Pledge Drive - Resin Stabilised Wood Equipment

I’d like to be able to make stabilised wood, there seems to be interest amongst other members who I’ve talked to about this also so I thought I’d start a pledge drive for it.

In brief, the process involves drying the wood, sucking all the air out with a vacuum pump, and releasing the pressure such that the resin is sucked into the wood.
With no air or space for water absorption this wood will no longer be prone to warping with changes in temperature or humidity.
This is more or less essential if wanting to create anything with tight clearances, eg pens, tool handles, vapes, etc. to avoid cracking etc. This wood will now be a hell of a lot stronger, and take an even better finish.

More on the process can be read about here:

We have a working vacuum pump, so what we’ll need to get going is the resin (and perhaps some dyes depending how much we can raise), a toaster oven to dry the wood and cure the resin, a load of zip topped freezer bags for the dried wood, and a bunch of mason jars or similar to store various activated dyed resin mixed.
The resin should last us a while, given that the only resin used in the process is that which is drawn into the wood, the rest can be stored for 8-12 months and used over and over again.

So, a run down of what we need cash wise:
Cactus Juice resin 2l - £73 inc delivery.

Cactus Juice Stabilizing Dye - Various colours 59ml - £10.95 ea.

Toaster oven - as low as £20 from Aldi… -
https://www.aldi.co.uk/ambiano-white-mini-oven/p/083268200733200?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvdvustvL2gIVqDLTCh21JApREAQYASABEgLl9PD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMLz0rnby9oCFYsw0wodwqoH8g

Freezer bags and mason jars can be sourced locally easily and relatively cheaply.

So bare minimum we’d want for resin and the toaster and small bits, circa. £100
Dyes for coloured injection on top depending how much we can raise…

Add your name, and pledge amount below, if we hit the budget and beyond everyone can be reimbursed a percentage or whatever.

@Jonty_Bottomley - £25

Could you stabilise a bowl? As in one that has been turned, sanded, but not finished yet?

Or is it more for stabilising wood prior to working with it?

Either way, stick us in for £25 too.

I wouldn’t say “essential”. More people than not turn perfectly successful pens and tool handles with wood that hasn’t been resin stabilised. Depends a lot upon the choices are of wood.

I see no reason why not, size dependent as the vacuum chamber is only so large - circa 30cm.

“More or less”. For sure you can turn things regardless, but stabilised will yield better results.