Stabilize Your Own Wood Blanks

[Travis]

Interesting article for those who turn pen blanks.  Step by step on how to stabilize your own wood blanks.

 

http://blog.woodturnerscatalog.com/2014/02/wood-stabilizing-v-2/

[Dan]

Some day, Travis, some day. Do you have any idea if the stabilizer smells as strong as resin? 

[Travis]

I'm guessing it does since it is a resin of some sort.  When turning, I'm sure you'll get a hint of plastic.  Kinda expensive to get into.  I think I've read somewhere people rig up pressure cookers to do something similar.  Sounds dangerous, though.  If you're going to do a bunch of them, might be fun to have.  Otherwise, I'll just stop in Woodcraft and pick up a blank that looks nice.  

[Dan]

Travis, do you make pen blanks? I've used poly resin and that stuff chases the wife out of the house. Hehe. For about twice the cost I tried Alumilite. That stuff has almost no smell and cures in hours instead of days. It turns like butter with less chance of chipping than PR. It takes a little getting use to the shorter open time but you get a finished product faster.

 

BTW, I think Woodcraft is beginning to carry stabilizing materials too.

[ironman123]

I use Cactus Juice for my stabilizing and don't notice any offensive odor.  Just did some today.

 

 

Ray

[amazingkevin]

tips and tricks again !

[Phantom Scroller]

I use Cactus Juice for my stabilizing and don't notice any offensive odor.  Just did some today.

 

 

Ray are your saying juice from a cactus how do you get that? never heard of that.

[Dan]

Roly, there's a guy in Texas that makes stabilizing material he calls Cactus Juice. It's supposed to be great stuff. You can add dyes to it and it soaks into the wood to color it all the way through. Here's a link: http://www.turntex.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=121

[Gary Beasley]

I have the TurnTex stabilizing rig. After learning a few essential details I've been able to make quite a few very nice blanks. I've even stabilized a small bowl blank in it, bowl came out great.

[Dan]

I have the TurnTex stabilizing rig. After learning a few essential details I've been able to make quite a few very nice blanks. I've even stabilized a small bowl blank in it, bowl came out great.

Pics?

[Travis]

I don't make blanks.  Clayton makes some really nice acrylic resin blanks.  I've turned a couple of those and they sure turned out nice.  Be fun to dye some wood for pen turning, though.  Gunna look at that Cactus Juice stuff a little closer.  Hrmmm...now the ideas are flowing.

 

 

 

[Gary Beasley]

Heres some blanks I traded for pen kits a while back. The bowl found it's way to the art gallery before I thought to take pics of it.

[Clayton717]

This is something I would like to experiment with, but haven't convinced myself I need to spend the money. For no more than I would use it. I'm sure though if i had it i would find things to stabilize.

I do make pan blanks with PR (polyester resin)

[Gary Beasley]

I was lucky to have a Gast vacuum pump on hand from a graphic arts contact printer. The rests was just waiting for Curtis to get my tank built. Woodcraft also has a stabilizing system for sale, with a metal tank though and not see through. If you are handy you can build your own from large pvc pipe and use an old fridge compressor to drive the vacuum. It wont be fast but it will work. The cost and quality of the resin is about equal between the two suppliers from what I've heard on IAP.