Pen blank stabilizing

[Joe Melton]

I'm not sure where this thread belongs, so if someone of high authority wants to move it, no sweat.
Now that I have a vacuum pump on the way, I'm interested in using it for stabilizing pen blanks, in addition to vacuum chucking. Google has helped me find lots of info on how the actual process is accomplished, but little on what chemicals to use. If anyone has any advice in this direction, it would be appreciated. I don't plan to enter into stabilizing on a commercial level; just want to play around with it for personal "I did it all myself" satisfaction.
Thanks,
Joe

[Tom Stover]

Joe: You can use polyurethane thinned by 50% with acetone, or rotted wood hardner by Minwax and other companies, or my favorite, plexiglass dissolved in acetone. The plexi/acetone takes a little while to dissolve the plexi but it doesn't change the color of the wood as much as the others.

[John Shuk]

I don't know what is in it but I've used Minwax wood hardener with good results. I have never used a vacuum pump though.

[Chris Barton]

Hey Joe,

While I haven't stabilized any blanks yet I think your question is great. What I would add is that I have a vacuum pump but, also a Foodsaver vacuum sealer unit and I have found the Foodsaver to be very useful in woodworking. I have wondered if I could use it to stablize pen blanks using one of the special Foocsaver vacuum jars. Clearly the plexiglass formula would be out since the jars are made of plexiglass but, other finishes would work if they are acetone free. I will be following this thread closely...

[Tom Stover]

Hey Joe,

While I haven't stabilized any blanks yet I think your question is great. What I would add is that I have a vacuum pump but, also a Foodsaver vacuum sealer unit and I have found the Foodsaver to be very useful in woodworking. I have wondered if I could use it to stablize pen blanks using one of the special Foocsaver vacuum jars. Clearly the plexiglass formula would be out since the jars are made of plexiglass but, other finishes would work if they are acetone free. I will be following this thread closely...
I use a gallon glass pickle jar and vaccuum.

[Joe Melton]

I read somewhere about someone dissolving styrofoam peanuts in acetone and using that mix. Maybe a chemist here can opine on that.
Another idea was Thompson's Brick Sealer mixed with Minwax Wood Hardener.
I think once you have the pump, the rest of the setup is pretty easy. Using a clear glass jar would have the advantage of allowing one to see the bubbles coming out of the wood.
Theoretically, it seems to me the best way to do this is to first use vacuum to evacuate air from the wood and then use pressure to force the solution back into the wood.
Joe, hardly in need of another project

[John Hart]

Pretty interesting project Joe. Seems pretty worthwhile to put on the project schedule (heh...as if I had a schedule!:o ) It seems to me that the evacuation of air from the wood, would create a negative pressure internally to the wood. This pressure differential between the inside of the wood and the liquid on the outside of the wood, would generate the pressure that you require. The liquid would permeate the wood cells until all pressure inside the jar was equalized. That's just a guess though. Never done this sort of thing m'self...but like Chris, I'll be watching.:)

[Justin Peters]

I was actually about to post a question about stabilization, and then I saw this thread. I have two blanks that I think might need a little help before turning. One is a piece of olivewood that has a small knot or inclusion in it. I have already drilled out the blank for the tube, but I am afraid to turn it without doing something first to prevent the knot from coming completely out. Is there a recommended way to stabilize it or put a filler in it that does not require any special tools like a vacuum pump? Would squirting some CA in the voids be sufficient?


I also have a blank that has a small crack in it from my drilling problems last week. Nothing broke off, it just has a small crack in one end that I think needs to be adressed prior to turning. Is this something that can be done, or would I be better off going out and getting another blank?

On that note, I would like to thank all of you who helped me out last week with advice on the drilling. I took your advice to heart and slowed the drill WAY down. I also replaced the broken brad point bit with a regular bit. After drilling some ten or so blanks this morning, I had no problem...all of them came out just fine and none cracked or had wallowed out holes. It's amazing how something so seemingly simple as drilling out a blank can confound a newbie. Thanks again for the advice.

[Andy Hoyt]

I know nothing about the stabilzation or vacuum bagging processes, but....

There's an active thread over on "that place that says wow an awful lot" about this very topic and it contains a bunch of information about vacuums and the chambers used. In essence it says, "Whoa, slow down and think."

So my suggestion is to read that thread and then determine how best to proceed, if at all.

John Hart - If that link hint isn't clear, I'll let you post something which is.

[Don Baer]

Heres a link to a thread from Sparkey Paessler on just this subject.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=24139&highlight=stabilizing

[Andy Hoyt]

Thanks, Don. I guess those wowsers are overly cautious.

[Lloyd Frisbee]

Where can I buy the Minwax Wood Hardener? Do the Borgs carry it? I am a left coaster so I need suppliers out here.
TIA
Lloyd
Silicon Valley Woodturners

[Howie French]

Where can I buy the Minwax Wood Hardener? Do the Borgs carry it? I am a left coaster so I need suppliers out here.
TIA
Lloyd
Silicon Valley Woodturners

Lloyd,
for what it is worth.... here on the east coast, Home Depot does carry Minwax wood harder.

Howie

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

I did a little test last night with the Minwax wood hardner and some spalted hackberry. I added some orange Transtint dye to the wood hardner and placed it in a metal container. I then put in a spalted hackberry pen blank and a piece of spalted hackberry 5" long x 1" thick by 3 inches wide. I used orange dye so I could see difinitively if the hardner made it completely into the wood.

This morning I took the pieces out of the hardner bath and they were a LOT heavier than before and most of the hardner was gone, even though it was in a sealed container. It let it dry for a while and then cut the larger piece into 3 shorter pieces and the color was uniform and complete with none of the white showing at all!

I will now let it all sit for a day or two to completely harden and then turn it to see how well it works and post back with my findings.

[Dominic Greco]

I did a little test last night with the Minwax wood hardener and some Spalted hackberry. I added some orange Transtint dye to the wood hardener and placed it in a metal container

Curtis,
I have all the parts (LARGE pickle jar, hose fittings, vacuum pump, & Minwax Wood hardener) to make my vacuum chamber. I just haven't gotten around to actually assembling them!

But your idea about using the orange transtint dye was inspired! I would have never thought of that. I have some maple burl, spalted beech and spalted silver maple that would look awesome with some color added to them.

Thanks for giving me the push to get me off my butt.