Overview
Use to stabilize green wood to keep it from cracking, splitting and shrinking. Wood treated with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) is ready for carving, shaping or machining.
Polyethylene Glycol is dissolved in water. Wood is treated by submersing into the PEG/ water mix. 10 lb. container (10 lbs. will make 15.4 quarts of a 30 percent solution or 8.48 quarts of a 50 percent solution).
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Questions and Answers
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Browse 12 questions
and 36 answers
Why did you choose this?
Rockler Store
milling wood
ron k
on Sep 25, 2016
Recommended for green wood cuttings we are using in signage
Wood and Wood Signs, I
on Apr 19, 2016
milling wood
ron k
on Sep 25, 2016
Need to stabilize some Fruitless Mulberry
JimBo
on Sep 21, 2016
Can PEG be used on chainsaw wood sculptures?
BEST ANSWER: It can but there are limitations. If you want to stabilize found or freshly felled wood that is not exactly "green", PEG works well. If you want to stabilize chainsaw sculptures that are dry or are drying, immersing the piece in a 25% solution of PEG for several months will keep the wood from developing cracks after it dries.
The limitation, from my experience, is that the PEG solution will only penetrate a few inches. The wood inside the PEG absorbed layer is wet but not stabilized. It could develop cracks. I treat large blanks for turning by placing the rough turned pieces in a 20-25% PEG 1000 solution for 10 - 14 months. When I remove the piece from the solution, it is very easy to work. It takes a few weeks to dry. Since I remove the interior wood, the limited penetration is not a problem.
The limitation, from my experience, is that the PEG solution will only penetrate a few inches. The wood inside the PEG absorbed layer is wet but not stabilized. It could develop cracks. I treat large blanks for turning by placing the rough turned pieces in a 20-25% PEG 1000 solution for 10 - 14 months. When I remove the piece from the solution, it is very easy to work. It takes a few weeks to dry. Since I remove the interior wood, the limited penetration is not a problem.
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- JOHN W on May 31, 2015
- Purchased on Jan 1, 2015
how long do you leave green wood in the solution before it is ready to be used for turning etc?
BEST ANSWER: The time a piece requires for treatment is determined by four factors. The density of the wood, the depth of diffusion you require, the strength of the PEG solution and the temperature of the solution. Patrick Spielman has a book, "Working Green Wood with PEG" ( ISBN 0-8069-8924-6) that includes tables compiled by the Forest Products Laboratory for typical values with one and two inch slabs of end grain walnut.
Personally, I found the tables to not be very relevant. The PEG solution is expensive to mix in any volume so I rough turn the pieces to 2-3" wall thickness and place the piece in a poly bag with a 25% to 30% solution. Silver maple, mimosa, red oak and hackberry have taken several weeks. Plan on at least a couple of months. the treated wood is great to turn but it is messy. I wear goggles and rain gear.
Personally, I found the tables to not be very relevant. The PEG solution is expensive to mix in any volume so I rough turn the pieces to 2-3" wall thickness and place the piece in a poly bag with a 25% to 30% solution. Silver maple, mimosa, red oak and hackberry have taken several weeks. Plan on at least a couple of months. the treated wood is great to turn but it is messy. I wear goggles and rain gear.
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- JOHN W on Aug 15, 2015
- Purchased on Jan 1, 2015
Do I have to use PEG immediately after cutting ends of Ponderosa Pine for side tables? (2-3 inches thickness.)
BEST ANSWER: The greener the wood the better I think. This product is replacing water molecules with a kind of plastic almost that won't evaporate, therefore keeping the wood from shrinking and cracking. Adding peg to a dried and cracked piece of wood won't do anything
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- Inaccurate
- martin m on Apr 8, 2016
- Purchased on Feb 10, 2015
Can end grain wood cut for clocks and treated with PEG be finished with pour-on clear epoxy?
BEST ANSWER: Cut your logs about 3' long dry for two years or more then cut into pieces, a kiln makes it quicker
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- JimBo on Apr 10, 2016
- Purchased on Aug 10, 2014
Can wood treated with PEG 1000 be kiln dried?
BEST ANSWER: Yes. PEG treated wood can be dried quicker than normal wood, but make sure you get full PEG saturation before kiln drying.
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- Thomas M on Aug 10, 2016
- Purchased on Mar 8, 2015
can you use this product on wood that is going to be used for making a butcher block?
BEST ANSWER: Me personally, I would not use it around food
What does the label say about using around food.
What does the label say about using around food.
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- Matthew C on Jul 8, 2016
- Purchased on Jan 26, 2015
Can you use the PEG in a vacuum chamber to stabilize the greenwood?
I would like to make coasters from cedar rounds 4 inches across and 3/8 of an inch thick. How long would I have to soak them in PEG to keep them from splitting?
BEST ANSWER: If cedar is fairly dry take a piece and start cutting from the center cut your pieces use some med.supper glue then sand and finish. Jim
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- JimBo on Jul 15, 2016
- Purchased on Aug 10, 2014
I want to know how much PEG1000 is penetrated into the wood. (ex. exposed end grain 2 inches)
Is there a way to test this? Maybe use some kind of chemical substance for testing or some kind of machine.
Thank you
Is there a way to test this? Maybe use some kind of chemical substance for testing or some kind of machine.
Thank you
BEST ANSWER: Need to try and cut pieces longer. Soak for 30 days
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- JimBo on Apr 10, 2016
- Purchased on Aug 10, 2014
Is it PEG 1450 or 1000?
I work at a museum and we will be getting a large cross section from the trunk of an American elm. The trunk was over five feet in diameter and the section will probably end up being about 4-5 inches thick. I want to use the method that will provide the best stabilization possible. I used PEG on a bitternut hickory cross section about 3 feet across and 3 inches thick in the past and had good results. More recently I used wood juice in an attempt to stabilize a white oak cross section about 40 inches across by about 3 inches thick. After much work and a couple of years of waiting the piece checked very badly. Is this because white oak has very dense wood or is PEG a better wood stabilizer?
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks,
Mark
Reviews
5.0 / 5.0
1 Review
Walnut Round
I used PEG to treat a 2 ft walnut round that was 3" thick. I just let it sit submerged (weighted down) on painting blocks in a large container for 6 months, then I dried it and planed it flat. Best looking round table now.
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