Wood hardeners are products designed to strengthen and reinforce wood that may be weak, rotted, or damaged. One popular brand of wood hardener is Minwax Wood Hardener. But does it actually live up to its name? In this article, we will explore the effectiveness of Minwax Wood Hardener in hardening wood and discuss the results of a test conducted by Shawn in his workshop.
What’s Left Behind After Evaporation
Minwax Wood Hardener is a form of plastic dissolved in a solvent. Shawn wanted to determine what remains after the solvent evaporates, so he allowed his foil basket of wood hardener to dry for 24 hours in a warm room. What he found was a thin, sticky, rubbery glue-like substance. Although the exact composition of this substance is not known, it is important to note that this is what stays behind to strengthen the wood.
Test Methodology
To test the effectiveness of Minwax Wood Hardener, Shawn conducted an experiment using both pine wood and balsa wood. He applied five coats of wood hardener to one side of each wood sample. He then dropped a heavy piece of wood with a metal spike onto both the treated and untreated sides and measured the depth of the resulting dent using a hole depth gauge on calipers.
Results on Pine Wood
The results on pine wood showed a slight reduction in dent depth on the side treated with wood hardener compared to the untreated side. While the difference was minimal, averaging just over four thousandths of an inch, it did indicate that the wood hardener had some hardening effect. In terms of percentages, the treated wood had a 23.6% difference in depth compared to the untreated wood.
Results on Balsa Wood
The results on balsa wood, however, were unexpected and quite strange. Contrary to expectations, the balsa wood treated with wood hardener actually became slightly softer than the untreated balsa wood. The average dent depth on the treated balsa wood was over 11 thousandths of an inch deeper than on the untreated balsa wood. This indicated an average softening effect of 4.93% after the application of wood hardener.
Interpretation of Results
While the test results suggest that Minwax Wood Hardener does have a slight hardening effect on pine wood, it is important to note that it is not a miracle product. For wood in need of significant structural reinforcement, alternative solutions such as epoxy or resin may be more suitable. However, for lighter reinforcement needs, Minwax Wood Hardener can provide some level of strengthening.
The unexpected results on balsa wood raise questions about the compatibility of wood hardener with different types of wood. More experimentation is needed to understand the specific reactions between the wood hardener and balsa wood. It is also important to consider that wood is a complex material with cellular and molecular structures, which may influence how it interacts with wood hardener products.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Minwax Wood Hardener does have some capacity to harden pine wood, although the effect is relatively small. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution and may not be effective on all types of wood. For projects requiring significant structural reinforcement, alternative products such as epoxy or resin should be considered. The experiment conducted by Shawn provides valuable insights into the limitations and potential of Minwax Wood Hardener.
