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Stabilizing systems?

1K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Andybb 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi everyone,

i'm thinking of getting a stabilizing system for a pecan tree i just acquired. Most of the wood looks decent, but there are sections with bug holes in it. I've looked around on the forums, and it seems some people are stabilizing their own blanks, but I've yet to see anyone mention what system they use. Any suggestions on a chamber and pump? From what I've read online, it seems some chambers don't work with the resin used for stabilizing wood as it corrodes the lid.

Thanks,
Rich
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the links Bill. I've been watching a lot of videos on it and one of my biggest questions was that systems that say they're for stabilizing wood in the descriptions say they're not compatible with wood stabilizing resins. I have a 5 gallon chamber coming in that says it handles wood (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077GYKB9Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a pump ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012CFTZII/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). So hopefully between those articles and the videos I can figure it out easy enough :)

Rich
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
edit: my post just about covered what you have purchased already.

a 5 gallon pot will take some time to draw down to the required vacuum.
and you don't have to fill the pot with the resin. any container will work
just for holding the wood and resin tall enough that it won't boil over.
look around wal-mart for tall plastic tupperware type of containers.
the liter size coke bottles with the top cut off will also work.
you only need a container to adequately hold the wood and enough resin to cover it.
there is no stress put on the containers inside the pot. . . . the pot itself takes the stress.
you also need an oven that will hold a consistent 200-220*f. for 2 to 6 hours outside the house.
bad idea to use your kitchen stove oven as the resin starts to smell really bad when heated.

there are several stabilizing resins on the market. the common names to look for is
Dry Wood Stabilizer Resin and Cactus Juice, to name a couple.
and they must be heated to be activated. (about 70-$90 per gallon).

good luck in your projects !!
.

.
 
#5 ·
I have no knowledge to drop Rich. But Dave (Kelleycrafts) has a full setup for stabilizing and casting that he uses to make the blanks and scales for his site. I'm sure he'd be glad to help ya out if you shoot him a message!
 
#6 ·
edit: my post just about covered what you have purchased already.

a 5 gallon pot will take some time to draw down to the required vacuum.
and you don t have to fill the pot with the resin. any container will work
just for holding the wood and resin tall enough that it won t boil over.
look around wal-mart for tall plastic tupperware type of containers.
the liter size coke bottles with the top cut off will also work.
you only need a container to adequately hold the wood and enough resin to cover it.
there is no stress put on the containers inside the pot. . . . the pot itself takes the stress.
you also need an oven that will hold a consistent 200-220*f. for 2 to 6 hours outside the house.
bad idea to use your kitchen stove oven as the resin starts to smell really bad when heated.

there are several stabilizing resins on the market. the common names to look for is
Dry Wood Stabilizer Resin and Cactus Juice, to name a couple.
and they must be heated to be activated. (about 70-$90 per gallon).

good luck in your projects !!
.

.

- John Smith
Thanks John. I noticed a bunch of people doing that in videos to minimize cleanup and the amount of fluid used. My wife has a tendency to save jars, so I might steal some of those. Understandable that it will take more time to suck down with a 5 gallon, My main reason for getting this was for mass blanks since I just got a whole pecan tree worth of wood, some with bug holes in it. Plus the 5 gallon pot was only like $10-$20 more than the 1.5 gallon ones.

This is the resin I ordered. It cures at 190 degrees. Thanks for the heads up on doing it outside of the house. I was going to set everything up in my office… perhaps the oven will stay in the shop.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076X951BC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I ended up ordering a toaster oven for it that can do a 12" pizza, so this should be perfect since the Nova Comet ii maxes out at 12" and the pot is just shy of 10" anyways.

Rich
 
#7 ·
I have no knowledge to drop Rich. But Dave (Kelleycrafts) has a full setup for stabilizing and casting that he uses to make the blanks and scales for his site. I m sure he d be glad to help ya out if you shoot him a message!

- HokieKen
Ohhh I may have to bug him then…. One of my questions is will it fill larger voids internally to the outside from bug tunnels, or will I need to do a casting after stabilizing the wood.

Rich
 
#8 ·
Rich - one more thing - - - you say that you just got a whole bunch of pecan wood.
does that mean the wood is still green ?? or has it been dried and cured appropriately.
I don't know how the resin and heat reacts in green wood . . . . so if your wood is green
or recently cut, you need to check that out before venturing into something that may not work.
please keep us updated as to your projects.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
If you are making pen blanks then a 5 gal vac pot is overkill IMO and the pump has to work very hard to draw down that much volume. Curtis who owns Turntex is the go-to guy for stabilizing. His system is made with pen turners in mind.
Font Gas Drinkware Cylinder Serveware


Great cust. service. Just call him.

Good reference vids here.
Lots of info here at IAP.

Something on the order of the ones listed at the bottom of this page are good choices too.

Font Gas Kitchen appliance Auto part Machine


I was able to get something similar off of craigslist or Offerup (I forget) for $50, pump and chamber.
 

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#10 ·
Rich - one more thing - - - you say that you just got a whole bunch of pecan wood.
does that mean the wood is still green ?? or has it been dried and cured appropriately.
I don t know how the resin and heat reacts in green wood . . . . so if your wood is green
or recently cut, you need to check that out before venturing into something that may not work.
please keep us updated as to your projects.

- John Smith
The tree was cut in Feb and had the ends painted while sitting in the FL sun/heat. I just got a moisture meter in the other day to check it and I can oven or microwave dry it if needed.

If you are making pen blanks then a 5 gal vac pot is overkill IMO. Curtis who owns Turntex is the go-to guy for stabilizing. Lots of info here at IAP.

Good reference vids here.

- Andybb
I plan on going bigger than blanks. Possibly small bowl sizes and then 4×4x5 blanks currently (for the beer swap)

Rich
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I rebuilt an old lathe right after Xmas and have really gotten into pen making, stabilizing and casting. I like the immediate gratification of it. Only made a couple of lathe boxes. No bowls yet but I've seen some really cool stuff that I'd eventually like to try.

But I haven't done much else and need to get back to building some other projects.
 
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