How do you stabilize wood with cactus juice?
Table of Contents
How do you stabilize wood with cactus juice?
Quick Start Basics for Use
- Prepare blanks.
- Place blanks in vacuum chamber and weight down.
- Add Cactus Juice to completely cover blanks.
- Apply full vacuum to chamber and keep your vacuum pump running until bubbles stop.
- Release vacuum and soak blanks for at least twice as long as you had them under vacuum.
- Remove blanks.
What is Cactus Juice resin?
Cactus Juice Stabilizing Resin is a premium, professional grade, heat cured resin for impregnating wood and other porous materials to make them harder, more resistant to moisture, and to add integral color with dyes. Cactus Juice is easy to use and does not significantly change the color of most woods.
How long does it take to stabilize wood?
It usually takes 4-6 hours for wood on the low end. Wood on the high end takes about 24 hours to stabilize. For high-end wood, the reason as to why the process takes a day is because all the air must be fully evacuated from the wood in order for the stabilization process to be successful.
How long does cactus juice last?
12 months
Cactus Juice has a guaranteed shelf life of 12 months at room temperature (below 85° F) from the date it is shipped. You can extend the shelf life significantly by keeping it in a refrigerator.
What is the easiest way to stabilize wood?
Wood stabilization is the process of strengthening wood so that it will no longer respond to changes in humidity. Stabilization can be performed in five steps: drying the wood, loading the vacuum chamber, saturating the wood with resin, curing the wood, and coloring the wood.
How do you treat resin in cactus juice?
Cactus Juice cures when the temperature of the resin within the blank reaches 90º C for 6-8 minutes. The typical small shop method for curing is in a counter top toaster oven until internal blank temperature reaches the cure temperature for 10 minutes or more.
Do you have to stabilize wood for knife handles?
Wood is the most commonly-used material for knife handles, but it needs to be stabilized first. Being a natural material, it is sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity and can expand or contract, which causes a problem when tight tolerances (like making knife handles) are required.
Does stabilized wood need a finish?
The natural pores of stabilized woods remain open after treatment. Since no finish is necessary and most knifemakers simply sand the wood to 400 or 600 grit, then buff with jewelry polishing compound, some of the compound may be trapped in the open pores of the wood.
Is Walnut a good wood for knife handles?
Ultimately, hardwoods work best for knife scales, because they are very durable. Common hardwoods used for knife scales include walnut, oak, African blackwood, koa, desert ironwood, rosewood, olive wood, ebony, amboyna, bloodwood, bocote, and cocobolo.
