the whole process repeats again.

Repeat until the piece of wood begins to sink. When the bar drowned - 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 billet becomes much denser and will be much better polished. And if you add some dye to "Anacrol-90", you can get a unique picture. Also on sale you can find already a color composition.

Stabilization with epoxy resin

The whole process is identical to the variant using "Anacrol", however, as the formulation, epoxy resin, diluted in alcohol for better fluidity, will be used. The minus of epoxy resin is that it will polymerize very long, and in vacuum it can even boil. But, despite all the difficulties and disadvantages, the result will surpass any expectations.

Today on sale it is possible to find the import polymer for stabilization of wood with various fluidity. The most liquid of them are perfect for this purpose.

Simple way to stabilize

This technology involves impregnating wood with oil. Suitable linseed, hemp, walnut, even tung oil. At the same time, ordinary sunflower does not have the necessary qualities. The whole technology boils down to the fact that the billet is placed in, say, linseed oil for 10-14 days. But experts recommend using a vacuum method.

The technology of stabilization from the masters of the Solovetsky Monastery

As you know, this monastery is built of wood. During the centuries, some elements of the buildings of the monastery block were not subjected to adverse effects of the atmosphere, moisture and time. Some details completely violate all the laws of physics. But everything turned out to be very simple - it's salt.

In order to perform the stabilization procedure using this method, water and salt will be needed. So, it is necessary to prepare a bucket of water and a tablespoon of salt for each liter. Salt must be dissolved in water, put the billets in there and cook for two hours. When the water stops to emit foam, the wood is ready. It only remains to dry the blanks.