It鈥檚 well known in wood-turning circles that a piece of wood which is a little soft or rotten can be brought back to a useful state by an overnight soaking in a 50:50 solution of water and washing-up liquid. This hardens the wood so that it can be gripped successfully in a lathe. What is going on and why does it work?
Andrew Norbury, New Mills, Derbyshire, UK