Stabilizing?

[Will52100]

OK, I've got a compressor to pull 28-30 inches of vacume, and a container with everything hooked up, and no leaks.

Now, how do I use it? right now I have a solution of Minwax wood hardner cut with aceton mixed with purple Rit dye. I have some scrap pieces of horn and wood in the solution to see what kind of penitration I get. I plan to leave under vacum overnight then check.

Ok, what do you use and how long?

Thanks,

 

[B . Buxton]

Will,

This is how I do it and I get really good penetration. I don't use any dyes through, I tried some earlier on, but didn't care for the results so I leave all my woods,antler and bones natural. I just drop my material into a gal. glass jar with wood hardener and pull a vacuum until it quits bubbleing, then I release the vacuum for a few minutes and pull the vacuum again, always keeping the material totally covered with wood hardener. I do this 3 times and then let material sit for a day or 2 in the wood hardener always keeping it submerged with no vacuum. I've cut several blocks of wood and antler to see how deep the liquid had penetrated and found full penetration.I tried this with dye in wood hardener, using red dye on antler and it showed the hardener went all the way thru but the color was pink inside and not the deep red I was wanting. I was useing rite dye powder and the hardener was totally saturated, 2 boxes in 1 pint, I stirred until no more dye would dissolve and then poured off the liquid and used it. If you have better luck dyeing your material, I would sure like to know how and what you did.

Good Luck

Bill

 

[Will52100]

Thanks, I don't have a sight glass, and the purple dye was just so I could see penitration for a test.

Need to get a vacume gauge and maybe a sight glass