Homemade stabilizers how are they working?

I am wondering how the homemade stabilizers some of you built are working?
I am looking at making one with a electric Vac pump, large chamber ETC and want to know if the woodhardener really works. I mean will it sand and buff ok?

What is the optimun Vac amount?

Does anybody know what K&G uses for there stabilizing formula
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RHankins Available knives
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=205453
 
I am still experimenting with the wood hardener and polyurethane. Doing it in stages at 2 days each @ 27" of vacuum. Using the old Ball jar's as the vacuum chamber. Look'g for a old style pressure cooker to make pressure chamber. HARBOR FREIGHT has a small vacuum pump for $12.99.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=261337&a=7251711&p=30468144


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INDIAN GEORGE http://www.onlineknifeshow.com/maker36.html http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=261337

[This message has been edited by indian george (edited 10-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by indian george (edited 10-12-2000).]
 
I am working with the wood hardener and tried mixing some thompsons masonary with it. They seem to separate.
I haven.t tried much since the last post. The Harbor Freight vac pump is probaly ok . It does need a air compressor to hook it up to.
i would like to hear from and see some pics on handles done this way.
Take care
TJ Smith
 
The minwax wood hardener is made up mostly of solvents - acetone and alcohol, so it doesn't suprise me it won't mix well with the oil.

Woodworkers have used super glue for years to harden spalted wood. Since acetone is the solvent for super glue, I bet that something similar is in the minwax formula. It's just left behind after the solvents evaporate. I imagine the Thompsons would work by itself. Just give it time to cure at room temperature or "irradiate" it 30 seconds at a time on the lowest setting of your microwave oven.

I have some acrylic painting medium I am goint to experiment with. I can thin it pretty well and add some flow enhancer to help it soak in to the pores in the wood. Will post after I see how it works.
 
I've had what I would consider pretty good success with the minwax wood hardener. I use the Harbor Freight vacuum pump and mason jars like IndianGeorge. I hooked up an automotive vacuum test guage to the vacuum line and get up to 28" mercury at full blast 90 PSI. You have to be careful though, if you have too much wood hardener in the jar, it'll overflow if you pour the vacuum on at full blast. I let them stay under vacuum until they all sink to the bottom. Then, I let them dry on a counter next to the wood stove for two days. Works great. Doesn't clog my sanding belts like I thought it would.
16213226.jpg

Here's a pic of some of the slabs I've done. The pic really doesn't do them justice either. From left to right is - Magnolia from Mississippi, Nispero, Ironwood and Brazilian Cherry, all from Nicaragua. Hard? Man, this stuff is like working glass! Nothing but fresh, new belts will touch them. In fact, I use an old worn out 80 grit belt to shine them up. Final on the buffing wheel with white rouge. Cheap, easy and fun. Saves tons of money not having to buy stabilized slabs too.
 
Here are the first handles I have done with the wood hardener.Vacumed while in the solution soaked 3 days.It seems to work better. The top is KOA very porus finished up good.
The second is IronWood. finished up great. The third is maple with a little shoe dye. finished up fine.Had a different color
View

Sorry no super tests.
Some one posted that they were using acrillic.Does that come in a bottle or what? How does a person obtain some?
My little hand pump that is used for bleeding brakes comes with a bottle in line to catch any fluid that gets in the line.
Take care
TJ Smith
 
I played around with a piece of the soft maple that I stabilized using my truck.
I treated it with the wood hardner and Thompsons, I noticed that when i cut it with a saw, a little of the sealer weeped out of a small burl.
The stuff is much harder than it is naturaly.

Magic marker doesn't soak in as it does with the raw wood, it marks it but doesn't soak in. I epoxied a piece to a blade this afternoon.

I have some stuff about different methods used by others from the knife list. e-mail me and I will try to send a copy.

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Sola Fide
 
Has anyone tried to stabilize green wood? A friend just dropped off a piece of Japanese Synex(?) it is hard as a rock. the attachment is a partice pieces that has been done with the wood hardener. http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=261337&a=1945785&p=30848832&Sequence=0&res=high[/UR L]

[This message has been edited by indian george (edited 10-16-2000).]

[This message has been edited by indian george (edited 10-16-2000).]

[This message has been edited by indian george (edited 10-16-2000).]
 
This is a test knife I made with the stable maple,21/4" sawblade. I dyed it with Fiebings
-medium brown The dye did not penetrate as much as I originally thought.
I sanded the handle to 600 and buffed with white compound http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1274311&a=9435960&p=30950450
Sola Fide

[This message has been edited by mikeS (edited 10-18-2000).]

[This message has been edited by mikeS (edited 10-18-2000).]
 
Hi guys. I've been following this thread and others like it and have come up with an idea for cheap pressure tanks. Has anyone thought of using old military ammo cans? I think they would work great and I know the prices are right. Any thoughts on this?

Jake
 
Bob, ammo cans seal air and water tight because they have a seal. I think once they were adapted with valves/fittings when the vacuum was applied they would only seal tighter. If the seal is gone you could just make another with inner tube rubber. At least I think it would work.
 
I tried the ammo can, others have used it, and it worked, mine didn't. Something clear to see what's up with the pieces is very helpful.

I still haven't had a chance to try the 2 gal lawn chemical sprayer, for the pressure side.

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Sola Fide
 
I use the 2 quart mason jars. They are big enough for 3 to 4 handles at a time, you can see whats going on,and they are made to endure a vacumn.I punch a hole in a regular lid put in a piece of brass tube and seal it with goop. I make a ball of wire screen and put on top of the wood to hold it under the solution,
Works great
Take Care
TJ Smith
 
Okay heres one for ya... i have followed the thread but the size of the peice of wood i need to stabilize is just a bit bigger than the mason jar idea...

What can you all think of that would hold a peice 2 inches thick by 6 inches wide by 34 inches long?

And what have you all found to be the best home improvement type hardener? Something I can buy at Lowes or home depot...

Thanks.

Alan



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If a Man talks in the forest, and there is no Woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
 
Try making your chamber out of 8" PVC pipe, whatever length you like. Cap one end sealed. The other end gets a screw cap. Drill a hole and epoxy in a valve at the bottom of the rear (sealed) cap for stabililant intake and draining. In the top of the tube drill and epoxy another valve for vacuum / pressure. Mine works great under vacuum but I have had a few leaks under pressure cycles (around the screw cap) so keep something to catch drips.

I just use quick connectors for switching between the vacuum and pressure end of the pump. Penetration is not a problem for me. A suitable stabilant is a problem.

Best results so far have been with Varathane professional but it's still not as good as the real thing from K&G or WSSI.

Rob!


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Rob Ridley
Ranger Original Handcrafted Knives
 
This is the method that I am using. 5 days under vacuum in mini wax wood hardener let it dry, then 5 days under vacuum in mini wax polyurethane then right into a pressure pot under 80# pressure until completely dried.

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INDIAN GEORGE
http://www.onlineknifeshow.com/maker36.html
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=261337
 
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