Author Topic: Question about Cycling Vacuum and bubbles  (Read 5533 times)

Offline SouthBoundCalls

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Question about Cycling Vacuum and bubbles
« on: January 17, 2017, 11:19:56 PM »
Just getting started on experimenting with stabilizing my own blanks.  Right now, I am doing blanks for pot calls.   So they are roughly 4"X4"X1".

I have watched the normal tutorials and tried to follow the standard directions.  I dried the wood and verified there was little to no moisture.  Or at least so low that my meter couldn't really read it.  Then I submerged the blanks and pulled vacuum until the bubbles stopped.  I did this over several hours and my vacuum gauge was reading a little better than -29.  Then I released the vacuum and let the blanks soak over night.  Took them out the next day and baked them.  The results seemed to be pretty good.  Kind of hard to tell since I didn't dye them, but it loos like there is traces of resin throughout the blanks.

So I get to my second batch...  Follow the same process.  Except this time, after I release the vacuum and soak overnight, I decide to put them under vacuum again just to see what happens.  Well..  once the vacuum got below -29, they started bubbling like crazy.  So I kept vacuum for a while until they just about stopped and release vacuum again.  I have been repeating this for a couple days now and so far, each time I pump the chamber down, I get lots of bubbles.  They eventually stop, I release vacuum, let soak and then pull vacuum and the bubbles start again.

Any idea what is going on here?  I have some theories, but would like to get some other ideas from guys that have more experience.

Thanks in advance!

Offline Ryan@roosagamecalls

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Re: Question about Cycling Vacuum and bubbles
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2017, 09:10:55 AM »
Make sure after pulling vac and letting it soak that the wood never breaks the surface it has to always stay submerged until the blank equalizes in prasure . An if you do keep them submerged the whole time until you pull them out to cure remember that every species of wood is different some woods stopp bubbling after 10 hours but take 4 to 5 days to soak . In my opinion when you take the weight off the wood it should not float to the serface it should stay at the bottom of the chamber. If i have one float i repull a vacume and let soak longer than before and record what type of wood, size of blank, and vac and soak time . Alot of this stuff is trial and error . Some times its worth stabilizing a little 1" square block of a wood you haven't done before to see what it takes befor doing a nice figured piece . Hope this helps

Offline SouthBoundCalls

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Re: Question about Cycling Vacuum and bubbles
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2017, 03:06:01 PM »
Thanks for the info.  The blanks have been submerged the whole time and they no longer float.  I guess that is a good sign.

I did another cycle this morning and still got bubbles for an hour or more before they stopped.  My guess is that something about the resin getting in is letting air that is trapped escape?  Don't know, but I find it strange that the bubbles will stop with the vacuum running but then I get bubbles again after it sets with no vacuum for a while.

I'll just keep cycling and soaking until I no longer get any bubbles and see if this repeats on the next batch.


Offline Scott Ashburn

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Re: Question about Cycling Vacuum and bubbles
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2017, 11:02:04 AM »
I pull vacuum and dump it multiple times at the beginning to reduce the foaming.  After it settles down, and no longer foams up, I let it pull for about 3 hours, then dump the vacuum, and re apply vac.  If what I call champagne bubbles, (they are small, just like if your looking at a fresh glass of champagne) are slow to start, and very minimal, I dump the vac, and let it sit overnight.  At least 24 hours.  Making sure there is plenty of liquid above the weight.  It will absorb quite a bit over night.  Then I pull them, dry them off, wrap in foil, and cure.  Been following this procedure for some time and have had great results.
  Been doing this for a couple years, and I have never seen any of my blanks, where they did not produce the small  champagne bubbles.  So if your down to them, I don't think you have to worry.

Offline Ozark Wood

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Re: Question about Cycling Vacuum and bubbles
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2017, 01:04:25 PM »
I know this is an old thread but illness has kept me away for a while.
I notice from your comments (baking) you are using a commercial stable product. I suspect this is the same product I did pre-market testing and review for several years ago. I didn't like it then and still do not use. I use a solution of my own at about 1/4 the cost.
That said, I also notice your description of the blank size. Putting stable all the way through a 1" hunk of wood is difficult. Many variables involved. The type of wood is especially important. Some woods like desert ironwood, lignum viate, etc. may be impossible to stable but they really do not benefit from the process anyway. Others, like Osage Orange, in my opinion, do not need it and give little benefit. Some, like Maple (my favorite stable wood) take it great and make a fine finished product.
But, really, why stable he entire blank when you are going to turn away and discard most of the wood? I recommend turning your call then putting into the stable pot. You get the job done and do not waste expensive commercial stable solution. I pull only 23 inches of vacuum in my pot and it does the job. Hope this helps a little.