The vacuum pump used should be able to create a vacuum of 30mmHg. The aluminum foil is used to stabilize the wood for the baking process. The oven-proof gloves are used to remove the hot blanks after the baking process. An oven that you use for stabilizing wood should never be used for food, as this can have health consequences!<\/p>\n
An advantage of using thermosetting resin is that all equipment can be cleaned with warm soapy water. For time-curing resin, however, you will always need a solvent.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"wood](\"https:\/\/resin-expert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/wood-stabilizer.jpg\")
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Preparation<\/h3>\n\n- <\/i> Before every stabilization procedure, you should check your equipment for damage and dirt. This work is an essential part of stabilizing wood, as dirt deposits can have a considerable negative influence on the stabilization process.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> The vacuum chamber, in particular, has to be checked for damages, because this question is an essential safety aspect.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> All tools should have a safe, heat-resistant, and solid place where you can work without problems. Always wear safety equipment; this includes protective gloves, long-sleeved clothing with an apron and safety goggles. Should the resin come into contact with your skin or mucous membranes, immediately rinse the affected area thoroughly with warm soapy water and seek medical attention immediately!<\/li>\n
- <\/i> Have all the necessary utensils within easy reach. Now you can load the vacuum chamber.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Load Vacuum Chamber<\/h3>\n\n- <\/i> The blanks to be stabilized are now placed in the vacuum chamber. It is essential that the stabilizing liquid can reach the blanks from all sides without hindrance; this means that they must not prevent the stabilizing liquid from penetrating. Therefore, make sure that there is an appropriate distance between the blanks.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> Now the blanks are first weighted down to prevent them from floating up during the stabilization process. For this purpose, you can either use a large-mesh grid weighted with weights or an anti-float mat, which you can screw to the wall of the vacuum tank.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> You can now fill in the resin. The blanks must always be covered with the stabilizing medium used. During the stabilization process, the blanks naturally absorb resin, and the resin level drops slightly. This must be taken into account. In any case, put enough resin into the vacuum chamber; it should cover the blanks up to 15 mm high.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> The chamber is now closed. The evacuation process can begin. As the air contained in the blanks escapes, you will notice that the stabilizing medium begins to “boil.” Take care that the resin does not overfoam and run off. If you are unsure about this step, let the air escape slowly and gradually at first. It is better to give the blanks more time. If there is a lot of foaming, wait several minutes between each evacuation step until the foam has dissolved. If the resin no longer foams – i.e., if there are no more bubbles on the surface – all air has escaped, and the blanks are completely saturated.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> Once the air has completely escaped from the blanks and they have absorbed the resin, the process is complete. The process usually takes about one hour, but sometimes it can take longer. Now you can switch off the vacuum chamber. Leave the blanks in the chamber for a while.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Before switching off, the valve of the vacuum chamber must be closed. Do not open the vacuum chamber too quickly, but be careful when ventilating it.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n
Baking \/ Curing<\/h3>\n\n- <\/i> When the evacuation process is complete, you can remove the blanks and let them drain well. Afterward, they are dabbed off thoroughly with kitchen paper. Pour the resin from the vacuum chamber into an airtight container and store it in a dry place away from light at a maximum of 20\u00b0 Celsius. The resin can be reused for the next stabilization process. It can be stored for a long time and should, therefore, never be discarded! With our tips and tricks, you can learn how to save resin.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> All tools that have come into contact with the resin should be washed with warm soapy water. You can easily relate this to the blanks’ baking process, which takes between 60 and 90 minutes.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> The blanks are now wrapped in aluminum foil. Use a single piece for each of them. Make sure that the aluminum foil is wrapped very tightly and that the matt side faces outwards. The glossy side should snuggle closely to the blank.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> The oven is now preheated to a temperature of 71\u00b0 to 93\u00b0 Celsius. Use the oven thermometer to measure the temperature accurately. Once the appropriate temperature has been reached, the blanks are placed in the oven and remain there for a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 90 minutes.<\/li>\n
- <\/i> When this process is finished, you can remove the blanks with the help of protective gloves and remove the aluminum foil. If the foil does not come off easily, carefully help with a knife or other sharp object.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
![\"stabilizing](\"https:\/\/resin-expert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/stabilizing-wood.jpg\")
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Tips and Tricks<\/h2>\n\n- It is perfectly normal for a little of the stabilizing resin to escape after baking. However, if a substantial amount of resin has escaped, the wood had too much residual moisture before stabilization. You should, therefore, always ensure that the wood used is thoroughly dried.<\/li>\n
- The evacuation target should be 30 mmHg. The following applies: The deeper the evacuation, the better and deeper the penetration of the resin and the more durable and robust the piece of wood being worked on will be.<\/li>\n
- The wood is much heavier after the stabilization process than before. This must be taken into consideration, especially when working as a knife or pen handle, because writing with a pen that is too heavy can become unpleasant after a short time. A knife, on the other hand, must be well balanced in order to be comfortable to use. Especially with high-quality blades, the weight of the handle should always be considered.<\/li>\n
- In order to save stabilizing medium in the vacuum chamber, you can build a cavity yourself from an old metal salad bowl and a plastic bucket: Simply cut a ring out of the plastic bucket and glue it into the cavity of the salad bowl so that it protrudes a reasonable distance. Seal the resulting ring well. You can place this container entirely in the vacuum chamber and place the piece of wood inside to stabilize it. Fill the container with the resin as you would fill the vacuum chamber, and then use the vacuum chamber as usual. This will save you a lot of resin – and you will not have to decant the remaining resin after the stabilization process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Why Should Wood Be Stabilized?<\/h2>\n
Many types of wood are hard enough to be used as a material for all kinds of objects, be it art objects, knife handles, pencil handles, or other everyday objects. These give the objects a noble and, at the same time, high-quality appearance.<\/p>\n
However, some types of wood are too soft, which is why the artist runs the risk of damaging them during processing. Even after processing, they lose their hardness, grip, and, at some point, even their substance.<\/p>\n
To counteract this natural ageing process, rotten wood can be stabilised, for example with the help of a vacuum chamber and very low-viscosity MMA, the basic material of Plexiglas. It is also possible to stabilise wood with epoxy resin.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nGenerally speaking, it can be said that air is extracted from the wood pores by building up a vacuum, the place of which is then taken by a stabilizing medium. The latter is done with the help of a built-up overpressure. In this process, the lowest possible residual moisture must be ensured so that the stabilizing medium can be optimally distributed. Insufficient stabilization occurs if the wood is still too moist during the process.<\/p>\n
After stabilization, the original material shows characteristics of both this basic material and wood; a hybrid material has been created. Now the wood can withstand higher loads and has a more durable structure. Large temperature fluctuations, weather-related damage, solvents, acids, and many other chemicals can hardly harm it. Even high humidity and intense UV radiation no longer affect the material or only to a negligible extent.<\/p>\n
![\"stabilize](\"https:\/\/resin-expert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/stabilize-wood.jpg\")
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The woods created in this way often have a strong grain and are very attractive, as in many cases, they are still stained by the artist. They can be worked well mechanically, but high temperatures should be avoided. From a temperature of about 120\u00b0 Celsius on, the surface of the processed wood starts to smear, which can lead to a considerable visual impairment.<\/p>\n
Stabilized wood is non-toxic for the human as well as animal body if the stabilization with liquefied Plexiglas, i.e., MMA, has taken place. One should be a little more careful with thermally hardening resin such as Cactus Juice, which we will discuss later, but even this does not have any adverse effects on health after hardening. Besides wood, horn and bone material can also be stabilized.<\/p>\n
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What can Stabilized Wood Be Used for?<\/h2>\n
Stabilized wood can be used for many different things, for example, for the production of knife handles. A classic example of the use of stabilized wood is the Pen Blank, which is basically the handle of pens. In principle, however, any suitable piece of wood can be stabilized, including works of art made of wood as well as bowls, dishes, and other everyday objects.<\/p>\n
Such unique specimens made of stabilized wood have of course a premium price, but you have to consider with what kind of effort they were made.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"wood](\"https:\/\/resin-expert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/wood-stabilizing-kit.jpg\")
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Stabilize Different Types of Wood<\/h2>\n
There are many different types of wood, and not all of them are suitable for stabilization. In general, large-pored wood types with a low density are well suited to be stabilized. In particular, felled wood cuts a remarkably good figure: due to its large pores, it absorbs a considerable amount of the stabilizing medium. This results in a beautiful structure, especially after subsequent polishing. Examples of this are:<\/p>\n
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\n- <\/i> Birch<\/strong><\/li>\n
- <\/i> Poplar<\/strong><\/li>\n
- <\/i> Beech<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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If dyes are then added, the wood shows itself from its best side and is extremely durable and long-lasting.<\/p>\n
However, some woods are only conditionally suitable or even unsuitable for stabilization. These are, for example:<\/p>\n
\n- <\/i> Rosewood<\/strong><\/li>\n
- <\/i> Olive<\/strong><\/li>\n
- <\/i> Ebony<\/strong><\/li>\n
- <\/i> Softwoods<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
They have a very oily and resinous component, tiny pores, and high density. This and other factors, such as the presence of tanning agents, massively impair the absorption of the stabilizing resin. The hardening process cannot be optimal because the stabilizing medium does not completely saturate the wood.<\/p>\n
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![\"wood](\"https:\/\/resin-expert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/wood-stabilizing.jpg\")
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Stabilize Wood with Thermally Hardening Resin<\/h3>\n
Thermosetting resin allows complete penetration of the wood used, thus ensuring the best possible stability. <\/strong>The resin used to stabilize the wood is not only introduced into the wood, but also cured by heat. As a result, it not only remains on the surface, but also wholly impregnates the wood.<\/p>\nOne of the resins you can use for this purpose is Cactus Juice. This is mixed before use and reaches its final hardness and stability when baked in the oven. It is easy to color; if possible, use coloring agents from the same manufacturer to avoid unpleasant surprises.<\/p>\n
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![\"how](\"https:\/\/resin-expert.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/how-to-stabilize-wood.jpg\")
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