Hi Jim, Your right to use the pressure pot, it really does get the extra little bit in. Great video. If I'm stabilising a really special piece of wood I will not use the oven to dry the timber as I have lost a few choice pieces due to cracking/'heating even at 100C and when the wood ws stored in a dry place for a long long time.. Instead I will just use the vacuum to boil off the water. It takes several cycles and unless you have a gas ballast valve you will have to change the oil regularly at least two or three times as it emulsifies with the water. However the piece will be intact and fully stabilised. I like to leave difficult hard woods under vacuum and pressure for a long time and if I don't need then quick why not just leave them soaking. No harm will come to them. I've left some pieces in resin for upto a month! Yew can be problematic but I have conquered it now:) Sandy
Hi Sandy Yes the pressure pot certainly helps. We rely on atmospheric pressure to push the resin into the wood after vacuum, so why not increase the “atmospheric pressure” to help the process. Using vacuum to dry the wood is a great idea, I may need to get some more vacuum pump oil though. Another great tip from the master. Many thanks for watching my friend. Cheers Jim
This video brought back good memories of when I was injection molding electrical connectors for a GPS system that went into military Humvees for Desert Storm. After evacuating the elastomer and injecting the silicon rubber molds using a pump gun that mixed the two part system, the molds went into the pressure pot and the pressure pot went into a curing oven I fabricate using polystyrene insulating board and duct tape. My cure time was 12 hours at 120 F. Results were amazing with tooling that cost a fraction of hard tooling. Thank you for producing these very well-made videos. Anyone who has tried to be as concise and clear as you are , knows how difficult shooting and editing can be. You-tubers should look at your channel as a good example a quality product.
Thank you very much Jack. I recently visited a facility where they were doing something very similar to what you have described, it was fascinating. I am very glad you like my videos, the video editing certainly takes a very long time but it is worth it in the end. My earlier videos were far too long. Cheers, Jim
@@JimsonMakes oh have you ever stabilized a pine cone . I learned a trick by actually puting a pine cone in very hot water it will actually close the pine cone. After that you can reopen it by putting it in a warm oven or hot oven
I’ve not tried stabilising a pine cone, I think the natural pine resin within them may cause a problem. I had heard about the water trick with cones, they certainly open and close with changes in humidity. The problem with resin work is the pine cones need to be completely dry. Cheers Jim
@@JimsonMakes yeah I let my pinecone completely dry while it was still closed but then I ended up having to put it through the same process to close it again to make decorative changes to it now it's partially opened on the very bottom and it's mostly closed throughout but it looks quite interesting I'm trying to figure out what type of resin would be good to put it in I need to put a picture of it on Instagram and show the two types of resin that I have if I have the wrong resin I can go out and get some more
Thank you Jim for another video re-enforcing what I know about stabilizing wood blanks. I've watched others do the pressure pot after the vacuum chamber and you are spot on. I, too, will be putting together knives with blanks and I'm looking forward to your videos on knife assembling and crafting the scales. The knives you have in this video look great and I will check out their site. Thanks again Jim.
Thank you very much Ed. When we release the vacuum we are relying on atmospheric pressure to force the resin into the voids, so why not give it a helping hand by increasing the pressure. Cheers Jim
Great video Jim. You are saving people like me, who are interested in getting into this pressure and vacuum stuff, a huge amount of time because your summaries of the information you have gleaned are flawless. Thank you. Best Wishes, Brendan.
Ooh, ooh, ooh -- I want some curly birch now. Preferably yesterday :-) Stabilizing knife scales is why I first got vacuum and pressure containers, well before I started using them for woodturning. I haven't forgotten my promise to forge a knife for you -- I've whittled down my backlog enough that I'll be able to do so in the not-terribly-distant future. Clyde
Yes the curly birch is amazing, I am really looking forward to using it. Do you use a pressure pot when stabilising ? I am not sure how is gained by using it, it certainly speeds up the absorption of the resin. I wish I had a forge. Cheers, Jim
I do use both. That's the primary reason I use one vessel for both vacuum and pressure. I too am not sure if the final product is really different, but it does save time. I'll also degas & pressurize molds in situ. If the urge to build a propane forge ever overcomes you, let me know. I can steer you to resources that let you build a safe, effective, efficient burner and forge. Avoid anything you see on TH-cam like the plague... Clyde
Haha I have that same vaccum, and yes definitely close valve before shutting pump off or else you will get pump oil all over whatever you have in the vacuum chamber. Also once pump reaches -30 its at max or close to it and really no need to keep running vaccum.
Wow Jim! Your videos always are entertaining and well reviewed. I was impressed to see those two birch blocks among the blocks in your treatment. I know we are going to see some spectacular works with those new Puronvarsi scandi blades and stabilized wood blocks. Thank you for your very thorough review about stabilization. Thanks, Osmo
Jim, The wood turned out really well and I am really looking forward to your knives. I hope you will video the process for each knife as I think it will be very interesting. Thanks, Jim
Great video Jim, totally agree with what you said about Sandy’s attention to detail. I hope to be taking advantage of the discount code, just the push I need to increase the quality of my own work. Many thanks.
Thank you very much Max. Yes Sandy’s work is inspirational. I am delighted with the vacuum chamber and pump, something I have wanted for a long time. Cheers, Jim
Also 're using the pressure pot after, personally I think that this a little over the top, wood in its natural form is full of voids and once the vacuum has finished it's job I think you are in the realms of demmissioning returns... wonder if you have time to do some experiments... see if it's worth it. Finally thanks for your contributions to the woodturning community I have been inspired to try different things with milliput and now thinking of doing more with resin and pressure pots...
Thank you very much Chris. Yes the pressure pot may be step too far and you are right about diminishing returns. I think it is probably just speeding up the ingress of the resin into the wood. It did cause the resin to drop another 2-3mm but that may have happened anyway over the 24 hour period. Cheers, Jim
Those bits of wood looked stunning before the stabilisation and while it is hard to visualise the end results you'll achive I'm pretty sure from others I've watched they will be awesome. I've also been searching for a 'cost effective' method of doing this and discovered that they use a similar method to treat Blue John stone prior to making jewellry etc from it. Of the two UK companies I managed to find one uses a two part resin but the other boils it in a pine resin. I'll send you the details I've managed to get. Hopefully see you at Makers Central (finances willing).
Hey Jim Metalclay in uk has cactus juice although ive used stickfast and i have been very happy with it seems very much the same. I never tried using pressure Jim great tip im going to do this later today on a repeat project with colour. Thank you so much for sharing Jim
Hi Pam, I’m not sure how much can be gained from the use of pressure but it certainly speeds up the ingress of the resin into the wood, especially on larger pieces. Cheers, Jim
Another great video, Jim. I do as lot of stabilizing to make use of spalted wood I have. I use Cactus Juice mostly but have used the TNI product as well. Never thought of using pressure after the vacuum and may start doing that routinely. I think it will improve the quality of my stabilized blanks. Great idea! Looking forward to the knife making videos as this is also something I've [played around with a bit. Best regards Tom "pops" Puskar Howell, NJ USA
Thank you very much Tom. Are there any differences between the 2 resins ? I am not sure how much is gained by the use of pressure but it will certainly speed the process up and I think make it more complete. Apparently it is good on difficult woods such as yew. Cheers, Jim
Both Jim Haut of TMI, manufacturers/distributors of Stick Fast and Curtis Seebeck of TurnTex, manufacturer of Cactus Juice claim their products are "essentially the same" but each, of course, claims theirs is better! I've spoken with both of them. I've used both and prefer Cactus Juice since it is $10 US cheaper per gallon than Stick Fast. Quantity discounts are available and our turning club often pool orders and get a price even $20 US per gallon less than the one gallon price. Both companies use distributors and TurnTex sells direct.
Hi mate, good video well presented. I was wondering which Vac tank model you bought and pump, Ive looked at the link but there are many to choose from and your looks about right for me size wise. Thanks
Hi Paul, I can’t remember what size I got, could have been 19 litres. The pump was a 2 stage. Make sure you get a 2 stage pump and get the most powerful one your budget allows. Cheers Jim
What is the purpose of using the vacuum chamber? And if you are making a blank of resin and wood to turn, do you need a presure pot? What are the use of each one? Love your channel and you daughter melts my heart. Glad I found your channel. Hello from the states.
Hi Daniel, have a look at this series of videos, it will hopefully demonstrate the different uses, but basically the vacuum chamber is for sucking air out and the pressure pot is for pushing resin in and collapsing any bubbles to a microscopic size. Cheers, Jim
Hello Jim, Ace video. I'm struggling with this use of the pressure pot afterwards. I agree that you cannot pressure the liquid into air filled voids effectively if there is no outlet for the air. The pressure bubble created should simply push back when the pressure is released. if the vacuum chamber activity is effective, then the liquid should fill the cavities from which the air is evacuated. If however some air still exists in the core, there should at least be stability when the vacuum is released. Logic suggests that a pressure pot would not then be able to do the job that it couldn't do in the first place. My proposed remedy depending on the porosity of the wood might be: - much longer soaking in vacuum, and/or repositioning of the wood's axis in the liquid, or removing the core. . . (eeek!). Will smaller pieces of wood suffer from poor absorption if they are porous? Regards, Glenn. :-)
I agree Glenn, I think it is marginal the benefit but every little helps. The level in the jug dropped another 2-3mm in the pressure pot. I think the main benefit is speeding up the ingress of the resin back into the wood and might just fill some small vacuum pockets. More porous pieces of wood should work better and certainly turning the wood over half way through would likely help. It would certainly be worth considering predrilling pen blanks before stabilising. Cheers, Jim
Hi. Thanks for the videos 👍🏻 does it matter what compressor you use with the pressure pot? Can you recommend a cheap model preferably from Machine Mart as I have on round the corner 😁👍🏻
Thank you very much for watching. Most compressors will work as long as they reach 60psi but I would recommend you get one with a receiver tank that is bigger in volume than you pressure pot, that way it will pressurise the pressure pot very quickly. This is important if you are using fast curing resins. The larger compressors are also much more suited to using air tools such as a dust blower and doing your car tires. I prefer the oil free compressors as they are easier to look after. The other consideration is noise, many of the machine mart compressors are very noisy, not a problem if you are not going to disturb anyone but my workshop is my garage and we are semi detached so I had to get a quieter one. Machine mart do a range of near silent compressors but they are very expensive, I bought a 22l Titan precision compressor off eBay for £299 from Strongman Tools, amazing bit of kit and very quiet. Cheers Jim
Jim Overton - Jimson's Stuff That’s just what I needed Jim thanks for taking the time give the info 👍🏻 Can I be cheeky while I’m here and ask which clear resin you use for casting please? I will be making hybrid knife scales and little art projects with the kids. I have got some Polyester resin but it is super smelly and not child friendly (is any resin child friendly? 8 to 10 years). Many Thanks Kevin
Couldn't you use a pressure pot as a vacuum chamber simply by hooking up the vacuum pump to it? Seems to me that the vessels are basically the same, only one sucks the air out and the other in. It looks like they use the same quick connect fittings for each the pump and compressor? I guess you would need to have both types of gauges as well? What am I missing? Thanks Jim, another great video! Brian.
Thank you very much Brian. In theory you could use the pot for both but you would need 2 different gauges that could be closed off 100%, ( unless there is a gauge that can do both ) but the main problem is that most jobs that require vacuum require a certain amount of visual control and assessment and you can’t see into a pressure pot without taking the lid off. Cheers, Jim
Hi Robert, these are for stick tang blades so they will not be split at any time, but yes if they were for full tang I would definitely split the scales first before stabilising. Cheers, Jim
6 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Aloha Jim. I'm new to stabilizing. I'm just starting to stabilize some pieces for ring blanks. The wood is pretty dry already, but I live in Hawaii. Would you recommend cutting them to size (1.5" x 1.5" x .5" thick) for quicker drying before placing them in the toaster oven? Or would they check and crack. Or should I leave the 1.5" x 1.5" about 6" long, similar to the size blanks you're using in the video?
Aloha. Smaller pieces are theoretically less likely to crack in the oven but it is difficult to predict what will crack and what won’t. Some woods are a better than overs, moisture content plays a big part, the drier they are before you put them in the oven the better. If you have accurate scales you can weigh the wood before you dry it and monitor it’s weight, when it stops getting lighter it is as dry as it will get without going in the oven. Sometimes if you prop the door of the oven open a bit you can get a lower start temperature which may help. Cheers Jim
6 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Thanks Jim. That makes perfect sense. Did a test run of Zebrawood, Koa, Bocote, and Bloodwood. The Bloodwood was the only one that checked.
Hi Jim, I was wondering what amount of vacuum you are getting in inches of mercury? I used the discount code and bought a kit. My pump is 2 stage 6 cfm, on using it though, it only reaches 14 inches of mercury. I have read that to stabilise wood you need 29 in mercury or very near. Have I made boo boo? Regards Stuart.
Hi Stu, mine reaches 29mm mercury. You may have a faulty pump or gauge or seal. Get in touch with Hvacstore and ask their advice, I’m sure they will help you out. You definitely need 29mm. Cheers, Jim
The link to the stabilizing (American English spelling) resin did not contain the Stick Fast resin you showed in the video. Is that product only available in the UK?
Hi John. I set it to 200 deg F / 90 deg C ish. Takes a bit of fiddling around with settings etc on these toaster ovens to achieve this, always us an oven thermometer. Cheers, Jim
Hi Dawn, yes you can reuse the resin, as long as it is still in date. Make sure that wood you are stabilising is totally dry and not oily as these things can affect the resin. Cheers Jim
Hi Tommie, I would love to try some gum nuts. I’ve seen Brendan Stemp use them and they look great, I have not seen them for sale in the UK. I’m not sure if they are allowed to be exported/imported. Cheers, Jim
I was sent a 2 stage 2CFM pump although they only seem to list 1.5 CFM then 3CFM ( up to 10 CFM ) on the website. I would go for the biggest 2 stage pump you can afford, the bigger the pump, the faster it will reach full vacuum. Speed is not always an issue but it is if you are degassing resins with a short pot life. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jim
Great video, btw, Jim. I just thought the thumbnail was funny. Like when you pause videos and it sometimes makes the people look like they're in the middle of something completely different. Or maybe it's only me who finds that funny...
Hi Mark, no African Blackwood is too dense and oily to stabilise well, it shouldn’t really need stabilising if it has been air dried thoroughly. Many thanks for watching. Cheers Jim
@@JimsonMakes hey thanks mate...I'm planning on replacing the krayton rubber scale inserts on an old SOG Sogwinder...I was trying to decide between smooth polished black polished micarta and "piano key" ebony. This is about a 30 year old locking folder knife...chunky...heavy and overbuilt. Trying for an upgrade in honor of a friend who passed on. The ABW will just be smashing good I think...easier to work with less fear of damage...I hope.I don't have a lot of experience with polymer finishing...but I can sand a block of wood😂
A very high polish can be achieved on ABW, just be careful not to overheat it when buffing as it could warp or crack. Roughen any surfaces on the ABW to be glued and clean the roughened surfaces well with acetone to remove the natural oils. I would recommend a slow set epoxy resin.
Hi Jim,
Your right to use the pressure pot, it really does get the extra little bit in. Great video.
If I'm stabilising a really special piece of wood I will not use the oven to dry the timber as I have lost a few choice pieces due to cracking/'heating even at 100C and when the wood ws stored in a dry place for a long long time.. Instead I will just use the vacuum to boil off the water. It takes several cycles and unless you have a gas ballast valve you will have to change the oil regularly at least two or three times as it emulsifies with the water. However the piece will be intact and fully stabilised. I like to leave difficult hard woods under vacuum and pressure for a long time and if I don't need then quick why not just leave them soaking. No harm will come to them. I've left some pieces in resin for upto a month! Yew can be problematic but I have conquered it now:)
Sandy
Hi Sandy
Yes the pressure pot certainly helps. We rely on atmospheric pressure to push the resin into the wood after vacuum, so why not increase the “atmospheric pressure” to help the process. Using vacuum to dry the wood is a great idea, I may need to get some more vacuum pump oil though. Another great tip from the master. Many thanks for watching my friend.
Cheers
Jim
This video brought back good memories of when I was injection molding electrical connectors for a GPS system that went into military Humvees for Desert Storm. After evacuating the elastomer and injecting the silicon rubber molds using a pump gun that mixed the two part system, the molds went into the pressure pot and the pressure pot went into a curing oven I fabricate using polystyrene insulating board and duct tape. My cure time was 12 hours at 120 F. Results were amazing with tooling that cost a fraction of hard tooling. Thank you for producing these very well-made videos. Anyone who has tried to be as concise and clear as you are , knows how difficult shooting and editing can be. You-tubers should look at your channel as a good example a quality product.
Thank you very much Jack. I recently visited a facility where they were doing something very similar to what you have described, it was fascinating. I am very glad you like my videos, the video editing certainly takes a very long time but it is worth it in the end. My earlier videos were far too long. Cheers, Jim
Excellent Jim, also been following Sandy from Jacklore since he very first started ;-) amazing attention to detail!
Thank you very much. I love Sandy’s work.
Cheers
Jim
Very nice blanks . Can't wait to see what they'll be made into
Thank you very much, they are on my “to do list”.
Cheers
Jim
@@JimsonMakes oh have you ever stabilized a pine cone . I learned a trick by actually puting a pine cone in very hot water it will actually close the pine cone. After that you can reopen it by putting it in a warm oven or hot oven
I’ve not tried stabilising a pine cone, I think the natural pine resin within them may cause a problem. I had heard about the water trick with cones, they certainly open and close with changes in humidity. The problem with resin work is the pine cones need to be completely dry.
Cheers
Jim
@@JimsonMakes yeah I let my pinecone completely dry while it was still closed but then I ended up having to put it through the same process to close it again to make decorative changes to it now it's partially opened on the very bottom and it's mostly closed throughout but it looks quite interesting I'm trying to figure out what type of resin would be good to put it in I need to put a picture of it on Instagram and show the two types of resin that I have if I have the wrong resin I can go out and get some more
Huge ammount of great info Jim,can't wait to see how your Finnish knives turn out!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you very much Alan. I just need more workshop time. Cheers, Jim
Thank you Jim for another video re-enforcing what I know about stabilizing wood blanks. I've watched others do the pressure pot after the vacuum chamber and you are spot on. I, too, will be putting together knives with blanks and I'm looking forward to your videos on knife assembling and crafting the scales. The knives you have in this video look great and I will check out their site. Thanks again Jim.
Thank you very much Ed. When we release the vacuum we are relying on atmospheric pressure to force the resin into the voids, so why not give it a helping hand by increasing the pressure.
Cheers
Jim
Wow Jim, some stunning blanks mate, and a great walkthrough of the stages to achieve them.
Take care
Mike
Thank you very much Mike, I’m looking forward to using them, I just need more time. Cheers, Jim
Great video Jim. You are saving people like me, who are interested in getting into this pressure and vacuum stuff, a huge amount of time because your summaries of the information you have gleaned are flawless. Thank you.
Best Wishes, Brendan.
Thank you very much Brendan, glad to be of assistance my friend. Cheers, Jim
Ooh, ooh, ooh -- I want some curly birch now. Preferably yesterday :-) Stabilizing knife scales is why I first got vacuum and pressure containers, well before I started using them for woodturning. I haven't forgotten my promise to forge a knife for you -- I've whittled down my backlog enough that I'll be able to do so in the not-terribly-distant future. Clyde
Yes the curly birch is amazing, I am really looking forward to using it. Do you use a pressure pot when stabilising ? I am not sure how is gained by using it, it certainly speeds up the absorption of the resin. I wish I had a forge. Cheers, Jim
I do use both. That's the primary reason I use one vessel for both vacuum and pressure. I too am not sure if the final product is really different, but it does save time. I'll also degas & pressurize molds in situ. If the urge to build a propane forge ever overcomes you, let me know. I can steer you to resources that let you build a safe, effective, efficient burner and forge. Avoid anything you see on TH-cam like the plague... Clyde
Thank you very much Clyde. Cheers, Jim
Haha I have that same vaccum, and yes definitely close valve before shutting pump off or else you will get pump oil all over whatever you have in the vacuum chamber. Also once pump reaches -30 its at max or close to it and really no need to keep running vaccum.
Many thanks for watching Brandon, yes it’s a great pump.
Wow Jim! Your videos always are entertaining and well reviewed. I was impressed to see those two birch blocks among the blocks in your treatment. I know we are going to see some spectacular works with those new Puronvarsi scandi blades and stabilized wood blocks. Thank you for your very thorough review about stabilization. Thanks, Osmo
Thank you very much Osmo and thanks for the wood. I am looking forward to the knife builds when I get the time. Cheers, Jim
Great video Jim. Just having a go at stabilising myself and was grateful of your video
Thank you very much John, glad you watch my channel 😉😂. Just spotted this comment. Cheers, Jim
Jim,
The wood turned out really well and I am really looking forward to your knives. I hope you will video the process for each knife as I think it will be very interesting.
Thanks,
Jim
Thank you very much Jim. When I get the time to make the knives I will definitely make a video of the build. Cheers, Jim
Great video Jim, totally agree with what you said about Sandy’s attention to detail. I hope to be taking advantage of the discount code, just the push I need to increase the quality of my own work. Many thanks.
Thank you very much Max. Yes Sandy’s work is inspirational. I am delighted with the vacuum chamber and pump, something I have wanted for a long time. Cheers, Jim
Also 're using the pressure pot after, personally I think that this a little over the top, wood in its natural form is full of voids and once the vacuum has finished it's job I think you are in the realms of demmissioning returns... wonder if you have time to do some experiments... see if it's worth it.
Finally thanks for your contributions to the woodturning community I have been inspired to try different things with milliput and now thinking of doing more with resin and pressure pots...
Thank you very much Chris. Yes the pressure pot may be step too far and you are right about diminishing returns. I think it is probably just speeding up the ingress of the resin into the wood. It did cause the resin to drop another 2-3mm but that may have happened anyway over the 24 hour period. Cheers, Jim
And thank you very much for your very kind words, I’m glad that I have given inspiration. Cheers, Jim
Those bits of wood looked stunning before the stabilisation and while it is hard to visualise the end results you'll achive I'm pretty sure from others I've watched they will be awesome. I've also been searching for a 'cost effective' method of doing this and discovered that they use a similar method to treat Blue John stone prior to making jewellry etc from it. Of the two UK companies I managed to find one uses a two part resin but the other boils it in a pine resin. I'll send you the details I've managed to get. Hopefully see you at Makers Central (finances willing).
That boiling in resin sounds interesting. Hopefully see you at MC. Cheers, Jim
Hey Jim Metalclay in uk has cactus juice although ive used stickfast and i have been very happy with it seems very much the same. I never tried using pressure Jim great tip im going to do this later today on a repeat project with colour. Thank you so much for sharing Jim
Hi Pam, I’m not sure how much can be gained from the use of pressure but it certainly speeds up the ingress of the resin into the wood, especially on larger pieces. Cheers, Jim
Very interesting. Looking forward to seeing the finished knives.
Thank you very much. Cheers, Jim
I keep forgetting to buy new love joy connections for my vacuum pump... Gotta get it fixed & try this. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, something very satisfying about stabilising wood. Cheers, Jim
Another great video, Jim. I do as lot of stabilizing to make use of spalted wood I have. I use Cactus Juice mostly but have used the TNI product as well. Never thought of using pressure after the vacuum and may start doing that routinely. I think it will improve the quality of my stabilized blanks. Great idea!
Looking forward to the knife making videos as this is also something I've [played around with a bit.
Best regards
Tom "pops" Puskar
Howell, NJ USA
Thank you very much Tom. Are there any differences between the 2 resins ? I am not sure how much is gained by the use of pressure but it will certainly speed the process up and I think make it more complete. Apparently it is good on difficult woods such as yew. Cheers, Jim
Both Jim Haut of TMI, manufacturers/distributors of Stick Fast and Curtis Seebeck of TurnTex, manufacturer of Cactus Juice claim their products are "essentially the same" but each, of course, claims theirs is better! I've spoken with both of them. I've used both and prefer Cactus Juice since it is $10 US cheaper per gallon than Stick Fast. Quantity discounts are available and our turning club often pool orders and get a price even $20 US per gallon less than the one gallon price. Both companies use distributors and TurnTex sells direct.
Thank you very much for the info Tom, much appreciated. Cheers, Jim
Hi mate, good video well presented. I was wondering which Vac tank model you bought and pump, Ive looked at the link but there are many to choose from and your looks about right for me size wise. Thanks
Hi Paul, I can’t remember what size I got, could have been 19 litres. The pump was a 2 stage. Make sure you get a 2 stage pump and get the most powerful one your budget allows.
Cheers
Jim
6:58 Your Missus videobombing !!! LOL. 😁👍
👍🏼😂👍🏼many thanks for watching
Cheers
Jim
What is the purpose of using the vacuum chamber? And if you are making a blank of resin and wood to turn, do you need a presure pot? What are the use of each one? Love your channel and you daughter melts my heart. Glad I found your channel. Hello from the states.
Hi Daniel, have a look at this series of videos, it will hopefully demonstrate the different uses, but basically the vacuum chamber is for sucking air out and the pressure pot is for pushing resin in and collapsing any bubbles to a microscopic size. Cheers, Jim
And I’m glad you like my daughter’s voiceovers. The pressure pot is not essential for stabilising wood. Jim
Jim Overton - Jimson's Stuff thank you Jim :)
Hello Jim, Ace video. I'm struggling with this use of the pressure pot afterwards. I agree that you cannot pressure the liquid into air filled voids effectively if there is no outlet for the air. The pressure bubble created should simply push back when the pressure is released. if the vacuum chamber activity is effective, then the liquid should fill the cavities from which the air is evacuated. If however some air still exists in the core, there should at least be stability when the vacuum is released. Logic suggests that a pressure pot would not then be able to do the job that it couldn't do in the first place. My proposed remedy depending on the porosity of the wood might be: - much longer soaking in vacuum, and/or repositioning of the wood's axis in the liquid, or removing the core. . . (eeek!). Will smaller pieces of wood suffer from poor absorption if they are porous? Regards, Glenn. :-)
I agree Glenn, I think it is marginal the benefit but every little helps. The level in the jug dropped another 2-3mm in the pressure pot. I think the main benefit is speeding up the ingress of the resin back into the wood and might just fill some small vacuum pockets. More porous pieces of wood should work better and certainly turning the wood over half way through would likely help. It would certainly be worth considering predrilling pen blanks before stabilising. Cheers, Jim
Will you be making videos of the knife making? I really enjoyed the one you did a while ago.
Yes I will video the knife making process, I just need to find some time. Cheers, Jim
Dear sir, to stabilize the wood that degree of moisture is allowed, try to reach zero percent by heating the wood just cracking. Thank
It was definitely zero moisture, I check by weighing it. When it loses no more weight after baking I know it is OK
Cheers
Jim
Hi. Thanks for the videos 👍🏻 does it matter what compressor you use with the pressure pot? Can you recommend a cheap model preferably from Machine Mart as I have on round the corner 😁👍🏻
Thank you very much for watching. Most compressors will work as long as they reach 60psi but I would recommend you get one with a receiver tank that is bigger in volume than you pressure pot, that way it will pressurise the pressure pot very quickly. This is important if you are using fast curing resins. The larger compressors are also much more suited to using air tools such as a dust blower and doing your car tires. I prefer the oil free compressors as they are easier to look after. The other consideration is noise, many of the machine mart compressors are very noisy, not a problem if you are not going to disturb anyone but my workshop is my garage and we are semi detached so I had to get a quieter one. Machine mart do a range of near silent compressors but they are very expensive, I bought a 22l Titan precision compressor off eBay for £299 from Strongman Tools, amazing bit of kit and very quiet.
Cheers
Jim
Jim Overton - Jimson's Stuff That’s just what I needed Jim thanks for taking the time give the info 👍🏻
Can I be cheeky while I’m here and ask which clear resin you use for casting please? I will be making hybrid knife scales and little art projects with the kids. I have got some Polyester resin but it is super smelly and not child friendly (is any resin child friendly? 8 to 10 years).
Many Thanks
Kevin
Couldn't you use a pressure pot as a vacuum chamber simply by hooking up the vacuum pump to it? Seems to me that the vessels are basically the same, only one sucks the air out and the other in. It looks like they use the same quick connect fittings for each the pump and compressor? I guess you would need to have both types of gauges as well? What am I missing? Thanks Jim, another great video! Brian.
Thank you very much Brian. In theory you could use the pot for both but you would need 2 different gauges that could be closed off 100%, ( unless there is a gauge that can do both ) but the main problem is that most jobs that require vacuum require a certain amount of visual control and assessment and you can’t see into a pressure pot without taking the lid off. Cheers, Jim
That makes sense that you'd want to keep an eye on things. Got it. Thanks for the quick reply.
Jim. if you are using them for scales, why did you not split them before stabilizing them? Can't wait for the knife builds.
Hi Robert, these are for stick tang blades so they will not be split at any time, but yes if they were for full tang I would definitely split the scales first before stabilising. Cheers, Jim
Aloha Jim. I'm new to stabilizing. I'm just starting to stabilize some pieces for ring blanks. The wood is pretty dry already, but I live in Hawaii. Would you recommend cutting them to size (1.5" x 1.5" x .5" thick) for quicker drying before placing them in the toaster oven? Or would they check and crack. Or should I leave the 1.5" x 1.5" about 6" long, similar to the size blanks you're using in the video?
Aloha. Smaller pieces are theoretically less likely to crack in the oven but it is difficult to predict what will crack and what won’t. Some woods are a better than overs, moisture content plays a big part, the drier they are before you put them in the oven the better. If you have accurate scales you can weigh the wood before you dry it and monitor it’s weight, when it stops getting lighter it is as dry as it will get without going in the oven. Sometimes if you prop the door of the oven open a bit you can get a lower start temperature which may help.
Cheers
Jim
Thanks Jim. That makes perfect sense. Did a test run of Zebrawood, Koa, Bocote, and Bloodwood. The Bloodwood was the only one that checked.
That Finnish wood looks pretty.
Yes, I’m looking forward to using it. Cheers, Jim
Hi Jim, I was wondering what amount of vacuum you are getting in inches of mercury? I used the discount code and bought a kit. My pump is 2 stage 6 cfm, on using it though, it only reaches 14 inches of mercury. I have read that to stabilise wood you need 29 in mercury or very near. Have I made boo boo? Regards Stuart.
Hi Stu, mine reaches 29mm mercury. You may have a faulty pump or gauge or seal. Get in touch with Hvacstore and ask their advice, I’m sure they will help you out. You definitely need 29mm. Cheers, Jim
Thanks Jim
Turned out to be a faulty gauge. Fab company to deal with.
The link to the stabilizing (American English spelling) resin did not contain the Stick Fast resin you showed in the video. Is that product only available in the UK?
I’ve changed the link, it should work now. The resin is a USA product, so should be easier and cheaper for you to buy, or use cactus juice.
Cheers
Jim
Nice video mate looking forward to the builds. Where do you buy those beautiful blades?
Thank you very much Samantha. I bought the blades from Brisa knife supplies in Finland ( brisa.fi ). Cheers, Jim
hi jim,what temp do you set for toaster oven for,cheers john.
Hi John. I set it to 200 deg F / 90 deg C ish. Takes a bit of fiddling around with settings etc on these toaster ovens to achieve this, always us an oven thermometer. Cheers, Jim
cheers jim.
After stabilising the wood can you reuse the resin that is left?
Hi Dawn, yes you can reuse the resin, as long as it is still in date. Make sure that wood you are stabilising is totally dry and not oily as these things can affect the resin.
Cheers
Jim
Jim, my Wife would kill me if I did an epoxy project on the carpe
Yes I was pushing my luck with this project. I am building a heated cabinet so I can do casting projects in my workshop in cold weather. Cheers, Jim
Hi Jim. Tommie here from Australia. Would you like some gum nuts to cast and turn?
Hi Tommie, I would love to try some gum nuts. I’ve seen Brendan Stemp use them and they look great, I have not seen them for sale in the UK. I’m not sure if they are allowed to be exported/imported. Cheers, Jim
Hi Jim what size pump did you go for?
I was sent a 2 stage 2CFM pump although they only seem to list 1.5 CFM then 3CFM ( up to 10 CFM ) on the website. I would go for the biggest 2 stage pump you can afford, the bigger the pump, the faster it will reach full vacuum. Speed is not always an issue but it is if you are degassing resins with a short pot life. Hope this helps. Cheers, Jim
Why does the thumbnail pic for this video look like Jim is trying to strangle me?!!
Tim Birch - Didn’t you get the memo? He does want to strangle you😳
Just Kidding. ...and he does kinda look like that doesn’t he?
I guess I do look a bit demonic in the thumbnail, perhaps I should change it. Cheers, Jim
Great video, btw, Jim. I just thought the thumbnail was funny. Like when you pause videos and it sometimes makes the people look like they're in the middle of something completely different.
Or maybe it's only me who finds that funny...
Jim is it necessary or possible to stabilise an exotic hardwood like African Blackwood? Thanks!
Hi Mark, no African Blackwood is too dense and oily to stabilise well, it shouldn’t really need stabilising if it has been air dried thoroughly. Many thanks for watching.
Cheers
Jim
@@JimsonMakes hey thanks mate...I'm planning on replacing the krayton rubber scale inserts on an old SOG Sogwinder...I was trying to decide between smooth polished black polished micarta and "piano key" ebony. This is about a 30 year old locking folder knife...chunky...heavy and overbuilt. Trying for an upgrade in honor of a friend who passed on. The ABW will just be smashing good I think...easier to work with less fear of damage...I hope.I don't have a lot of experience with polymer finishing...but I can sand a block of wood😂
A very high polish can be achieved on ABW, just be careful not to overheat it when buffing as it could warp or crack. Roughen any surfaces on the ABW to be glued and clean the roughened surfaces well with acetone to remove the natural oils. I would recommend a slow set epoxy resin.