Alternate uses, we thinks of them.

[ilmarinen]

Woot has this marinating thing that's basically a vacuum chamber. I wonder if it'd be handy for impregnating woods with stabilizers, etc.

http://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=7635

hrmmmm. Ya'know, for stablizing wood for knife handles, etc. Thoughts?

-B.

Comments

[randomdreams]

Usually people use long-term soaking in PEG, but I don't see why vacuum wouldn't work, particularly if you vacuumed first, then dumped in the stuff and let the air back in so it helped force stuff into the wood.

[ilmarinen]

Almost all the online reading I've done of wood stabilizing for knife handles have it being done with vacuum. Basically, pull a vacuum until the wood stops "bubbling" into the stabilizer, then seal up and let wait. The cycle of vacuum/ambient/pressure sorta confuses me and I had to convince myself it made sense to put the whole vessel--submerged wood, etc.--under vacuum to draw-out the gasses in the wood pores. Makes sense to actually vacuum the wood first, then draw in the stabilizer with the vacuum, seal back up.

-B.