Resinol 90

Charley75631

Charley75631

Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
81
I have been testing Resinol 90 for my own use ever since I heard of it . I have a pressure/vacuum tank made out of a piece of 16" pipe. The last batch was a little more promising but not there yet. Following is the last procedure I used:
1. Placed plastic bucket inside chamber , sealed it (chamber) and pulled all the vacuum I could get from my pump( 29.1"hg) and left it 24 hours.
2. Took pump side line off and placed in gal.container of Resinol 90. Opened vac. valve and siphoned enough liquid to cover wood.
3. Let sit for 24 hours.
4.Bleed off vac and put 60psi air and let sit for 24 hours.
5. Bleed off pressure and opened chamber , removed bucket, and wiped off excess liquid .
6. Placed wood in furnace ( do not let touch) and heat to 190 degrees .
( this last batch cooked for 40 mins)

There was a hard resin "puddle" covering the entire bottom , but it did not penetrate over 1/16" . This wood was dry and after taking off small amounts at a time with a disk sander ,
I reached the dry fiber quickly.
Like I mentioned earlier this was the last batch . I learned quickly this shit burns and will ignite if much over 210 degrees. You have to reach the temp slowly , if not it seems "cook out"......? .
I need some feedback from those of you who has had more luck than I have.
 
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I bet your wood was either still too wet or it floated on the Resinol. -14psi to +60psi should drive pretty much anything home. If you had the wood submerged, did you try thinning the Resinol out?
 
The wood had some metal bars on top of hardware cloth placed on top of the wood. Wood was totally submerged in liquid when I opened it.
 
Not sure I understand exactly what order you did things. But did you have the wood soaking in the Resinol while it was under the vac. of 29.1 hg and then put it under pressure. I would think that if you were soaking the wood while in a vac. and after 24 hours you reversed in and put it under 60psi for another 24 hours that is should be fully penetrated.
 
Yes it was under full vac and pressure added afterwards. I did not mention it but there was a piece of lace redwood burl (very soft) that should be fully saturated but was not. I know it can be done but I am at wits end on this one. I am wondering if Resinol 90 is all it's put up to be ?
 
Try thining out the resinol some. Also what worked for me in the past was to put the wood in a microwave for 20-30secs no more. This opens the pores. Then goes immediately into the resin. It will foam so leave room for spills.
Hope that helps
 
Thinning may help and will try microwave suggestion. Resinol 90 is pretty thin now . What do you suggest thinning it with?
 
I don't understand your order of operations in step 1 , 2 and 3

1. you placed the wood under vaccum without any of the resin in the chamber?

3. Did you have maximum vaccum while both the wood and resin were in the chamber for the 24 hours ?
 
I don't think you got it hot enough. The reason it is called 90C is it hardens at that temperature. I bake mine at 250 degrees F. for four hours. I also continue to draw a vaccum for a day or so after the resin has been introduced, then go to the pressure.
I get complete penetration on a 2" x 2" x 5" block.
 
The dry vac is to remove as much air as possible before introducing the resin.It sat for 24 hours with full vac. Resin added , and vac pulled again for 24 hours.


Tom, you may be on the right track. Are you using a vacuum oven? I seem to have fires using a toaster oven. I reluctantly used my knife kiln on the last batch. Last question.....Are you using Resinol 90 and do you thin it any?
 
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Yes, I do use the Resinol 90C.
I use a regular kitchen oven, which I have in my shop.
I don't thin the Resinol90C, I feel it is thin enough already.
If you would care to send me a e-mail I can e-mail you a summery of how I use the Resinol. I have used it for maybe 8 years or so with excellent results.
 
Phil , you gonna swim to the mainland ?....:D:D ......If Tom sends it to me I will ask his permission to post it:):)
 
Charlie, I just e-mailed you the information. You have my permission to post it. I would do so myself, but I am not that computer literate.
 
One other thought here. You put the wood under vac. for 24 hours and then added the Resinol to it and then a vac for another 24 hours. My thouht is, could the first vac. closed or srunk the cell membranes where in impeded the flow of the resinol into therm? Have you tried to just start off with the Resinol?
 
I don't know ...that may be what happened. I will try with wood in Resinol without primary vac.It makes more sense than anything I have heard. All I know is the penetration was very shallow. OK, I am not a computer genius either , Tom , but I will try to get this posted for the guys.
 
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STABILIZING WOOD


There are several companies that will stabilize wood. If a person has a small quantity of wood to be stabilized, they will be money
ahead to use one of these companies. I have tried several of these companies and feel that K&G , 1972 Forest Ave. P.O. Box 458, Lakeside AZ 85929-0458
Phone # 928-537-8877 does the best work.

Stabilizing does not work very well on hard dense woods.
For those who have large quantities of wood to be stabilized and want to invest the time and money necessary, (like maybe $600. to $700.) here’s how I do it.
I might also say that if you go to the “Knifemaker Forums “ and do a search on stabilization, you will get a world of information on different ways to stabilize.
There is a picture of my set up on my website, http://www.cavemen.net/lewisknives
I have a 3/8 piece of steel plate for a base. On top of the base I have a piece of rubber gasket and a bell jar both purchased from Rio Grande Gems & findings, www.riogrande.com
Inside the bell jar I have a glass jar that holds the wood and the stabilizing solution.
The bottom of the steel plate has two ¼ fittings silver soldered in place. One of these fittings is hooked to the vacuum pump, and the other one is connected to hoses that are used to draw the solution into the jar. Both these fittings have valves that can be opened and closed.
For the stabilizing solution I use a Loctite product called Resinol 90C. It is not cheap. Several years ago I bought four gallons for $300.00. It does last a long time if refrigerated. The reason it is called Resinol 90C is that it hardens at 90 degrees C.
This should be purchased in the winter. It comes in two parts. The activator is frozen and if it thaws during shipping it will leak.
To start the stabilization Process I put the wood (which needs a low moisture content) in the glass jar and put a weight on it to hold it down. This jar is placed under the bell jar. At this point there is no stabilizing solution in the glass jar, just the wood.
Then I turn on the vacuum pump and draw a high vacuum on the dry wood. I let this sit for several days.
Then while the wood is still under vacuum pressure I open the valve connected to the second fitting and draw the 90C into the glass jar being careful not to let it overflow. I have a hose that runs from the second fitting into the glass jar with the wood, and a hose that runs from the second fitting into a container of 90C.
Then I let this sit under a high vacuum for several days.
After this I take out the glass jar and put it with the wood still covered with the solution in a steel pressure pot. I put 100+ pounds of pressure in the steel pot and leave it for a few days. Pressure pots if not properly made can be very dangerous. A welder friend made mine out of some heavy-duty flanges.
Some stabilizers do not use the bell jar; they do the whole process in the steel pressure pot. I like the bell jar because I can see what is going on.
After the wood has been in the pressure pot, I take it out of the glass jar and put it in an oven at 250 degrees F. for four to five hours. The solution that is left in the glass jar I put back in the refrigerator and use the next time. Don’t put the glass jar with the wood and the 90C solution in the oven or you will have a solid mess.
The stabilizing solution hardens and the wood is stabilized.
After you are through be sure and use compressed air to clear the line you used to draw the 90C into the glass jar. I found out the hard way if you don’t the solution the line will harden.
 
Thanks for posting Tom's procedure Charlie. Sounds like the mystery continues though as that sounds pretty much like what you are doing. HAve you figured anything out yet?
 
That is what I thought to Phil. Like you said the mystery continues. Keep us up dated Charlie on how it goes.
 
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