Wood stabilizer & my first turkey yelper

B

Buckrun

New member
Well I am now going to take the next step in this wood working/call making.

I built a vacuume wood stabilizer. It uses a small vacuum pump that I found here at work.

Pump.jpg


Here is the tank with the Vacuum switch, gauge and check valve.

Tank.jpg


Last night I drew a 13 Hg vacuum in the tank then shut the pump off. I wanted to see if I had a good air tight fit on everything. Eight hours later it only lost about 1" Hg. I think that is how it is rated. At that rate the pump wouldn't have kicked on yet.

Here is the gauge after 8 hours.

Vacgauge.jpg


Now I have to figure out what I want to use as the stabilizing agent. I have been thinking about using Nelsonite 30B02 Wood Stabilizer. At $40.00 per gallon I want to make sure that is what I want to use.

I think the tank I have I will need 2 gallons to start with.

Do any of you other guys do this kind of stuff? Or do you buy wood already stabilized?


I finally finished a turkey yelper that I am going to give to my brother in law. He is a turkey hunting nut! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif He is the one that takes me deer hunting when I go to GA.
1styelper.jpg

It is made of red palm and the black ends are made from a African Gemsbok antalope horn. Boy that horn polished up nice.

Steve
 
Last edited:
Steve,

That looks like it has real possibilities! I use Minwax Wood Hardener(flammable type) all the time. I like the way it gives wood a "ring" sound and also polishes and turns better.

I have long thought of doing something very similar. Your setup looks great but... the problem I see is if you use a combustible agent... DON'T!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

That pump could catch on fire or even explode from the vapors! I think you will need some type of vapor filter between the pump and tank. I've never been able to figure out just how to do that! The hardener will probably lockup or trash the seals in the pump after awhile even if it isn't flammable without a filter.

By the way... I got the African Blackwood call! It is absolutely beautiful!!! Sounds great, too! Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif

Nikonut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Steve,

I think you are definately on to something, as well. Unbelievable (and affordable) possibilities with it. (e.g. coloring woods via stabalization tints, etc...)

Question...How long does wood need to stay in the vacuum chamber, before it is fully injected?

I can see a side business out of this, as I get my hands on some gorgeous wood that needs stabilized. I'm sure many other call builders are in the same boat.

P.S. Beautiful yelper.

Keep us posted...Tony
 
Hopefully this is not a dumb question........what is stabilized wood? Are you talking about wood that has dried to a "baseline" level that it will normally stay at depeding on humidity?
 
The way I understand it… Stabilizing wood is forcing something into the wood that will help hold it together. You will see a lot of wood turners will use spalded wood to make bowls and such. Spalded wood is slightly rotten wood. Stabilizing can also be done to bone and ivory. A lot of knife makers use these materials.

What I am trying to do is suck the air out of the wood in a vacuum chamber. While the wood is in the liquid it will sink when the air is removed. Then when the vacuum is released, the wood will suck the stabilizing agent into it’s self. Then you let it cure, it hardens and stabilizes the wood so it won’t fall apart when worked into, in our case a predator call.

I hope this makes sense.

If anybody wants to add something please do. I am just learning about this also.



Tonight I bought some stuff called Polycrylic. It is a water based varnish like liquid. Just to try it I also added a little red stain to it. Just enough to tint it a little. I put two pieces of quilted maple in it and turned on the vacuum.

I will let it stay until tomorrow night. Then I will release the vacuum and let it soak for 12 more hours. Next I will take it out and place it on some wax paper for 2 or 3 days to cure and see how it works.

I think I should have thinned it with water. If it seems like it didn’t penetrate like I want I will add some water next time.

Steve
 
I have considered this theory. Except I started leaning the other way by thinking of putting pressure in the tank. I have also used minwax wood hardener on several projects. Good project.
 
Steve,

I think I read somewhere that Polycrylic won't normally soak into hard(more dense) wood. That would only mean you will need to keep it under vacuum longer(I think). It should eventually penetrate if submerged long enough. Another option would be to treat a call after it is turned. That way at least the exposed surfaces will get hardened even if not all the way through the wood. You will need to sand and polish after treatment of course! Let us know how it turns out. Could be a very neat thing if you get it working. Nikonut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Quote:
Awesome call is it a suction yelper?



Yes. It was a lot of work to make. I am sure the second one wouldn't be as hard.

Steve
 
Quote:
Steve,

I think I read somewhere that Polycrylic won't normally soak into hard(more dense) wood. That would only mean you will need to keep it under vacuum longer(I think). It should eventually penetrate if submerged long enough. Another option would be to treat a call after it is turned. That way at least the exposed surfaces will get hardened even if not all the way through the wood. You will need to sand and polish after treatment of course! Let us know how it turns out. Could be a very neat thing if you get it working. Nikonut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif



You may be right. After I had it all together I remembered that the Polycrylic looked a little thick. It is water soluble so I was thinking I could thin it down with water.

I also have the hole drilled in the blank to put on my mandrill. So it will be able to suck the Polycrylic in from the inside and the outside so to speak. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif We will see in a couple days.

When I get it figured out I wouldn't mind doing a few blocks for others here to get some opinions.

Steve
 
Back
Top