Vacuum stabilized spalted maple.

[Doghouse]

I have been following the discussions on stabilizing with poly, and tried it out this weekend.

My setup:
Mason jar
Gang valve from the fish tank
Oil Siphon pump from boat.

(yup, I'm from the south and its a "Hey y'all watch this" event)

So the pump says do not exceed 10-30 pumps. Now I know why. Around 90 pumps, the top of the oil can started to cave in.
Around 95 the poly started to bubble.

Ok, so after repeating this about 6 times then letting it relax over night, the blanks more than tripled in weight and no longer let out air when pumped. No I do not have a gauge so don't ask how many inches of vacuum.

How long should I wait for them to dry before I drill them and start to turn them?

 

[leenollie]

I'd let them dry at least 24-48 hours in a warm dry place. That's how ong it takes my blanks to dry using Minwax Fast-dry polyurethane.

 

[wayneis]

Are you using oil or water based poly?

Wayne

 

[leenollie]

Hi Wayne,

It is an oil-base poly. I like using it because it dries fast and does not have a really strong petroleum smell like some of the other poly I've tried in the past.

Lee Biggers
The ever curious pen turner []

 

[Doghouse]

I used regular minwax poly. It has been 48 hours and I cut and drilled my first. The poly was all the way through no difference between the outside and inside. When I drilled it, it was still damp inside, so it will be sitting for another 24 hrs before I glue it up.

 

[tipusnr]

Here are a couple of sites you might look at if you are still interested in vacuum stabilizing.

www.paragoncode.com/shop/vacuum_pump/ shows how to build a vacuum pump from a salvaged refrigerator compressor.

Harbor Freight Tools website has a pump driven off an air compressor on sale for under $10.00 and a manual vacuum pump (used to bleed brake lines) for $33.99. The later is about the same price as Doghouse's oil siphon pump.

Just thought I'd share.

 

[dw]

Can you provide a link to the manual vacuum pump? Or at least a breakdown of where to click to get to it?

thanks

 

[tipusnr]

Go to www.harborfreight.com and in the "Find Item Number" box enter 39522-4VGA and click on "Go".

 

[Doghouse]

DW, if you have a lawn mower, lawn tractor or snow blower the oil pump is available from any boating store.
http://www.boatus-store.com/webapp/...002&langId=-1&catalogId=20002&productId=46497 12 volt may work

This is what I use http://www.boatus-store.com/webapp/...002&langId=-1&catalogId=20002&productId=27074

It pulls more vacuum than I could imagine. The metal top of the can started to cave in on itself. I was having a hard time even pulling the pump so it creates a lot of vacuum. I have been cleaning up the garage so I can get some work done. and have not continued experimenting. If anyone has the chance pls try laquer and see if it will do the same thing. I am hoping to reduce the color change.