Ways to stabilize wood at home. How to stabilize wood at home - methods and procedure of work Why do we need wood stabilization

Stabilization of wood is a method of processing, as a result of which a tree is given higher strength and improves its decorative qualities, while maintaining its natural pattern.

After processing, the wood receives:

• high density;
• Hardness;
• Resistance to changes in temperature and humidity of the environment;
• Complete immunity to ultraviolet rays;
• The ability to withstand brief heating by an open flame without losing its quality characteristics and without deforming;
• Impervious to various oils;
• Resistance to organic solvents;
• Gorgeous decorative properties- stabilized wood lends itself well to manual and mechanical processing.

This type of wood processing has a second name - conservation. This name is justified because the main goal of this process is to preserve the best decorative qualities of wood with increased strength and hardness. This effect is achieved by filling the pores with a special substance that has the ability to harden. Used as an impregnation different kinds oils, most often linen, as well as varnishes, paints, polymer impregnations and resins.

Due to the complete impregnation with the coloring solution, the stabilized wood is stained not only outside, but also inside. Coloring can be natural or using different colors.

To obtain a high-quality stabilized material, you will have to spend a lot of time, money and work hard. It is quite difficult to create the necessary temperature conditions, vacuum and a certain level of pressure at home, and without this stabilization will not be possible.

The first stage of work is the selection of the right material. Usually, wood with a beautiful texture and overflows is stabilized, in particular, these are burls of deciduous types of wood: birch, maple, elm, chestnut.

The next step is impregnation. Exist different types and impregnation methods:

• For workpieces of small thickness, cold impregnation is used;
• Hot impregnation is soaking or boiling in hot impregnating compounds. As you know, when hot, they acquire a more liquid consistency, fluidity and penetrating power increase significantly;
• Vacuum method - air is pumped out of the chamber into which the workpieces are placed, and the one that is in the wood itself comes out with it. Then a solution is poured, which easily fills the liberated pores and capillaries of the wood;
• Impregnation under the influence of excess pressure - a stabilizing solution is poured into a special container and the workpiece is placed in it. The container, in turn, is placed in special camera, and create in it overpressure. In this case, air escapes from the workpiece, and the solution takes its place.

Vacuum method

hot way

The final stage is polymerization. It is achieved by thoroughly drying the workpiece at a certain temperature. Some special formulations have the property of self-hardening. The treated wood becomes much heavier, its color changes significantly, and the new properties that it acquires as a result of processing are more like those of a polymer. However, wood fibers practically do not change their qualities, they reinforce the polymer composition, as it were, giving the entire workpiece the appearance of a noble tree species.

Uses stabilized wood to make unique crafts self made. It is very common to use such wood in the manufacture of knife handles, especially for exclusive options.

Methods for stabilizing wood at home

Stabilization using Anacrol-90

For conservation, an impregnating compound Anacrol 90 is required, which hardens at an air temperature of 90 degrees Celsius. First you need to collect vacuum plant, for which you will need: large plastic containers, taps and tubes, Vacuum pump and a compressor, as well as a pressure gauge to determine the pressure force. To dry the workpiece, you can use an oven, air grill or a special oven.

Stabilization of wood with Anacrol-90 with the addition of color pigment

As a blank, take a plate of dry hardwood, for example, poplar. The thickness of the plate is not more than 3 cm, the size should also not be large - our task is to completely impregnate this blank with anacrol, and with large sizes it is much more difficult to do this.

The process itself is as follows:

1. We place the workpiece in a flask with anacrol so that the entire workpiece is covered with a solution;
2. We create a vacuum until the moment when air bubbles stop being released;
3. We give the solution to settle for twenty minutes or a little less, and after that we create excess pressure in the flask. To do this, we use a compressor and a pump. The pressure should reach 2-4 atm;
4. We take a break for half an hour and repeat the whole process again.

According to the state of the workpiece, we look at how many times these actions need to be repeated. The end of the impregnation can be judged by whether the workpiece will sink in water or not. If it sinks, then the impregnation was successful.

Further processing consists in the complete drying of the workpiece, which for this we place in an oven with a temperature of 100 degrees. The dried workpiece does not contain wet spots.

As a result of such processing, our workpiece will become denser and will accept polishing much better. If colored pigment is added to anacrol, then an interesting colored pattern can be obtained. You can purchase colored types of anacrol, then you don’t have to conjure with pigments.

1. Process principle
2. Main advantages of processing
3. Epoxy resin treatment
4. oil impregnation

The technology is designed to create completely new materials with the desired characteristics. It is well known to craftsmen who often work with methyl methacrylate polymer and other bases that give wood strength. The article describes the intricacies of such a process.

Process principle

This processing method is a conservation that gives the tree endurance and high strength while maintaining the decorative qualities of the original material. Stabilizing wood means filling its pores with products that can polymerize or harden. These are paints, oils, resins and varnishes. The technology is complex, but if you strictly follow it and be careful, you can get strong and beautiful wood that is resistant to negative factors. Decor items made from it will serve their owners for many years without losing their properties.

Processing Benefits

Preserved wood outperforms untreated wood in decorative and technical specifications. Its structure becomes dense, resistance to temperature fluctuations and humidity increase, properties are added that extend the operational period of products. The stabilizing composition makes the material inaccessible to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. In the case of a short contact of wood with an open fire, the wood stabilization polymer retains all its characteristics unchanged.

Material of natural origin after processing is not impregnated with oil and becomes impervious to organics and solvents. Preservation shows the decorative qualities of lumber, it becomes much easier to work with it. Valuable and durable rocks tend to age and collapse over time. Oak or ash are deformed, dry out or, conversely, swell from dampness, and a stabilized tree is reliably protected from wear, which is due to polymers.

Technological stabilization process

To properly stabilize natural material and to get the desired result, you will need a special approach, albeit at home. First of all, it is necessary to ensure the temperature regime, pressure level and vacuum. The master will need components for the preparation of a stabilizing composition or a finished product - anacrol or methyl methacrylate.

Very often blanks are used for the production decorative elements and souvenirs, therefore Special attention is given to the texture with a beautiful natural pattern. From hardwood wood: chestnut, birch and maple - they make caskets, knife handles, figurines, furniture details.

Stabilization of wood at home begins with the impregnation of pieces of material with methyl methacrylate. There are several types and technologies of impregnation. A workpiece of small thickness is impregnated by a cold method. During hot impregnation, the workpiece is boiled or soaked in a heated composition. When heated, the consistency of the products changes, the impregnation becomes more liquid - its penetrating ability increases, and this is what is needed.

The vacuum stabilization method is also used. The workpiece is sent to the chamber, from which the air is pumped out according to the technology, including the one that is in the material. Then methyl methacrylate or other agents of a similar action are poured in, penetrating deep into the pores of the natural material.

Wood is preserved by pressure impregnation. The workpiece is dipped into the agent and sent to the chamber together with the container. Under pressure, air is squeezed out of the pores, and the solution fills its place.

The main technological condition required during stabilization is the strengthening of wood fibers - polymerization. For the workpiece, the temperature regime at which it is dried is maintained. There are products on the market that not only harden themselves, but also give the material the desired shade. The material is, as it were, reinforced, becomes more massive, acquires a noble color and improves performance.

Phased processing of wood "Anacrol"

The popular Anacrol agent is included in the vacuum preservation technology. To properly assemble the vacuum unit, the master will need plastic containers, pipes and taps. You will need a vacuum pump and compressor. These two units are the main elements of a homemade system.

Pressure control is carried out using a pressure gauge, and as a drying oven with high power and even an air grill is allowed.

It is better to start with a small piece of well-dried deciduous wood to make it easier to work with. The thickness of the workpiece should not exceed 30 mm. The length is chosen small.

The workpiece is completely immersed in the composition, poured into the flask. Then vacuum conditions are created in it until the formation of air bubbles stops. Now you need time to insist, about 20-30 minutes. Then an excess pressure of 2–4 atmospheres is created in the flask. To do this, include a compressor and a pump. The tree is allowed to “rest” for about half an hour, and the process is repeated until the workpiece begins to sink.

At the end, it is dried at 100 ˚C. After

oil impregnation

If methyl methacrylate or epoxy resins are not suitable for you, you can make the process simple by applying hemp, flax or walnut oil. Their protective property is not so pronounced, it is better to use a vacuum installation to enhance it, although you can do without it by immersing a piece of wood in oil for a couple of weeks. If you plan to stabilize the tree yourself in order to make a decorative piece out of it - a carved flower or a figurine, read detailed description process, you can watch a thematic video to consolidate the information.

Hmm... this topic interested me when I started to make a knife... or rather a handle for a knife. I doubt, of course, the academic character of this term. For example, in an article about wood bending, he used the phrase "wood stabilization" in a different sense - as the ability of a wood structure to restore its physical and Chemical properties after exposure to temperature, solvents (in the broad sense) and physical influences that temporarily change the plastic properties of wood. So in that article it was more about stabilizing the curved shape ... and the article got to the top on the topic of this article.

Agree that when you get articles on a specific request that do not match the request, you begin to get annoyed either with the algorithms of search engines, or with the authors of such materials. Therefore, in order for site visitors to learn something useful, I will write what I know about this. Review article ... in some places.

So under wood stabilization most understand the result of a kind of "preservation" of wood, in which it operational properties improve exponentially.

Wood can be preserved or stabilized with different materials:

Impregnation with hot linseed oil (environmentally friendly and "food" option);

Impregnation with various exotic natural oils, for example, poppy, walnut, hemp, white locust, lalemancy, pine and spruce seed oil, elderberry, woody (tung), perilla, niger ... (all oils listed in the article completely polymerized, i.e. become hard ... for comparison, sunflower oil does not polymerize)

Digestion of a tree in resin (coniferous resin);

Chelyabinsk sleepers are so harsh because they are impregnated with coal oil;

Impregnation with wax, both natural and with artificial additives;

Impregnation with artificial compounds, which, when dried, form solid material, for example, varnishes, paints, impregnations, drying oils, liquid plastics (polymers) ...

One of these days I will combine natural "stabilizers": linseed oil, beeswax (an excellent antiseptic) and carnauba wax (the most brilliant, hard and refractory) for impregnation cutting board*** for food products. I will melt the waxes in a water bath in linseed oil and soak them hot.

On the left, granulated purified beeswax, on the right, carnauba wax plates (feel like brittle plastic).

The essence remains the same - a preservative substance is introduced into the pores and cells of the wood, which can react with the "wood" and / or which polymerizes by itself.

It is possible to conditionally divide the wood stabilization technology into two major stages:

impregnation process and

polymerization process.

You can soak in the following ways:

Cold impregnation (suitable for small and thin workpieces);

Hot: soaking/cooking in hot formulations, which tend to be more fluid when hot and polymerize better;

In a vacuum way (the wood is placed in a chamber from which air is pumped out, it also comes out of the pores of the wood ... and is filled with a preservative composition that penetrates well into them);

Under pressure (the wood is placed in a chamber and in a stabilizing composition, and excess pressure is applied ... under pressure, the air in the wood practically disappears in volume, and a preservative composition takes its place in the pores).

polymerization process both pressure and temperature can help. For example, when bamboo is treated with heat, the sugar it contains caramelizes, giving the bamboo wood new and improved properties and Brown color different shades.

Wood that has undergone a stabilization procedure is usually:

Heavier at times;

It has a different color, depending on the technology and materials used (for example, green pores);

It has stabilized physical and chemical properties of the polymer, reinforced with wood fibers, which change little under the influence of adverse conditions.

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Anacrol-90, is an impregnating composition based on dimethacrylic polyester, which at a temperature of (95 ± 5) ºС quickly polymerizes to form a thermosetting polymer. This composition was developed to seal micropores and microcracks, prevent internal corrosion in ferrous and non-ferrous metal products obtained by casting or powder metallurgy. Wherein sealing process happens inside metals, no film is formed on their surface, excess composition is removed by dipping into water (15-25 ºС).

However, high penetrating power, non-shrinking polymerization and the final properties of the resulting polymer, namely: its high strength and chemical resistance, in combination with operating temperatures from -60 ºС to +180 ºС, made it very interesting application Anacrol-90 and for wood stabilization/preservation.

stabilized wood

Preserved wood, by itself, is very interesting material. Processed Anacrol-90 wooden blanks become an order of magnitude stronger (they perfectly hold dynamic loads), resistant to various biological damage, moisture resistant, not susceptible to ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes, and most importantly .. they acquire a completely different appearance. By stabilizing wood, you not only improve its physical and chemical properties, make it much more durable, but also highlight and emphasize the structure of the tree itself, its unique beauty that people love and appreciate so much. To enhance the effect obtained, you can use dyes of various colors, which will make your product more unique and attractive.

The undoubted advantage of stabilized wood is that many soft wood species, which are not suitable for many types of processing, but at the same time have an unusually beautiful pattern and texture, become hard and suitable for creativity after stabilization.

Also, stabilized wood is perfectly processed: there will be no chips, cracks, delaminations, and when polished - “hairiness”. And, of course, the high quality of the “gloss” that appears during grinding and polishing.

And most importantly, stable Anacrol-90 wood, according to sensations, remains the same tree, and not a piece of a “frozen” polymer.

Methods for stabilizing wood with Anacrol-90

wood stabilization process, Anacrol-90, includes two stages: impregnation and subsequent heat treatment. Now, in more detail about each of them.

*The information provided below is a generalized experience of people who have been impregnating wood for more than a year, have achieved excellent results and shared their experience on the forums: http://popgun.ru and http://forum.guns.ru.

Requirements for blanks for stabilization

Before proceeding to the description of the stabilization process, let me remind you of the requirements that must be made to wooden blanks in order to obtain a quality result. The impregnation process is the process of solution penetration (in our case Anacrol®-90) into the pores of the material, respectively, if the pores are “closed” (with water, resins, salts), the composition will not penetrate into them, and if they are too large (about 0.5 mm), then they will not “keep” there.

The main requirement: the tree should be as dry as possible. The recommended thickness of bars - no more than 40 mm.

Impregnation

The impregnation method can be chosen depending on which tree you will work with and how much time you have to process it. There are three ways in total, let's start with the simplest and most affordable.

"Natural impregnation"- in this case, wood bars (Karelian birch, bog oak, porous burl, etc.) are immersed in a container with Anacrol®-90(whole, for this you can use the "load"), while the impregnation is carried out in a natural way, due to the capillary effect. The process takes 1.5-2 weeks, the tree stops absorbing the composition and the “ready” bars sink. However, "absorption" is best monitored using a balance, since some samples may not "drown", due to physical properties the tree itself or the presence a large number"closed" pores. During the specified time, almost any tree is impregnated to the full depth.

The undoubted advantages, in this case, are the simplicity of the process and the almost complete absence of equipment costs, the minus is the impregnation time.

"Vacuum impregnation"- for this method of impregnation, you will need a vacuum chamber (we will consider its options below). Blocks of wood are completely immersed in a container with Anacrol®-90 and are placed in vacuum chamber. Next, we pump out the air, while the composition, due to the abundance of air coming out of the bar, begins to “boil”. We are waiting for the end of the “boiling” process, after which, in a vacuum, we withstand the bar for another 30-60 minutes. We return the atmospheric pressure and, without taking out the bar, we maintain it in Anacrol-90 one more day.

The impregnation time is reduced to one day, while the requirements for a vacuum installation are not high, as are the costs for it, however, best result, gives the following method.

"Vacuum impregnation using overpressure"- this method, due to the initial cost of a vacuum installation, is the most expensive, but it allows you to quickly and efficiently obtain stabilized wood, even "hard" species. So:

1) Blocks of wood, completely, are immersed in a container with Anacrol-90 and placed in a vacuum chamber.
2) We pump out the air (the residual pressure is about 0.015-0.025 atm.), The composition begins to “boil”
3) We are waiting for the end of the “boiling” process and keep the bars for 15-30 minutes.
4) We release the vacuum to atmospheric pressure, after which we create excess pressure (about 4-5 atm.)
5) Withstand 30 minutes and release the pressure to atmospheric.
6) We repeat the points, from the 2nd to the 5th, two to three times.
7) We control (by weighing) the impregnation of the bar (often it simply “sinks”).

Important! After impregnation, do not remove excess solution with a rag, napkin, etc., Anacrol-90 has a high penetrating power, so when you try to wipe it, it will "leave" in a rag.

And do not forget, initially, the composition was developed for metal impregnation, which allows (if necessary) to process metal / wood products (the same knives) as an assembly. Excess composition is removed from the metal surface by dipping into water (15-25 ºС).

Composition curingANACROL-90 (heat treatment)

Heat treatment of blanks can be carried out in two ways:

1) in boiling water(or industrial oil) - the impregnated blanks are tightly wrapped with a stretch film (food film) and placed in hot (boiling) water (95 ± 5) ºС, where they are kept for about 1-2 hours (for metal products: 20-30 minutes, without film).
2) In the drying chamber(for example: furnace, oven) - impregnated blanks are placed in an oven heated to 120-140 ºС. Highly porous (loose) wood must be wrapped, for example, in a baking bag, this procedure is necessary to prevent the leakage process Anacrol-90. Drying lasts from 2 to 4 hours, the process ends when the tree stops "soaring" and there are no wet spots.

Important! In case of violation of the temperature regime (for example: the blanks were placed in an oven heated to 90-95 ºС), the polymerization process will not occur properly, the composition will be like “rubber”. If in the future you try to correct the situation and subject the workpieces to repeated heat treatment, this will lead to nothing, the composition will remain the same.

Application of dyes

For coloring Anacrol-90, fat-soluble dyes are used (in our company, dyes of five colors can be purchased: red, yellow, green, blue, black). To obtain other colors, it is recommended to mix the dyes until dissolved in the composition.

• The dosage of dyes is approximately (0.001 - 0.1) g per 1 kg Anacrol-90, no more, otherwise the whole mass will be dark and not penetrating light!
• For testing, you can add dye to the tip of a knife half the size of a pinhead.
• Add the selected dye to the desired saturation in portions of 0.01 g of dye per 1 kg Anacrol-90.
• Stir with a drill with a nozzle for at least 5-10 minutes after each addition of a portion of the dye.
• Dyes can be mixed with each other, getting the desired shade.
• When packing and mixing the dye, wear gloves, goggles and a respirator!
• Harmful for breathing, avoid drafts (so as not to scatter around the room)!
• It is almost impossible to wash dyes from clothes!
• Hands and face can be washed with alcohol or acetone.
• Store the dye in a closed plastic bag without air (so that moisture does not get in) at normal temperature.

Important! The amount of dye added affects the stabilization process, the more dye is added, the higher the temperature in the drying chamber should be.

Vacuum options

In this section, we will focus on options. makeshift installations for wood impregnation using vacuum and overpressure.

The simplest, most accessible and in an inexpensive way will purchase, for example, the following kit:

SLUM (a jar with a lid from the IKEA store) and the VAKS system (vacuum canning device), which includes: a vacuum canning pump HVR-3 and KVK-82 lids. The price of a can this moment, is about 150 rubles and, somewhere, 350 rubles - the VAKS system.

To create a vacuum, you can also use a special container: a desiccator (with a tap). The price (depending on the manufacturer, material, size) varies from 1500 to 13000 rubles.

The next "most popular" are housings from AQUAPHOR filters. The design of the housing allows you to create both a vacuum and an overpressure without any modifications. For this, the wiring in their upper part is “ideal”. The price, depending on the size, varies from 5000 to 11000 rubles. However, the case is only part of the installation. To create a vacuum and excess pressure, you will need: a vacuum pump, a compressor and a “body kit” (fittings, hoses), as well as pressure control devices (for example: an RGGL pressure and vacuum gauge).

Vacuum pumps- there are many options here, we can offer the following as budget ones: vacuum pump Z 1.2 B Mini (VPBW-1S) - price from 1500 rubles; vacuum pump Z-1.5 (VPA 115) - price from 2200 rubles; vacuum pump VE115N (pr-l: VALUE) - price from 3200 rubles.

Compressor- you can use automobile ones (Vitol KA-U12050 "Hurricane" - price from 1200 rubles; Kachok K90 N - price from 1500 rubles, etc.), however, in order to connect them to the 220V network, you need one more device: a Dayton 220V - 12V converter with a cigarette lighter socket 15A (price about 4000 rubles

If there is a desire to save money (including on electricity), then as a universal device (replaces both a vacuum pump and a compressor), you can use Komovsky vacuum pump- this device can still be found on sale, the price is from 4000 rubles. This device allows you to create a vacuum and overpressure just in the range we need.

Examples already assembled installations can be viewed on the forums http://popgun.ru (in the topics: “wood stabilization option”, “and again stabilization / drying of wood”)

Important! For more economical use of the impregnating composition Anacrol®-90, as well as in order to increase the service life of the housings of your installations (for example, plastic housings from filters are destroyed when in contact with Anacrol®-90) we recommend using additional containers (for example: plastic bottles from drinking water). These containers are filled Anacrol®-90, wooden blanks are stacked, after which they are placed in a vacuum chamber.

Applications industrial installations we did not consider, because, firstly, they have a rather high price (a vacuum chamber costs about 60,000 rubles, a pump-compressor - from 20,000 rubles) and secondly, anyway, in order to use this equipment for stabilizing wood, it is necessary will be improved.

Anacrol-90. Storage conditions. Safety requirements.

Storage

Anacrol-90, to prevent spontaneous polymerization, it is necessary to store without access sunlight, at temperatures from +5 ºС to +25 ºС (short-term, up to +35 ºС).

Temperature during transportation: from -40 ºС to +35 ºС.

During storage, contact is not allowed Anacrol-90 with metals or the ingress of particles of metals or alloys into the container of the manufacturer with an impregnating composition. Anacrol-90, poured into a working container or container during use, must be stored separately, because when it is drained back into the manufacturer's container, dirt can get into it and polymer is formed, which will make the composition unsuitable for further use. Warranty period of storage - 1 year.

Safety requirements

During storage and operation, the composition Anacrol-90 does not highlight harmful substances at concentrations harmful to the human body. In accordance with the classification according to GOST 12.1.007, the impregnating composition Anacrol-90 refers to low-hazard substances of class 4.

Anacrol-90 not explosive, but it burns when brought into a fire source. Close to work place Anacrol-90 open flames, sources of sparking are not allowed. Work must be organized in compliance with the requirements fire safety according to GOST 12.1.004 and PPB 01-03.

Extinguishing media: air-mechanical foam, carbon dioxide, powders or sand. It is not recommended to use water-foam products and water. When extinguishing large spills, use foam, PSB-3 powder; for small foci - carbon dioxide, PSB powder.

Renderingfirst aid in emergency situations

When exposed to inhalation Anacrol-90- fresh air, peace, warmth.

With oral exposure (ingestion) - drinking plenty of water, activated charcoal, saline laxative. When hit on skin and in the eyes - remove contaminated clothing, wash skin with soap and water, and rinse eyes with plenty of water. In all cases, next, seek medical attention.

P. S.

I would like to add that in order to obtain a high-quality and stable result, it is necessary to follow the stabilization technology and everything is important here: what kind of wood you are impregnating, the size of the blanks and their quality, the amount of dye added, the time and conditions of impregnation, temperature conditions followed by grinding and polishing.

These are subtleties, but they are usually kept secret, and they provide a quality result.

Good luck with your exciting business!