Cactus Juice a plus!

[RHossack]

I've been busy but found some time to make a new vacuum system.

Using a Pickle Jar but with an added features like a "Catch Jar" and a real vacuum pump instead of the Venturi I was using.

Here it is pulling -28 hg and has been foaming for about 15 minutes with some really punky X-Cut Amboyna in Cactus Juice.

Right after this pic the brand new pump decides to croak. I let the blanks soak for about 2 hours while I go and get the pump replaced.

Tried to pull a vacuum with the second pump but no bubbles so I pulled the blanks and had an interesting experience with two different toaster ovens not being remotely close to temps on the dial and checking with a digital thermometer.

This is the result ...

Decided to try the new pump out and placed a piece of Spalted Apple, 3 pieces of dark Buckeye Burl and 2 pieces of what is labeled as 'Golden Buckeye Burl' into the jar and used my usual mix of 50-50 White Glue and water.

This is after pulling vacuum for about 45 minutes and then drying under a rather large forced air furnace for a few hours at work.

 

[ctubbs]

Nice setup and the results look promising.
Charles

 

[arw01]

I like it! Is that a HF pump you had so much fun with?

 

[Bellsy]

I'm looking forward to receiving my Cactus Juice, as I have lots of wood already dried and waiting. Especially some really nice wormy Box Elder with the sawdust already removed. I plan on casting them with Alumilite if all goes well.

Dave

 

[RHossack]

Nice setup and the results look promising.

Thanks Charles ... We'll see how the results are after I send the blanks back. He hasn't turned one successfully yet and this was a test.

 

[RHossack]

I like it! Is that a HF pump you had so much fun with?

Yes ... it is a Single Stage that they sell. No hassles and they replaced it without questions.

 

[Penl8the]

Pretty nifty set up there Ron. Looking forward to see pens from these blanks.

 

[arw01]

I like it! Is that a HF pump you had so much fun with?

Yes ... it is a Single Stage that they sell. No hassles and they replaced it without questions.

I will definitely buy the warranty then I get one of those!

 

[SDB777]

Really interested in hearing the turning details of the blanks that were 50/50 mixed white glue/water.

Penetration, tear-out or whatever?
And how the two types of 'stabilizing compare'?






Scott (nice set-up) B

 

[RHossack]

Pretty nifty set up there Ron. Looking forward to see pens from these blanks.

Thanks Branden ...

These Amboyna blanks will never grace a pen.

They were done for a friend in MT that hadn't been able to successfully turn a reel seat out of this stuff as it is X-Cut and punky and kept exploding as he turned it.

One of the BEB I did in the 50-50 mix has been turned and it went on an Atlas.

 

[RHossack]

Really interested in hearing the turning details of the blanks that were 50/50 mixed white glue/water.
Penetration, tear-out or whatever?

Well I know the penetration was total on the Amboyna because I cut a sliver off.

On the Punky BEB and Apple the blanks come out looking like a big stick of White Glue after sitting in the jar for an hour. And when sitting under the forced air heater dried clear.

I turned one BEB and I used just a little CA as I turned and I'm not 100% sure I needed to use it but did so simply as a precaution out of habit on the spalted areas.

The X-Cut Russian Olive on the other hand is different. Some of the pieces fell apart at some spalting lines and I CA'd them back together but haven't tried turning any yet.

And how the two types of 'stabilizing compare'?

Well ... I'm not sure I'd call the 50-50 a true stabilizing.

My sole purpose of using this is it is cheap (bought 2 qt bottles for $3 on clearance from Lowes or HD) and usually the wood will be stabilized to turn with little help from CA.

My best guess for the Cactus Juice is that it will need no help at all to turn the blanks.






Scott (nice set-up) B[/QUOTE]

 

[SDB777]

Appreciate the answer....
Did you happen to do the "Show off the pens" thing?


Was thinking a gallon of white glue at under $20 and some water vs. the Cactus Juice gallon at just shy of $100.00......of course shipping(or tax...can get gallons of glue locally) adds a little, but that is an $80.00 difference!





Scott (still thinking) B

 

[RHossack]

Appreciate the answer....

You're welcome

Did you happen to do the "Show off the pens" thing?

Lost me here ... not sure what you're typing about.

Was thinking a gallon of white glue at under $20 and some water vs. the Cactus Juice gallon at just shy of $100.00......of course shipping(or tax...can get gallons of glue locally) adds a little, but that is an $80.00 difference!

Again ... the Cactus Juice sole purpose is to stabilize totally and will do so even on really soft punky wood (apple in my case).

The Glue can be used on woods not totally dry but it takes a while for it to dry. With the Cactus Juice a trip in the Toaster Oven and you're done and ready to turn.

 

[RHossack]

Was thinking a gallon of white glue at under $20 and some water vs. the Cactus Juice gallon at just shy of $100.00......of course shipping(or tax...can get gallons of glue locally) adds a little, but that is an $80.00 difference!

Scott ... I used the 50-50 mix on some X-Cut Spalted Russian Olive Wood and it was a total disaster ... I don't know if I didn't wait long enough for it to dry before turning but a blank disintegrated while drilling.

I'm going to put some of these blanks in the Cactus Juice and see the results.

Don't bail on the Cactus Juice ... it definitely has it's place.

 

[MesquiteMan]

As you know, I sell Cactus Juice so take this info for what you think it is worth.

Comparing 50/50 white glue/water to a professional stabilizing resin is like comparing apples and peacocks! Over the last 4 or 5 years, I have tested just about every conceivable concoction for stabilizing punky wood. This includes:

epoxy thinned with DNA
lacquer
polyurethane
shellac
Minwax Wood hardner
PC Petrifier
Elmer's Wood Fortifier (basically white glue and water)
white glue and water
yellow glue and water
Polycryl
Alumilite
plexiglass dissolved in acetone
and a couple of different methacrylate ester blends including
Resinol 90C
Ultraseal
Permabond 90C
Cactus Juice

By far, the best results were obtained with a methacrylate ester blend. Resinol 90C is very difficult to obtain, is flammable, and is expensive. Ultraseal and Permabond 90C were basically the same product and I was not real happy with either. Then, I found the methacrylate ester blend that I sell as Cactus Juice. The company that manufacturers it told me it was the same as Resinol 90C (the gold standard of professional stabilizing solutions) so I had them send me some for testing. When I opened the package, I was skeptical since it did not smell the same as Resinol 90c but my first set of blanks came out just as good as Resinol 90C.

The main difference in a methacrylate ester resin and most of the other stuff is the fact that there is not a carrier that has to flash off. If you have 50% glue to water and the glue itself has water in it, how much of the actual glue resin is going to be left in the wood after the water dries? Same with Minwax Wood Hardener. It is 78% volatile with the other 22% being the actual stuff that hardens the wood. If the blank is saturated with the material to where it can not hold any more, once the 78% flashes off, you are not left with a lot of the good stuff in the blank!

With a methacrylate ester resin, 90-95% of the material is the actual methacrylate ester and remains in the blank since it is heat cured. With a flash point of greater than 200°F, very little flashes off and and once it reaches the cure temp, it cross links to form the hard acrylic resin with a shore D hardness of 75-85.