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To start it is good to have friends.
One of the gents I have made friends with here who is in the local blacksmith group dropped by something cool yesterday. He brought me over a chunk off a maple stump that had spalted. It is a good size piece and has great ghosting threw out. There is plenty to make several pair of pistol grips once i learn how to stabilize it. Think this will look great on my Vaquero and my 1858's
Anyone have any idea how to stabilize this stuff?
Oh here are some pic's.
This one is for scale the shovel is an E tool for size.
Jeremy
GySgt USMC Ret
To err is human, To forgive is devine, Neither of which is Marine Corps policy Semper Fidelis
Jeremy, this is where Carey at CLC grips gets his wood. I know so because he refered me to them. I think the owners name was Mark or Mike, I can't remember but he also fullfilled a custom order for me in stabilized CA Buckeye for my 1911 Kimber. I sent the stabilized blanks to Esmeralda O'Sheehan who cut them for me. Perhaps you can call WSSI and see if they would stabilize the wood for you. I believe to do it well requires a high pressure vacuum chamber but perhaps not. Here's the link:
This is stabilized Spalted Karillian Birch if memory serves. Its been so long, I might be wrong. Carey at CLC sent me multiple blanks to look at and let me choose from. He's a very professional and nice fella.
And this is the Ca Buckeye. I wanted a sample that had more black and blue and less yellow in them.
Stabilized wood does weigh a bit more then the wood in its natural state as your turning it into a chunk of pretty acrylic really, but its well worth it because of the duribility and exotic woods you can use that otherwise would be too soft.
That wood block you have is worth some money friend!
-Tutt
"It ain't dead! As long as there's ONE COWBOY taking care of ONE COW, it ain't dead!!!" (the Cowboy Way)
-Monte Walsh (Selleck version)
"These battered wings still kick up dust." -Peter Gabriel
I didn't realize there was a use for that wood . It doesn't burn worth a hoot ,so I usually throw off to the side . I'll have to bring in a piece next time I'm cutting firewood. Those grips are pretty cool!
That second link sounds the most promising. Do you have a vacuum packing machine by chance? A lot of them have attachments for a jar that might also work to create a vacuum.
-Tutt
"It ain't dead! As long as there's ONE COWBOY taking care of ONE COW, it ain't dead!!!" (the Cowboy Way)
-Monte Walsh (Selleck version)
"These battered wings still kick up dust." -Peter Gabriel
How much of a vacuum would you need? I know a guy that used to sell vacuum cleaners that showed me a technique for cleaning couch cushions by putting them in a heavy grade plastic bag and putting the hose in the open end and turning it on.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
The guy in the second link I posted was just using the vacuum created by the cooling mason jar. So if using a similar techniques as he did my food saver should be more then enough.
Jeremy
GySgt USMC Ret
To err is human, To forgive is devine, Neither of which is Marine Corps policy Semper Fidelis
Interesting links and beautiful finished grips on them, but nowhere did I see a description to explain what exactly "spalted" means...?
It looks like what I see sometimes in the firewood just before dry-rot sets in, and I always figured it was some kind of mineral deposit or pigment left by fungus of some sort.
What really is "spalting"...?
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws "first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
