Stabilizing resin question

[Talltim]

We are considering stabilizing our own blanks.

Having turned a number of purchased blanks I have noticed some turn with a low odor while others smell very strongly like you are turning an acrylic.

We have a household member (wife) who is opposed to the odor of acrylics. Is there a certain stabilizing resin that is known for low odor. I note cactus juice says it is low odor. Is that when turning as well?

 

[KenV]

Tim, I find odors with acrylics happen with heat and avoid it. Pretty low levels otherwise. Drilling is the biggest odor generator if I am not careful to keep bits sharp and cool.

Some woods can be smelly when hot too.

Cactus juice has some odor when baking/setting the resin. Not much, but can be noticable.

Less odor than PR when drilling. Alumilite blanks are very low odor when drilling.

 

[PatrickR]

I find the odor of cactus juice liquid and when heating to be distinct. Not strong or bad smelling, but unlike anything else. Very little odor when turning. I definitely would not heat it in an enclosed space. There is a fair amount of steam released until it fully sets.

 

[Talltim]

Thanks for your replies.

When cactus juice declares itself to be nontoxic does that imply that some of the others are?

 

[PatrickR]

Thanks for your replies.

When cactus juice declares itself to be nontoxic does that imply that some of the others are?

What others are you referring to? I'm not aware of any competitors.

 

[Bill Bulloch]

Thanks for your replies.

When cactus juice declares itself to be nontoxic does that imply that some of the others are?

What others are you referring to? I'm not aware of any competitors.

Stick Fast is a competitor, but I am not familiar with their product.

 

[Talltim]

I am referring to some of the companies that do stabilizing.

I recently turned a blank that I got from rockler. It appears that it was a woodturningz blank that they were reselling. It was like turning straight a acrylic blank as far as smell goes. I have purchased others from other sources that were very mild. Both turned nicely but one smell the place up a lot more.

Just curious of the different sources looking for the mildest form.

 

[PatrickR]

Okay, got it. I'm no help there. Not a clue as to what would be used commercially.

 

[KenV]

Tim, when I was digging on the subject several years back, the Forest Products Lab had published the basic process using resorcinal resins. The commercial vendors added trade secret processes using high pressures and vacuum to move the resin into the wood.

The outcome when cured is a high resin content and you are turning a plastic.

Cactus juice appears to be an urethane resin, with a much different formulation than resorcinal resins.

And you will not be able to purchase smaller quanties of the resins used by the commercial firms.