Stabalising wood, will this work

[Tinbasher]

When you connect the vacuum pump it sucks all the resin up the tube and you have to switch off the pump before the resin enters the pump ,I made up a bottle with two grommets in so that the resin will drain into the bottle and the pump can stay on.
My question ,how much - pressure is needed the hand pump I have will only go to - 5 inches of mercury about 120hmg is that enough.
Richard

 

[RHankins]

Nope gromets will most likely leak down. Use barbed fittings (Home Depot) and glue over the holes. Everything else is good on the rig as long as the jar has a good seal.

 

[A C Richards]

I like you knife vise but..... that is a BAD accident waiting to happen. Never leave a knife in a vise like that unless you have your hand on it. Just turning around can send you to the ER for a $500 visit. Hopefully you left it there for the photo but still dangerous.

If you have a foodsaver it will work for stabilizing.

Chuck

 

[Tinbasher]

I like you knife vise but..... that is a BAD accident waiting to happen. Never leave a knife in a vise like that unless you have your hand on it. Just turning around can send you to the ER for a $500 visit. Hopefully you left it there for the photo but still dangerous.

If you have a foodsaver it will work for stabilizing.

Chuck

I only stuck it in there to make the photo more interesting.

please exlpain what a food saver is ,we more than likely call it by another name.
Richard

 

[Tinbasher]

Nope gromets will most likely leak down. Use barbed fittings (Home Depot) and glue over the holes. Everything else is good on the rig as long as the jar has a good seal.

I put a medical clamp on the pipe and it held pressure untill I pulled it apart +- 2 hours.I wonder how much neg pressure the jar will take.
Richard

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

There are all sorts of problems with that rig. The grommets won't hold up to more than a low vacuum. That is probably a good thing ,since the jar may easily implode under a high vacuum. If your pump will only draw 5 inches of vacuum, it is not sufficient to do stabilization. Chuck addressed the knife in the photo.

With a proper pump and a pressure/vac pot that will hold 20 inches of vacuum, you can do a good job. The plastic bag trick works somewhat, but a chamber will work better. If you vacuum at 20 inches and then pressurize at 50 pounds, the resin will penetrate the wood deeply.
Stacy

 

[Tinbasher]

There are all sorts of problems with that rig. The grommets won't hold up to more than a low vacuum. That is probably a good thing ,since the jar may easily implode under a high vacuum. If your pump will only draw 5 inches of vacuum, it is not sufficient to do stabilization. Chuck addressed the knife in the photo.

With a proper pump and a pressure/vac pot that will hold 20 inches of vacuum, you can do a good job. The plastic bag trick works somewhat, but a chamber will work better. If you vacuum at 20 inches and then pressurize at 50 pounds, the resin will penetrate the wood deeply.
Stacy

Thanks ,I have not seen any pressures quoted before ,I may just make that pot out of some stainless pipe with domed ends welded on,just have to figure out how to stop the resin sticking to what ever I come up with.
Richard

 

[A C Richards]

A foodsaver is a vacuum processor for home use. I have drawn as much as -24 with one. I us a venturi type vacuum pump and can get down to -28. Does not get much better than that unless you get into laboratory grade pumps. Talking with Ken at K&G, he uses pressures approaching 4000psi. I have no desire to get that much going. I normally use a canning jar to do the little I have done. I did build a pressure chamber and had it all hooked up with vacuum systems etc. It took way to much time and did not give the same results as the pro's. it is less expensive to go ahead and pay to get it done if it is available in your area. TMHO.

Chuck