knifehead uses pot...news at 11!

KnifeHead

KnifeHead

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Apr 5, 2006
Messages
5,576
I would like to have seen your expression when you found out it was just another boring tutorial from yours truely. :D

Anywho...check it out. Fitzo got me hooked up with this HF paint pot deal for putting the pressure on where you need it.

The SRP is $79. The store price here was $59 so I called them and said, "Hello kind HF representitive, do you have this paint pot doogymaflopper in stock?? She said, "Why yes we do, potential HF customer, and it sells for $59" I said, "According to your web price it is $39. Whusupwitdat?" She said, "Well, we have an incredibly underpaid staff that fails to update the pricing database on a regular basis. Just print off the web page and bring it into the store and we will change the price accordingly....have a nice day."

Here's what I did with the pot. http://knifehead.com/tutorials/pressure-dye/
 
Thanks for the post. This widget is on my list of coming soon to Fred's shop.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: Fred
 
Will the same setup work for making a vacuum?? ie stabalizing?
 
I have a slightly different version of that same HF pot and plumbed it different, but mine holds a vaccuum better than it does pressure. Pump it down to about 25 " and close the valves and the reading on the guage doesn't change for weeks. I highly recommend this for a mixed vac/pressure setup. Mine is "rated" for 80 PSI but only holds about 70 before the gasket pooches out the side. If I used it much, I'd experiment with a different gasket.
 
Sounds like the ticket for dye and stabilization. Thanks for taking the time to lay out the great pot post.
 
fitzo said:
...If I used it much, I'd experiment with a different gasket.
Click to expand...

The gasket definitely needs improvement. Like I said in the tutorial, I don't think I could get any more than 50psi out of it the way it is. 50psi is better than nothing I spose.
 
I've been doing some experimenting with stag and was able to drive some color into this. It takes some patience and a combination of pressurizing for a time and just plain soaking.

I did this piece in 2 days...pressure over night and then soaking in the same dye for 24 hours. This was just leather dye combination of a couple of colors to make a amber-ish yellow. I cut this piece in half AFTER I dyed it and the color goes through to the center. Stag is all different and some pieces take dye better than others. This piece was paper white before dyeing.

goldenstag.jpg
 
Mike did you have a chance to do anything with the mesquite? Seems like your final reading was that mesquite didn't require stablization. Anyway, this pot setup in this thread would be ideal for not only experimentation, but for putting into service.
 
Oh...forgot to mention I tried this thing for simple wood stabilization with Minwax wood hardener. I pressurized 3 pieces of curly maple in a mason jar for about an hour. When I opened it up to check it out, the wood was bubbling like crazy from all the air and juice that was being forced into it. I will cut into one of the pieces and bring back some images to share.

So far, this thing is working great and I have to say...kinda fun to play with :) I wonder what would happen to a frog under pressure :eek: :D
 
rhrocker said:
Mike did you have a chance to do anything with the mesquite? Seems like your final reading was that mesquite didn't require stablization. Anyway, this pot setup in this thread would be ideal for not only experimentation, but for putting into service.
Click to expand...

Hi, Robert,

That's pretty much the setup I used when I did those mesquite experiments for you 2 (?) years ago with the mesquite.

After days and days of alternating 25" vacuum and 70PSI pressure, the Nelsonite wouldn't penetrate more than 1/4" into a handle-sized block of your mesquite. On the other hand, it went through the same size block of pine in under a day. Then, months later the mesquite still reeked of uncured Nelsonite.

The conclusion at the time was that the wood was just too dense and too resinous for this style of stabilization. You were going to send some to a professional facility to see what they could do with their process. How did that turn out?

I recently ran across the box of test wood down in the shop; it got slid under a bench and CRS set in. It didn't smell as bad as it used to, but it still smelled. The pine didn't. The native chemicals in mesquite do something to mess with the Nelsonite. It's an ornery wood. I bet your chairs are still around 200 years from now, Robert!:) I should sand on some of your wood, Robert, and see what it smells like.

I recently got some freshly pro-stabilized wood. It reeks too. Sand on it a little and the whole house stinks. Aggravates breathing; slow to dissipate. I hope it doesn't stay that way forever.
 
Hey Kerry, you are getting pretty good at making these "tutorials" Your generousity is appreciated. Maybe you should make a tutorial on making tutorials. :D

Jerry
 
J. Shorter said:
Hey Kerry, you are getting pretty good at making these "tutorials" Your generousity is appreciated. Maybe you should make a tutorial on making tutorials. :D

Jerry
Click to expand...

I can't do that...

...but what I CAN do is schedule some tutoring for a potential teacher that will train future tutorial authors on the fine points of how to make a fine tutorial. :rolleyes: :D
 
Because of the silly way I started this post, an important point may have been lost about Harbor Freight.

If you do find something you want at HF, check the web price and see if it is lower. The local outlet here changed to the web price in a heart beat...no questions asked. Print out the web page of the item showing the price and take it with you.
 
kerry, when i get ready to do some stag and i dont have a setup like yours i will have to send you the dye and stag and a few bucks and have you do it for me. i wonder how axis antler would look with color in it. HEHEHE!!! why dont you see how well a frog takes color. :D
 
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