Has anyone used Paraloid b72 for wood preserving/hardening? What do you think of it? Any tips for using it? I need something to use on my apple and this stuff seems like its would work well and I like that it isn't shiny.
Paraloid b72
- Thread starter GailC
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Pangsai
Seedling
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H
Hi... Hows the result?
@Pangsai
Since I've not used any other hardeners, I can't compare it to what is normal or acceptable. It was easy to work with, soaked into the wood very well and didn't seem to have any adverse affects on the tree.
It did however, turn whitish after a season so I don't know how water proof it was or how well it would work long term. I lost the tree last summer and stupidly, didn't cut it open to see how deep it penetrated. I should have tossed it to the side and let it weather for a few years. I do have another plant with a lot of deed wood I need to treat.
Since I've not used any other hardeners, I can't compare it to what is normal or acceptable. It was easy to work with, soaked into the wood very well and didn't seem to have any adverse affects on the tree.
It did however, turn whitish after a season so I don't know how water proof it was or how well it would work long term. I lost the tree last summer and stupidly, didn't cut it open to see how deep it penetrated. I should have tossed it to the side and let it weather for a few years. I do have another plant with a lot of deed wood I need to treat.
hemmy
Omono
I used it in museum conservation settings and on fossils. But it would whiten when in contact with moisture and I’m not sure of its UV stability. It was removable with acetone which makes it popular in conservation uses. What solvent did you use to dissolve the beads?
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
If it whitens in contact with water, it's probably because the polymer/hardener or the solvent has a low solubility in water, which breaks the polymer chains causing them to refract light differently. Redissolving it should fix the issue. If that doesn't work and it always turns out white, make sure your acetone is anhydrous (without water). In a pure form, acetone attracts water from the air. Bake some Magnesium sulphate (is that epsom?) in the oven for an hour to get it crispy, then throw it in your bottle of acetone. Every gram of MgSO will take out roughly half it's weight of water. I keep my acetone anhydrous that way. But also make sure that your wood is completely dry since the hardener will push out water, where it will mix with the acetone and create a whitish film.
Acetone and plants don't go well together though. The fumes alone can destroy your foliage. Acetone is a solvent we regularly use in chlorophyll concentration tests.
Acetone and plants don't go well together though. The fumes alone can destroy your foliage. Acetone is a solvent we regularly use in chlorophyll concentration tests.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
And tanning extraction. Spent waaayy too many hours in the fumes of it!
I honestly don't remember. I followed the directions so whatever they said to use is what I used.
Can it be dissolved in different solvents?
hemmy
Omono
Yes, acetone is the standard. But for wood hardening, maybe ethanol would perform better with a lower evaporation rate. Although, the marine epoxys seem to be widely used.
Maybe @BillsBayou can update us on his tests: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/l...-paraloid-titebond-iii-secret-formulae.29909/
I’d also be curious to know how cyanoacrylate (thinned superglues) compares to B-72.
