Would you be willing to share your thoughts on impregnating wood as it pertains to cue making?
Vaccum Stabilizer
- Thread starter Russell Cues
- Start date
Would you be willing to share your thoughts on impregnating wood as it pertains to cue making?
Sure. Depending on the species and condition of the wood, I think it's a great idea.
TW
Thank you.
Do you think these lower dollar vacuum systems that don't pump back in the high pressure air, produce a good enough impregnating process?
I have not made up my mind yet if it would be a good investment or not.
chris,when i started doing vacuum impregnation,i built a pvc chamber,then built one of a different design,neither worked , i then had a machinist fabricate me one from steel with more elaborate functions.a small part of the process is getting a chamber that is safe to use,the resins used are expensive,it basically takes a pint to impregnate a 18 in.piece 1.4 diameter.the process destroys vacuum pumps (which are pricey).i've went through 2 in 6 months. the process will draw all contaminates into the vacuum and lock it up,(these contaminates contain the resin which set up under heat,the pump is hot)you have to change oil in the pumps about every other time,the oil is $30 plus a gallon.i have to disassemble the pump and clean it every week. the impregnating process takes over a hundred hours each time. my investment is over $4000. then you have to learn what woods work as they all differ in the process. tom reed cues
Tom if you want to chat I think I can help you....
I have stabilized several types of burls and figured woods with a "home brew" set up. Works fine for me. Some of the woods I have, I don't really want to send out. Maybe i'm a control freak or it could be my Appalachian background, but I have always believed in doing things myself so I don't need to depend on anyone else. I would certainly not consider myself an expert on stabilizing, and wouldn't dare argue that I do as well a job as the pros, but I can say with certainty that the resin goes all the way to the core. Here's a few things I have stabilized. Some I use for my own cues and some I send to other cuemaking friends of mine for their cues. Wood this good doesn't need extra color to make it pop. I have hundreds, maybe thousands of pieces of crazy burls & figured woods. It would cost me a fortune to have it stabilized by somebody else. Doing it myself I can do it at my own pace, as much as I need or want, and at about $100/gal of resin, and it's not nearly as expensive. Like everything else in cue making, ignore the mystical unattainable magic potion and jump in and learn. Do your research and don't be afraid of failing or losing money on failed experiments. Persistence pays in the end.
