Stabilizing wood with 2k epoxy resin WIP

[FredyCro]

First try for the second time. This time properly documented. I will color the epoxy with black printer ink and document the weights. Wood cut to measure to fit a tetra pack for economic use of epoxy.

 

[FredyCro]

Wip. Epoxy is jet black, so it should be noticeable where it went.

 

[Ken H>]

Yep, the black will be very visible. Good move - looking forward to the result.

 

[FredyCro]

Pulled vacuum for 8h this time. Left over night. I think the wood was too hot from oven when I put it in the epoxy, and it shortened the window. I think that an appropriate term for this morning action is clusterf**k.

 

[Natlek]

That picture in middle look like a work of Picasso

 

[Natlek]

Pulled vacuum for 8h this time. Left over night. I think the wood was too hot from oven when I put it in the epoxy, and it shortened the window. I think that an appropriate term for this morning action is clusterf**k.

How much is wood too hot in Celsius ? I m searching for thick acrylic glass ... another one Picasso

 

[FredyCro]

How much is wood too hot in Celsius ? I m searching for thick acrylic glass ... another one Picasso

I dried the wood for one hour on 80°C. Before that for 48 hours on my radiator (ca 40°c). The interesting thing is also that the black colored epoxy was still runny.

I think that everything above 30c will influence how the epoxy cures. The heat makes it more runny, less viscosious though.. In the red colored wood I still had some small bubble build up when I stopped pulling vacuum, even after 8 hours and multiple vacuum releasing. I will post a video to show the viscosity of the epoxy, it's very fluid in comparison with other epoxies

 

[FredyCro]

 

[Natlek]

Here are the pics.


And mycarta as a byproduct

MY carta as a byproduct Looks excellent , why you didn't prepare the canvas this time to use the excess epoxy ? I think that I will pay beer in Wien , you just give me some crazy idea...... Mixing carbon with epoxy and then filling mold and then in press is messy job . NOW , what if I fill, press pure carbon in mold and then use vacuum as it is wood ? Several small holes in mold i hope will do the job ......

 

[FredyCro]

MY carta as a byproduct Looks excellent , why you didn't prepare the canvas this time to use the excess epoxy ? I think that I will pay beer in Wien , you just give me some crazy idea...... Mixing carbon with epoxy and then filling mold and then in press is messy job . NOW , what if I fill, press pure carbon in mold and then use vacuum as it is wood ? Several small holes in mold i hope will do the job ......

I did prep the byproduct, look at the white bottle next to the wood

But I missed the window now, at least for the red epoxy so there was no epoxy to use. I had prepped 3 pine cones in small plastic bottles and wanted to mix both epoxies together so its all black and then pull vacuum shortly on the cones. I managed to almost cover one pine cone and that was it. I didnt pull the vacuum cause the epoxy was too thick already...

I was looking also were to get carbon fiber sheaths, I think pressing it in wood press with epoxy would work. Pressure chamber would be better ofcourse. I fear that only vacuum would raise the sheaths when the air from epoxy would be pulled. Now imagine adding some aluminium or brass shaving to it as well.

 

[Natlek]

That kind of carbon is expensive .....search for chopped 3K or 6K Carbon Fiber ...at least 2cm long strands .Some two or it was three year ago i get from China 10 or it was 20 kg for around 250 $ if I remember .....Marble carbon look much better then woven cloth if you ask me ..

 

[Natlek]

I did prep the byproduct, look at the white bottle next to the wood

But I missed the window now, at least for the red epoxy so there was no epoxy to use. I had prepped 3 pine cones in small plastic bottles and wanted to mix both epoxies together so its all black and then pull vacuum shortly on the cones. I managed to almost cover one pine cone and that was it. I didnt pull the vacuum cause the epoxy was too thick already...

I was looking also were to get carbon fiber sheaths, I think pressing it in wood press with epoxy would work. Pressure chamber would be better ofcourse. I fear that only vacuum would raise the sheaths when the air from epoxy would be pulled. Now imagine adding some aluminium or brass shaving to it as well.

Fredy , I work on my setup for stabilizing wood and i just get idea .....IF you don t plan to sell stabilized block of wood , why you not first finish the handle on knife ..i mean complete work , handle glued sanded to finish and after that you stabilized wood? Whole knife in vacuum ? It will be faster , less epoxy and probably 100% penetration of resin in wood ?

 

[FredyCro]

One

Fredy , I work on my setup for stabilizing wood and i just get idea .....IF you don t plan to sell stabilized block of wood , why you not first finish the handle on knife ..i mean complete work , handle glued sanded to finish and after that you stabilized wood? Whole knife in vacuum ? It will be faster , less epoxy and probably 100% penetration of resin in wood ?

One of the reasons might be that you want the wood completely dry. For acrilic resin you would also need to bake it. For epoxy it would be messy. Also if you dry the wood in the oven, it could have influence on the glue.. I still didn't cut up the pieces but I would say for spalted wood and poplar I will use epoxy, for rest (if needed) acrilic resin.

 

[FredyCro]

Here are the weights in gram after I ground off the excess epoxy

Poplar red 78 to 103
Apple red 55 to 128
Maple red 110 to 117
Walnut red 88 to 92

Beech black 90 to 96
Walnut straight grain black 51 to 68
Walnut curly grain black 74 to 85
Maple black 62 to 71

And here are the pics of the wood stabilized with black epoxy (of the table saw and wiped down with alchochol or/and dry).

One maple scale had a crack so I broke it on purpose

Help me with conclusions please. It seems like it will work with poplar and spalted wood and partially work with the other wood I tried. I am convinced that acrilic resin would do better on maple.

I still have to compare the poplar and apple I did with acrilic resin with the one I did now...