# Heard something interesting



## slabmaster (Mar 30, 2008)

A friend told me there use to be an old cabinetmaker in his town that was well known for his furniture. He had a saw mill along with his shop which he used to cut 3" slabs(pine) then make a bath of antifreeze and soak the slabs. He said it drew out the moisture and the antifreeze soaked into the wood some and stabilized it. once air dried,the slabs never checked and he used it in tables as it came off the mill in one piece.Has anyone done something simular as this ?


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## mwhafner (Jan 16, 2009)

Check out the link below - 

http://owic.oregonstate.edu/pubs/peg.pdf

http://www.rockler.com/blog/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=7F49011C-1372-6771-F623DAC0E0A1171A

I have heard of using antifreeze to kill rot in wood, but not to stabilize it. 

PEG is only about $45 of 10lb, which should make about 4 gallons of solution.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I've read that it's very hard to get a good finish on anything soaked in PEG. Anti freeze would probably have the same problem. I'll just stick to turning wood the way I do now, now chemicals, soap, boiling or anything else, just turning.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

High grade denatured alcohol works well on end grain pieces of porous species, and doesn't interfere with the finish once dry. That's because 99.99% of the DA evaporates leaving no residue. But it can't penetrate dense long grain, and on long thick pieces like you're referring to it wouldn't be able to wick that far in from the long grain - at least I don't think it could but I have never soaked long thick slabs like that either to try it, so maybe it can? I've also never heard of the anti-freeze bath either but I don't see how it could penetrate any better than DA, in fact anti-freeze has a much thicker viscosity than DA. 

But seeing is believing for me so if it does work and someone can show me I'll change my tune. Let us know how it turns out.






.


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## djg (Dec 24, 2009)

I would have to disagree with the 2nd link posted above. Yes I would not use Ethylene Glycol because it is toxic. Care must be used to cover soaking troughs, etc since it will kill pets or birds drinking from trough. "They" say it has a sweet taste so the pets drink a lot. But I think Propylene Glycol, which is metabolized into non-hazardous chemicals would work as well as PEG. It's basically the same structure only a shorter chain. Same chemical properties. You have to remember Rockler sells PEG and not Prop. Glycol.

As to it's effect on stablizing wood, I don't have any experience. But it PEG works than I would think Prop. Glycol would too.

As for a finish, maybe a water base finish would work better since the glycols are water soluble compounds. Don't know for sure, but I would be interested in finding out if anyone has any experience. Oil based finish may just "float" on the surface like oil on water.


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