Corncobs

[Scott]

This is my first time posting here, so please take pity on me! OK, so it's my first time posting on the Casting & Stabilization forum, anyway!

Perry sent me some great slim corncobs for my experiment in turning slim corncob pens. They are thin, and very light weight. I think they would benefit greatly from some amount of stabilization. I don't have a pressure pot, and frankly haven't tried stabilizing anything before (unless you count copious amounts of CA while turning!). Is there something I can just soak the cobs in that will eventually soak in and harden them, even a bit?

I'm thinking of using some polyurethane, soaking for a few days, dry for a few days, then drill and turn. I suspect that I will need to still use my CA, but if this would allow me to at least drill them proper, I would be happy.

What do you think, oh Guru's of stabilization?

Scott.

 

[kirkfranks]

I use a coffee can with Plexi and acetone mix.
I made it just for that purpose and it did work prette good.
Had to put something on top to keep them from floating to the top.
Left them in about a week. Once they came out I let them cure another week.
I think they were probably dry in about 5 min, but I was not in a hurry.

Give it a try. Don't cost much.

 

[leehljp]

I am not totally experienced in this either but I have some wood blanks that were stabilized with poly. Poly does well, but there are a few stabilizers that do better. However I don't see how any will do without some kind of pressure. Since the cobs are porous*, it is possible to let them soak for a few days and then take them out and let them sit for a couple of weeks. But they would need some warm weather to help in the drying process, IMO. I would also drill out a 4 mm or 3/16 inch hole in the center to allow better soaking. I would not drill it to 6 mm because in my experience with wood, drilling a hole before something is cured or dried, it will "move" and distort. So keep the hole smaller than the final size that it will be drilled.

* "porous" - I tried something last week that astounded me. I wanted some "fill in" stipes and tried dyeing some wood. I needed consistent sized wood - 1mm - and found some balsa. I dyed it with the purpose of stabilizing it after dyeing it. I also had a few pieces of other wood, including round tooth picks and 3 mm wood dowells. I placed the woods in the dye in a small pot, pulled a vac for 1 hour, released for about 10 minutes and put 50 lb pressure for 1 hour. Believe It Or Not, the 1mm balsa did NOT let the dye soak all the way in. The tooth picks and 3 mm dowells were solidly dyed.

Different woods and materials react differently to liquids of different sorts, even under vacs and pressures. "Pourous" is not always synonymous ability to "soak up" or "soak through".

Besides the polyurethane, the Plexi and acetone works well too but don't expect it to fill in solidly. It will make it stiffer and stronger.

 

[kirkfranks]

Hank's message made me remember that I did drill my cobs before they went in the plexi mix. I drilled 7mm, but the end kit was a Cigar so I knew I would have to make the hole larger.

 

[Mudder]

Scott;

Lowes or Home Depot have a wood hardener made by either Minwax or Bondo. I used it with great success on corncobs before I made my vacuum and pressure pot. Stuff runs about $8.00 a quart so it's not cheap but then again, you don't have to find the plexi, dissolve it and do all the other stuff needed to use it. If you want to go quick & dirty this is my suggestion to you.

Scott

 

[louisbry]

What are the best stabilizers when using a vaccum pot?

 

[Scott]

Thanks guys!

I think I will try the polyurethane, because I have it. I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, and I can put these in to soak before I leave. Otherwise I might have given the plexi and acetone a shot. I've been wanting to try that sometime. I had a can of that Minwax hardener once, a million years ago. That might be an idea.

The challenge I'm working on is a "stick" pen out of corncob. That means I'm going to be drilling a deep, narrow hole, but I won't be gluing in any brass tubes. I'm hoping I can get it turned without breaking it! Corncobs are really pretty sturdy though, so I have high hopes this will turn out.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Scott.

 

[leehljp]

Scott,

I should have added another note in my post above but forgot. I usually thin Poly with mineral spirits/thinner no matter what I am doing with it, including for when I stabilized blanks. I usually thin it to 2/3 poly and 1/3 thinner. It wouldn't hurt to go 50/50. The 50/50 will soak in better and dry/cure quicker, but give less strength.

 

[Scott]

Thanks Hank!

I was thinking of thinning my poly anyway, as it has thickened a bit since the summer. 50-50, huh? I'll give that a try. I'm not so much worried about strength as I am about firmness while drilling and turning. Thanks!

Scott.

 

[leehljp]

I have turned only 4. I was just looking for strength more than a solid and discovered something. My first one went without a problem. My second and third both had a blow out but were fixable and come out without visible problems. On the 1st and 4th blanks, I put CA on them liberally as I turned. After turning down a bit, I put CA on, and turned more. The 2nd and 3rd, I didn't do that and those two had blow outs near the end.

To me, it is a combination of experience and the adequate use of CA after the stabilizing.

I hope this helps.