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So this Jag body has some rot on the bottom..obvilously left in water and it's soaked up the end grain on the bottom..the back, bottom 1/4 is affected...it's been dry for years but the wood has gone soft and lost it's density. Has anyone tried these wood consolidation/hardener products? They seemed to be epoxy based..

SInce it's a fiesta red '62 it's a bit of a quandary......as I dont wanna ruin the finish any further.I could leave it since it is perfectly playable and useable but I worry about dropping it.

I envisage a bowl, 1" high with some sort of liquid product..you stand the body in it and it travels up into the soft wood(as the water once did) and hardens it..without ruining the finish...hah!

...is it the hot one that came from south africa?!

Pacafeliz wrote:...is it the hot one that came from south africa?!

Sure is..

I remember that one! Possibly cyanoacrylate (superglue) might work? The water-thin stuff really works its way into the wood fibres- maybe use that to start with, followed by thicker, more gap-filling stuff, or possibly use it with sanding dust or bicarbonate of soda to fill/ build volume. I haven't done this on anything as big as your project, but I'd try it. (There's plenty of online info.) Very quick to work with too, bicarbonate/superglue cures very fast. The usual cautions- wear gloves, good ventilation, mask. Last job I did with it, I boiled a pot of water and sat it on the bench between me and the work, it saved me from the usual stinging eyes.

CA is a good idea. A guy just posted this Mustang on THIS on Reranch this week. He said he had it repainted a few years ago and there was no rot. It may be syphilis. It's also possible that somebody fixed it with something that didn't hold up well.

I would just use an off-the-shelf wood hardener like

or

Do a test on a small area first to make sure you're happy with it - it won't be quite as hard as superglue, but more like the hardness of the original wood, and it comes in usable quantities at a reasonable price. Just brush it on until the wood doesn't seem to be soaking it up very fast - You'll be amazed how much soaks in. I use it for hardening my MDF router templates. And repairing window frames...

The only other thing I know of that is thin enough and comes in quantities that will work for you is knotting solution - basically just shellac thinned with alcohol. I use that for hardening templates, too. It comes in a translucent 'white' version, which won't discolour the wood too much.

The ordinary wood hardener would be best, though. You'll barely notice any change in colour - it'll just be a bit darker.

theworkoffire wrote:I would just use an off-the-shelf wood hardener like

or

Do a test on a small area first to make sure you're happy with it - it won't be quite as hard as superglue, but more like the hardness of the original wood, and it comes in usable quantities at a reasonable price. Just brush it on until the wood doesn't seem to be soaking it up very fast - You'll be amazed how much soaks in. I use it for hardening my MDF router templates. And repairing window frames...

The only other thing I know of that is thin enough and comes in quantities that will work for you is knotting solution - basically just shellac thinned with alcohol. I use that for hardening templates, too. It comes in a translucent 'white' version, which won't discolour the wood too much.

The ordinary wood hardener would be best, though. You'll barely notice any change in colour - it'll just be a bit darker.

Thanks!...I will try this I think..since the wood is bare it will be easy to do without damaging anything I think.