Yeah, but...
Well, there's the problem. Removing that much deadwood on some trees would remove it ALL.
Right.. and in those instances, removing deadwood might not be the best sollution, but that's not
all trees, is it?
It's something to keep in mind in choosing what to apply to deadwood elements that aren't already rotted. Using a wood hardener on sound deadwood is counterproductive, IMO.
But wouldn't applying wood hardener to sound deadwood at least provide some degree of moisture sealant, and
at the very least delay any rotting that might occur, if not counterract it inevitably?
Here's a summary of the method I've found at bonsai4me.com for preserving deciduous dead wood (
http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATPreserving Deadwood.html)
1. Deal quickly with rotten areas by removing all very soft, crumbly wood (because it's difficult to preserve anyway)
2. Treat the remaining wood with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal sollutions. (Lime sulfer for a bleached look or Armillatox for a natural wood look)
3. Apply any color modifications that you want to use. (inks, paints for grey, coffee grounds for brown)
4. Seal against moisture with wood hardener, which seeps into the wood and hardens on contact with moisture. Try not to apply too much, but if you do apply too much and get a plastic sheen on the surface, that can be removed with light sanding.
Anyway, hope that's useful information.