Stabilizing Wood and Acrylic Resin Hybrid Scales

[CDHumiston]

I think I'm ready to start stabilizing my own wood and also making knife scales from acrylic resins.

I've watched a lot of YouTube videos and it seems for stabilizing people are using vacuum pots and small hobby air pumps to remove all the air from the chamber and force the cactus juice into the wood. For casting acrylic, I see the use of pressure type vessels where the materials are pressurized to remove air bubbles.

I'm wondering if it's possible to use just one set up or the other to do both jobs and achieve good results.

Anyone have experience and words of wisdom?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Have your wood professionally stabilized. It works a lot better.
There are so many acrylics available, I can't see any reason to cast your own, unless you are going to cast bugs into handles or something else "personal."

 

[CDHumiston]

Have your wood professionally stabilized. It works a lot better.
There are so many acrylics available, I can't see any reason to cast your own, unless you are going to cast bugs into handles or something else "personal."

I may take your advice on the stabilizing! As for casting, I do have some ideas for personalized items...

 

[CDHumiston]

Have your wood professionally stabilized. It works a lot better.
There are so many acrylics available, I can't see any reason to cast your own, unless you are going to cast bugs into handles or something else "personal."

On a side note Bill, I have one of your Leverletto knives and it's the best automatic I've ever owned!

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Thank you.

 

[stubbornforge]

I would not think that there is any advantage to attempting to use the same vessel to both pressure stabilize and vacuum stabilize. You can get a pressure pot from Harbor Freight for low enough that is not worth the consideration for resin stabilization using a compressor for pressure. You can get a venturi valve to create vacuum but I don't think it is efficient and is wear and tear on your compressor. Not sure how that would work on a pressure pot. Once you get some quality molds the process is efficient.

Re. stabilizing services. While I have valued the material I have had returned from the leading stabilizing service, their turn around time has grown to about 12 weeks. That is just not practical for me. I have had good results from my own vacuum chamber from Turn Tex with Cactus Juice and a small pump off of Amazon. I have more direct control over color mixing and I can stabilize in small batches when ever I need. One thing that I learned is that the uptake soak of the wood after is as important as the time under vacuum.

 

[ER_Doc]

+1 on the TurnTex/Cactus Juice. I use an Amazon Special vacuum pump and change the oil after every session. My advice is to dry, dry, and dry the wood before stabilizing. If you think its dry enough, go a little longer! This will cut down on the wait for the tiny bubbles to disappear... Follow the Cactus Juice instructions and you will have beautiful results.