Which countries sell Cactus juice?

E

Eriksen

Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
180
Are there any European countries which sell this product, or is USA the only alternative? I live in Norway and the shipping cost from USA is more than the cost of the product, so it would maybe had been better for me to order from an European country.
 
Odd thread on a knife forum, but are you talking about Cactus Cooler, the orange soda drink?
 
Eriksen said:
Are there any European countries which sell this product, or is USA the only alternative? I live in Norway and the shipping cost from USA is more than the cost of the product, so it would maybe had been better for me to order from an European country.
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I live in Sweden and use this resin: https://www.jatagan.eu/en/stabilizing/

Here are some more:

UK
https://houseofresin.co.uk/search.php?search_query=cactus&section=product
https://vacuumchambers.eu/en_US/p/Resin-ImpResin90-5l/48

Finland
https://brisa.fi/chemicals/stabilizing-resin-100termtm/cactus-juice-1-gallon-3-79-l.html
 
I know, its a weird name ... but it is an acrylic resin. As said above, knifemakers use it to stabilize handle material ... but it is also very commonly used by wood workers to stabilize wood (spalted or burl) for turning on a lathe or for turning pens. My local woodworking shop has gallons (sorry - we STILL are not metric!) sitting on an endcap at the store.
 
Stromberg Knives said:
I live in Sweden and use this resin: https://www.jatagan.eu/en/stabilizing/
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This is described as a low viscosity slow cure epoxy. Does it fully penetrate the wood? In my own limited experience with cactus juice and a vacuum chamber, 48 hours is not nearly enough time to get full penetration with some woods, but if this is somehow better and faster I'd be willing to give it a shot.


Eriksen said:
Are there any European countries which sell this product, or is USA the only alternative? I live in Norway and the shipping cost from USA is more than the cost of the product, so it would maybe had been better for me to order from an European country.
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There's also a retailer of ImpResin 90 in Germany, but I haven't ever used this product so I don't know how it compares with cactus juice. Here's a link: https://drechselshop-kramer.com/epa...49c1-88ff-f27ec0598851/Products/StHa-ImpRes90
 
Wulf said:
This is described as a low viscosity slow cure epoxy. Does it fully penetrate the wood? In my own limited experience with cactus juice and a vacuum chamber, 48 hours is not nearly enough time to get full penetration with some woods, but if this is somehow better and faster I'd be willing to give it a shot.
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Well, I'm happy with its performance, as far as I can tell. Naturally the degree of success will depend on the type of wood used in the process. I've done a lot of trial and error work with different woods.

Going by weight I've seen the complete range, from 10% - 60% increase. I tend to stretch out the process in time, as a hobbyist I'm in no hurry. So I let every step in the process take its time. Therefore it will take me a couple of weeks to process a small batch.
 
Stromberg Knives said:
Well, I'm happy with its performance, as far as I can tell. Naturally the degree of success will depend on the type of wood used in the process. I've done a lot of trial and error work with different woods.

Going by weight I've seen the complete range, from 10% - 60% increase. I tend to stretch out the process in time, as a hobbyist I'm in no hurry. So I let every step in the process take its time. Therefore it will take me a couple of weeks to process a small batch.
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Thanks Stefan, so does that mean you use the same process with this product as you do with other impregnating resins? And the 48 hour curing period - is that a heat activated process like cactus juice, meaning that you have more than just 48 hours to impregnate the wood?
 
Ah, cactus juice...... ;)

1280px-15-09-26-RalfR-WLC-0244.jpg


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila
 
Wulf said:
Thanks Stefan, so does that mean you use the same process with this product as you do with other impregnating resins? And the 48 hour curing period - is that a heat activated process like cactus juice, meaning that you have more than just 48 hours to impregnate the wood?
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That´s also what I wanted to ask about. If Cactus juice have a 48 hours limit, how can then the epoxy product be better as it has a shorter curing time?

The Impresin 90 is a heat hardening solution, but does it exceed the 48 hours limit and does it give the same good result as the Cactus juice?
 
Wulf said:
Thanks Stefan, so does that mean you use the same process with this product as you do with other impregnating resins? And the 48 hour curing period - is that a heat activated process like cactus juice, meaning that you have more than just 48 hours to impregnate the wood?
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This is my process:
  1. Dry wood in oven at 110 degC for 24 hours
  2. Let wood cool in zip lock bag
  3. Weigh the wood and document
  4. Submerge wood in resin and apply vacuum for 12 hours
  5. Release vacuum and leave submerged over night
  6. Turn 180 degrees and apply vacuum for 12 hours
  7. Release vacuum and leave submerged for a week
  8. Wrap wood in aluminium foil and bake at 95 degC for 5 hours
  9. Remove wood from oven and let it air cool to room temperature
  10. Wait 1-2 hours and check that the resin has cured
  11. Weigh the wood and compare to initial weight
  12. Let wood rest for at least 24 hours before use
 
Stromberg Knives said:
  1. Submerge wood in resin and apply vacuum for 12 hours
  2. Release vacuum and leave submerged over night
  3. Turn 180 degrees and apply vacuum for 12 hours
  4. Release vacuum and leave submerged for a week
I wonder if pressure higher than atmospheric would speed up the process and resin would penetrate faster/deeper into the wood ?
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Natlek said:
I wonder if pressure higher than atmospheric would speed up the process and resin would penetrate faster/deeper into the wood ?
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Yep, I know of makers that use pressure pots and such. But everything I've read about this process states that it doesn't really do much in these non-industrial settings. So I haven't felt the need to go down that road.
 
Stefan, thanks. Your process sounds similar to mine, except that with my setup, some woods seem to take longer than two 12 hour vaccuum cycles to get all the bubbles out. But either way the product you're using sounds an awful lot like the other impregnating resins that are out there. I was just thrown off by the 48 hour cure time mentioned in the description at the website you posted, which made it sound more like a slow-cure epoxy than a heat-activated resin.
 
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