I ordered a larger bottle of thin CA with the idea that I can use it to stabilize things that need it. But I was wondering if the CA will melt or other wise damage plastic containers...I was thinking I could use a plastic tupperware type bowl with a lid to soak things in that need stabilized, will this work?
Mike
Mike,
It should work, as most plastics are very comparable with CA, you can always make a little test with a couple of drops of CA of the container you want to use, and wait for reaction. Also using a pressure pot would make the CA penetrate better and in a third of the time.
A square 2kg ice cream container is just right for this, you fit 6 blanks on each layer, cross the layers and you will fit 24 blanks. The problem is the amount of CA needed to cover the blanks with, so that they can soak the CA properly, and that is approx. 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 litres of CA or any other hardening product.
I don't know, how large is that bottle of yours, but I never seen CA sold in any larger bottles than 50gr and that is plenty for finishing pens and so but not enough to soak much more than 1 x blank
I'm doing some stabilization at the moment using my pressure pot and the wood hardener that I use, Earl's wood hardener from Timbermate is sold in the local hardware store but the biggest container they have is 1 litre and the price went from $65 to $69 these last couple of months so, 1 litre was just enough to cover the first 3 layers of 6 blanks each, left overnight in the pot, this morning I removed the 18 wet blanks and strained what was left in the ice cream container and I had left about 350ml of the initial 1.000ml.
Put another 2 layers of blanks in the container, tipped all the hardener left from the first go into it and the hardener solution hardly reached half way on the second layer of blanks (top ones) . Tomorrow I will remove the bottom layer and turn the top layer upside down, hopefully I will have enough solution to soak into the other top half blanks that are missing out tonight.
If I do, then it means that 1 litre @ $70 treated about 30 very soft blanks at a cost of $2.50 per blank...
bloody hell.....!:frown: a less soft blank would cost about $2.00 or so! This will put the blank total cost price up considerably from the initial cost of $1.00 for the blank alone!
OK, this particular wood was extremely soft all trough so the amount of soaking is also extreme, a lot more that a lesser soft blank would need. In any case, and the reason why I'm stabilizing these blanks is that I manage to stop this wood roting just in the right time, after the spalting was fully developed and the colours and effects are just out of this world, believe me!
I turned already a couple of sample blanks today after I accelerated the drying process with a heat gun, they are ready to finish tomorrow, you will see what I mean when I put them in here...!
:biggrin:
I still believe that for stabilization purposes, if you have a certain quantity to do, it would be cheaper and safer to use a timber hardener even at $70 per litre. I can't even imagine how much 1 litre of CA would cost...!
Keep us update on what you end-up doing!
Good luck.
Cheers
George
