Brittle wood, how to strengthen?

[kkoene]

A piece I am working on is being cut from 1/'2 Red Cedar. When taking the piece out of the stock after I cut it, one of the limbs broke off rather easily. I won't be gluing it back as the part is rather oddly shaped. Is there a way to strengthen this wood after the piece is cut? Will applying a finish add strength to it or should I try a different type of wood?

 

Sorry I don't have any pics now, when I get home from work I'll try to get some so you can see what I'm talking about.

 

Thanks!

[WolfmoonCT]

some people will tape the cut out pieces back in.. it gives is some rigidity.. I've done it a couple times.

[MrsN]

cedar is a fairly brittle wood to work with, but usually looks nice when finished. If you need a finished piece to be strong, the best way is to glue it to a backer. Be really careful when spreading glue and use a glue that dries clear and you should be ok.

As I am cutting delicate pieces I will sometimes put the cut out piece back in the hole and secure it with a piece of tape. This will help fragile areas hold their shape until the piece is finished.

Another similar method, sometimes I will cut about 3/4 of a cut out and stop. A little tape will keep the open ends flat if it is a big cut. This way I can still have most of the strength of the piece for the longest possible.

[Beeber]

Using a zero tolerance cover around your blade will assist you in cutting small areas. I use a old playing card, drill a small hole and tape the card to the bench around the blade. This eliminates the large hole surrounding the blade and adds strength to the piece being cut. Practice with scrap to see if this will help you.

[cpowellpumphrey]

I had the same problem and the zero clearance helped me a lot. I change it out a lot though to get the sanding blades to work.

[amazingkevin]

i use clear packing tape but the cards work better if i can ever find them again,things disapper fast here.

[steviegwood]

I had the same problem with some very old and dry cedar several years ago. I was told that I could have coated the wood real good with mineral oil (several coats to soak in good) before I started cutting and it would have been less brittle. I have never tried this. It does sound reasonable to add some moisture to the wood on very dry and brittle woods but what type , how long and how much, I would have to try some scraps to see if it helped. Anyone have any experience with this please share your tips. Steve

[Jim Finn]

^{First, I need you to know I do not do fretwork at all. I do a lot of inlay and in the inlayed wood I carve detail lines. I find that mahogany splinters out badly when carving so I put a finish of lacquer on it before carving and it seems to hold the fibers of the wood together on the surface and stops the splintering. Maybe this will help.}

[jteagle77]

You can also use a magnetic card that way you don't have the sticky stuff from the tape on your saw table.