Alumilte Clear Resin

[Robert A.]

Ok guys, i am wanting to try something different for me. I have seen in other places on the net about using the clear alumilte resin to fill voids in blanks under vacum or pressure. I have some really nasty looking wood "I alwasy hold onto the junk wood with knots ect." that i would like to do this on. my question is this, I have a vacuum / pressure pot good for 85 PSI and a vacuum pump that can pull it down to 10 Inches of mercury about 5 pounds per sqaure inch will this be suffecient or should I used bag it in the resin and pull a vacuum on the bag which will suck out the air and force the resin in the voids? New to me just wondering if you guys may have some experience with this?

Robert

[Bob from Eames Custom Calls]

That clear resin has a real short work time, I'm thinking you'd be hard pressed to get it in before it cures. I have never used the clear, but I have used alot of thier other products, and they get thick REAL fast!

 Good luck,

 Bob

[Robert A.]

Thanks Bob, I have used the 90 sec stuff quite a bit. The clear I am looking at is 7 minutes before it begins to set. Its just something i have been thinking about, i know there are pen blanks made this way with coloring added to accent the voids..

[dogcatcher]

You will need some sort of mold to put the wood in, and to pour the resin in.  With Alumilite all you need is pressure, I wouldn't pressure all the way to the rating of the pressure tank, 50 pounds of pressure should be enough.   Put the wood in the mold, you will need to either wedge it in or "stick" it some way so it won't float up.  Mix and pour the resin and close the pressure tank and zap it with air.  The quicker you hit it with pressure the less chance of bubbles.  I would let it set overnight under pressure.

Marvin

[Robert A.]

Thanks Marvin!!!

[dogcatcher]

Follow the instructions, just because it doesn't smell doesn't mean it won't kill you.  There are some penturners that claim they use this stuff at the kitchen table, with no outside ventilation, and actually think they are okay doing it that way.   Mask and ventilation is a must

Marvin

[Zumbrocalls]

 This is  a call that i did with that resin and some color mixed in. You only need about 40 to 60 psi of pressure to remove the bubbles and force it into all the open spaces of the wood.   You will need to make a form to hold the wood and resin in. Then I stabilized it with some blue acrylic resin in my vacum chamber.  The wood is ash burl that I cut .Troy                                                                                                                                                           

[Robert A.]

Thanks Troy, that is exactly what i am wanting to accomplish!!

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

This interests me quite a bit.  Can one of you guys enlighten me on these pressure tanks?  A picture would probably help me get it, but I'm wondering how this is set up.

[dogcatcher]

This interests me quite a bit.  Can one of you guys enlighten me on these pressure tanks?  A picture would probably help me get it, but I'm wondering how this is set up.

I recommend going to the Alumilite website, they sell the tanks and have instructions.  When messing with pressure tanks, in my opinion it is best to go to the manufacturer's instructions, sometimes what works for one backyard experimenter, may not work for the next backyard experimenter. 

Marvin