# Finishing -- spalted hackberry



## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Ok guys and gals I could use some advice.
Last night I got to playing around with a piece of the spalted hackberry (mentioned in my other thread) and could use some advice on how to complete the piece. FF mentioned soaking his 'wet' turned projects in soap water or PEG so I'm curious if I should use that routine with this hackberry before I put a finish on it. It's been laying out since November but it sure feels very wet.
Also, if this thing is to used as a candy/nut dish should I just finish with mineral oil or BLO? Don't want to do anything which will contaminate food.

All advice is very much appreciated.


----------



## bill (May 21, 2004)

I would use mineral oil

I don't know about the soaking


----------



## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

I soak in PEG or 50/50 soap solution for 4 - 5 days. After soaking, I rinse off well and let air dry until very dry. May take a month or after a week or two, microwave for one minute then stop and do again after an hour or two. Keep doing this until completely dry then can finish piece. Trying to dry too fast can still promote checking, cracking or warping but drying slow after soaking, can give good results.

For finishing, most any finish is safe to use after cured.


----------



## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Thanks Slip........ I'll go with the soap solution since I don't have any PEG on hand and I best get it in the solution right away. 
We've been gone most of the day so I just checked a few minutes ago and it's already beginning to warp. What was about 8" round is now slightly oval...........lol


----------



## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

Very nice. Yes, I start soaking as soon as possible because it starts drying very quick depending on thickness of piece. Best of luck with it. I looks good.


----------



## 3192 (Dec 30, 2004)

Wow...that's looking good! Great grain pattern working. You might also want to put it in a large paper sack with a bunch of chips and put it on the shelf for several weeks and let air dry. I bet the chips were pretty coming off that wood! gb


----------



## bill (May 21, 2004)

very nice, I could see some different colored apples on it


----------



## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

Very nice piece.


----------



## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Very nice work Hooked !
I turn a lot of spalted wood. They are unique in that they start with a lot of water and end up drier and more porous that non spalted woods. I would expect a spalted platter to warp almost regardless of how you dry it, but I kind of like the effect. You can always true it back up after it's dried if you like. The important thing to know about that wood is when it's really dry, it will be very porous and will soak up a LOT of oil so use an oil that will not go rancid or spoil over time. I have also found that once it has soaked up a good bit of oil, it will not take a poly type finish unless you take the surface oil off with acetone. I have been having a lot better luck with a sealer type finish like Minwax 209 than an oil on this kind of wood. You can get it sealed and protected without getting it soggy/soaked. The sealer will dry hard and then you can protect it with a good poly or lacquer type finish. If you plan to actually serve food out of it, you may need to go with mineral oil or Butcher Block oil (same thing ?), but it will soak up so much of it, it will hold that smell for ever. I think a poly finish would be fine for a platter used to display apples etc&#8230;but I'm not a chemist !


----------



## Hooked (Oct 15, 2004)

Thanks for the info Richard. I have it soaking in the soap solution now so it'll be a while before I put the finish on now that I know what to expect. This will probably just be a little nut dish so using poly or lacquer shouldn't be an issue. Will have to see what my wife wants.....


----------



## Flat Fish (Jun 18, 2005)

Found this read on using PEG. Hey slip, where do you get this stuf?

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1972/mitch72a.pdf


----------



## EndTuition (May 24, 2004)

Flat Fish said:


> Found this read on using PEG. Hey slip, where do you get this stuf?
> 
> http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1972/mitch72a.pdf


They have PEG at Woodcraft. Saw it Saturday looking for Waterlox.
FYI, Waterlox is very expensive and I ended up passing. It was going to be $60 for a can of origianal and a can of Marine. Not ready to invest that much yet, but still interested.


----------



## Slip (Jul 25, 2006)

Flat Fish said:


> Found this read on using PEG. Hey slip, where do you get this stuf?
> 
> http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1972/mitch72a.pdf


FF, actually, I sometimes can get a small supply from a company that has samples from a chemical plant and are to be disposed of, so I get a supply from time to time and the stuff doesn't go bad for a while. The PEG that I get is not the same that you buy. I get PEG 500 and what you buy is PEG 1000. The difference is the 1000 comes in a frozen block and what I get is a liquid. Shipping PEG is safer with the 1000, so is preferred for sales. I havent' gotten any however in a while and hope my supply hasn't dried up or I will go back to using Soap which I did use for a while before I started with PEG.


----------

