Spunjin Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Has anyone done it their self? I have looked at several resources online bit most just mention a vacuum but no specifics. I am looking to do this with some softer woods and need some direction/guidance. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 I've done this a few times. You do need a vacuum chamber, and you do need a vacuum pump. Finally, you need to choose your resin. Just about every resin imaginable has been tried, with varying results. The best results I've had are with cactus juice, but the stuff is expensive. http://www.turntex.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=121 Shellac works OK, not great. Lacquer works OK. Plexiglass dissolved in acetone works surprisingly well, but acetone is nasty stuff to work with. Polycrylic is worthless. I'm sure others can chime in. Also, you didn't mention if you have voids or not. Here's a pen I made that had voids. I first had it stabilized, and then I cast it in a resin. I got my plastic resin from Tap Plastics. The wood for this pen was in a fire, so it has some interesting char marks. I also added a purple dye to the resin. I also added some mica for visual interest. This is box elder burl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spunjin Posted February 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 That's a good site with good info. Thanks. I have seen Cactus Juice before at Rockler. Does it harden like epoxy resin or is it much different? I once turned a buckeye burl pen blank and it was stabilized from the seller and it was so fragrant (smelly really) I had to wear an organic respirator. Would this vacuum pump work or is a stronger one needed? http://www.harborfreight.com/25-cfm-vacuum-pump-98076.html I know it's an HF product but seeing as I will only use it a few times a year I don't see why I would buy a more expensive pump. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 cactus juice you drink is that the same stuff you are talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 That's the pump I use, and it works fine. I'd be surprised if you saw Cactus Juice at Rockler. Turntex is the only place I know of that carries it. The stuff at Rockler is probably polycrylic, which doesn't work very well. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=25410 It doesn't stink at all. It sounds like what you had before was probably plexiglass stabilized, and then wasn't allowed to cure properly. Or, it might have been casting resin that wasn't allowed to cure or didn't have enough catalyst in it. No, duckkisser, this isn't the same stuff. It is probably made from cactus juice in part, but it has a catalyst added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spunjin Posted February 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Ah yes, Wood Juice. My mistake. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 was imagining you mixing up some chemicles and then siping from the quart can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guillaume Breton Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 nice little video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stahlee Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 That's a sweet setup. Where can you get a larger chamber? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pbmaster11 Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 so does that juice solidify? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 The juice turns hard when you bake it at 200 degrees F for about 30 minutes.There is very little water content, so evaporation loss is very small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pbmaster11 Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spunjin Posted March 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 I'll be ordering the vac chamber, dyes, and resin from turntex.com soon. Now I have to choose a Vac pump. I don't want to go with an HF pump since I read that they put out an oil mist. Probably due to no separator. Is there a better pump out there that will work well for under $250? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hmmmm.... something else to try this summer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Fresh out of the oven.... https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4VT2RG0u3x8/UUi_k932a1I/AAAAAAAAHIo/RLyBElgBzFs/s1139/IMG_4062.JPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 hey bigE i have an idea tht i was wondering if you would be willing to give a try. if you take vineegar and add steel wool to it the acid in the vinegar will break down the metal and that solution will turn wood black so cherry and walnut will look like ebony. i had the idea to soak pieces of wood in it and let it seep down over time. then you can cut it or turn it and it will be solid black through and through. but i havent goten around to doing that. would you be willing to mix some up in your chamber and use the pressure to force it down into a small piece of walnut or cherry? would like to see if it can be forced deep into the wood so that center is as black as the outside. then fake ebony can be made to order. could be a nice little busness as well as save a rapidly deminishing species of tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Duckkisser, I have used dye in the past on pen blanks that I use or sell and it went all the way through the wood, so I see no reason why the vinegar and steel wool wouldn't work. Of course, I was also stabilizing the wood, so it was not super close grained like cherry or walnut would be. An easier way to "ebonize" the wood is to just use black shoe polish as a finish. You'll want a protective finish over that, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 that would just be on the surface i want to know if it will turn the entire wood black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 Vacuum pump deal at Joe Woodworker's website. Rebuilt ones and lots of info as well ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 that would just be on the surface i want to know if it will turn the entire wood black. I'll give it a shot when I get a chance, let you know. Busy stabilizing punky wood right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 i tried it by soaking it a few small pieces just to see what it would do after a few months it soaked down one piece had this realy cool black and red swerl through it where it did not get all the way. just thinking it would make some realy cool finials or pens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigE Posted March 26, 2013 Report Share Posted March 26, 2013 I'll give it a shot. I need to get some wood in to do it right, though. Right now most of the wood I have is black line spalted or exotic. I may have some plain oak or cherry or ash or something like that hidden somewhere in the stash. I've got a bunch of spalted maple burl that I'm still processing, but I ran out of stabilizer. Got some more on order. Stuff is *expensive* though. Wow. :-). In the meantime I'm doing some stabilizing with liquid Plexiglas. Messy, toxic, doesn't work as well, but does an OK job.I tried with casting resin, but don't have enough pressure in my pressure pot to get it in all the cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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