Will this work...vacuum sealer to stabilize blanks?

[Joe Kieve]

Just wondering after reading a previous thread about stabilizing blanks with glue and water. I have a "food saver" vacuum food storage system. Would it work to put several blanks in a bag, pour in some "minwax high performance wood hardener" and vacuum seal them for a few days? Would it stabilize them for turning after they dry?
Anybody ever tried this?

Joe

[Jim Burr]

You need one of two things Joe; if you want vaccum, it needs to be 28mmhg for 30-60 minutes...studies back this measurement and time factor. Going the other way, you need pressure...about 30-40 psi overnight. A lot of these procedures can't be short cut...if you want it done...gotta do it right. If the Foodsaver draws, and you can measure the appropriate vaccum...use it. But vaccum is only half the equation.

[Paul Williams]

No lignitimate experience but I would be concerned that the liquid would be pulled into the pump. Also you would be pulling the liquid away from the wood. I would try bagging the wood. Sucking the air out, and then use a syringe to inject the liquid into the bag.

[Mike Cruz]

You know, I was wondering about that, too. Thanks for clarifying that, Jim. But maybe not quite clear enough... What do you mean "Going the other way"? Do you mean drying? So you need to use a vacuum to get the glue/stabilizer in the blank, then, once in, you need to apply pressure to it for 8 hours?

[Joe Kieve]

Thanks guys for your quick response and expert advice. Like I said, I was just wondering. Oh well, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds. Guess I'll just have to continue to purchase already stabilized.

Thanks again.

Joe

[Mike Cruz]

Or just wood that doesn't NEED stabilization...

[Jim Burr]

Sorry Mike...I can see it in my head, but it doesn't always meet paper in the right way! Two forces can be used to stabilize wood...vacuum or pressure. Pressure forces an agent into the pores of the wood, where vacuum draws it in. If using vacuum...look at the video on Turntex, you'll see air being displaced by the stabilizing agent. Using pressure, the air is being compressed into very tiny bubbles. Depending on your need, either is an acceptable way to reach your goal. I have some gator jawbone that I am going to cast for pen blanks. In this case...I want pressure to force the resin into voids...gator bone is really porous!!..and squish the bubbles always present in PR resin. If I was to use vacuum, it would fill the tiny voids, but the big openings...like where the teeth were...would still be open. Hope that helps!

[Mike Cruz]

Gotcha, Jim. Thanks for the explanation. Not sure a foodsaver would do well running for 30-60 minutes straight. Suppose I could use my Gast vacuum pump... but I know someone that has a better set up, and KNOWS what he's doing...

[Van Huskey]

Gotcha, Jim. Thanks for the explanation. Not sure a foodsaver would do well running for 30-60 minutes straight. Suppose I could use my Gast vacuum pump... but I know someone that has a better set up, and KNOWS what he's doing...

If you work it out to do it yourself you won't have to drink the glue/water to get rid of it...

[Corby Bender]

It's funny, before I found this post, I went through a trial run trying to stabilize pen blanks using a food saver and the Minwax brand product discussed here. I documented the process over in a long blog post if you want to check it out. https://mywood.shop/post/71492561534...blanks-cheaply

The too long, didn't read version is it doesn't really work. I turned the blanks I used in the method described, but I would not sell them at my pen blank site, https://penblanksales.com I've since upgraded to a full on vacuum chamber using SOS 3.0 formula, though I'd like to get some cactus juice from TurnTex next. That really seems to do the stabilizing job much better and I don't feel "iffy" about selling stabilized pen blanks now.

I think stabilizing pen blanks and pucky wood for other turning projects is just better suited for the "right" equipment, even if it is more expensive than the home grown method I tried and failed at. Hope this helps!
-Corby-

[Richard Coers]

Miniwax wood hardener is a horrible wood stabilizing product, it's almost all solvent. To really stabilize the wood, you have to remove all the air from the wood cells. That takes nearly a full vacuum and the food saver is barely a fraction of that.

[Corby Bender]

Miniwax wood hardener is a horrible wood stabilizing product, it's almost all solvent. To really stabilize the wood, you have to remove all the air from the wood cells. That takes nearly a full vacuum and the food saver is barely a fraction of that.

Yep, you're right. My chamber can pull and hold I want to say somewhere between 30 and 35, but from what I read (after the fact) the food saver is somewhere around 18-20. A real chamber is suited for the job, a Food Saver just isn't.