How to Equilibrate Guitar Wood
Using rotted wood to build guitar tops started to become popular during the mid-1970s, and for many years the market belonged to major manufacturers. However, with the boom of the custom built guitar market more and more people are trying to figure out how to stabilize rotten wood, such as spalted maple.
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Instructions
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Kiln dry unstable lumber to at least 25 percent. According to Alan Lacer of Alan Lacer Wood Turning, the lowered moisture content will cause the fungi to die, which will stop the rotting process in the lumber. However, according to the Guitar Hospital, you should reduce wood moisture to 6 percent for instrument building, which will be more then enough to kill any fungi.
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Cut away lose rotted wood with a small chisel or knife. Remove only portions that crumble when touched. No amount of stabilization will retain these parts, and leaving them will yield poor results when you machine the wood.
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Coat all sides of the lumber with nitrocellulose or urethane and allow to adequately dry. Follow recommended drying times for the product you decide to use. Use a sponge brush to apply and make sure that you get into the cracks and crevices. You may need to apply several coats because rotted lumber has a tendency to soak up large amounts of nitrocellulose and urethane. Once dry, your lumber is ready to be cut.
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Tips & Warnings
You should use the type of hard coat you plan on using on the final guitar project. This will avoid any finishing issues. Many people use epoxy to stabilize in place of nitrocellulose or urethane.
Caution should be taken when working with wood infected with fungus. It can have an adverse reaction when ingested through dust.
