How thick to cut Maple when Stabilized with Cactus Juice?

T

T.R. Taylor

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Jan 21, 2019
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In general how thick should wood be when stabilizing with Cactus Juice? And more specifically, How thick should Maple be when stabilizing with Cactus Juice?
 
My opinion, stabilize as a block (not individual scales), just a little over size from what you want the final dimensions to be. Blocks may warp a little in stabilizing (especially if not completely dry) and it is good to have a little meat left over to trim and get the block square and flat. I'd say 1" thick as a block is a minimum. Depending on the actual material (burl, straight grain, moisture) you may get away with very little oversize, but if this is your first time, be a little generous.
 
I always do blocks. It results in a more versatile product that can be left as is for hidden tangs or cut to scales. It's also a good idea, when starting out, to cut a block in half after stabilizing to check the penetration.
 
I do blocks, but it's tough the get full saturation with a home set up. Wood has to be Very Dry & ya have to pull vacuum until no more bubbles, then let soak a week or more. Scales cut at 3/8" will penetrate quicker, but likely warp.
 
Don Hanson III said:
I do blocks, but it's tough the get full saturation with a home set up. Wood has to be Very Dry & ya have to pull vacuum until no more bubbles, then let soak a week or more. Scales cut at 3/8" will penetrate quicker, but likely warp.
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If you do it right, and don't cut any corners, it's efficient enough to be a pleasant pursuit with an excellent product in the end. Yes, wood has to be 0% moisture. I would bet that K&G dries any wood you send them to 0% prior to stabilizing it. It just takes 24 hours in a 220°F oven. If they didn't, they would not get full penetration. If there is water in the wood, it can't be displaced by the fluid unless you allow it to boil off in the vacuum stage. This take a LONG time, and is hard on pumps. Recommended soak time is at least as long as the vac cycle time. More time won't hurt of course. I just did some maple burl yesterday. It only took 2 hours of vacuum. I left it soaking last night, and this morning, it won't float. Since I'm not trying to make a living doing it, it will soak for a full 24 hours until I get around to curing it this evening. Using pressure in the soak stage can speed up penetration, but won't increase penetration per se.
 
I use cactus juice as well. I have a lot of figured poplar, and its not very dense. I get some of my wood done at k&g, especially the nicest pieces, but polar, maple, mahogany, and a few others, I’ll do here. Denser woods, like wenge or ,purpleheart , I’ll send out.
 
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