STOP Wasting Your Money on the WRONG Vacuum Pot Materials!

Using Cactus Juice to stabilize wood burl is an effective method to enhance the durability and workability of the burl. Cactus Juice is a brand of vacuum resin stabilizer commonly used by woodworkers to strengthen and harden soft, spalted, punky, or porous woods like burl, turning them into more stable and usable material. The process involves vacuum impregnation of the wood with the resin, which then hardens to fill the pores, cracks, and voids. Burls are often hidden beneath the bark of a tree. They can form anywhere on the tree, but are most commonly found on the trunk or branches. Punky wood is wood that has become soft and spongy due to fungal decay or water damage. It can be found in timber that has been down for a long time, or in standing trees that have areas of damage. Unboxing a Glass Lid Vacuum Chamber with Pump 1)Inspect the Package 2)Opening the Box 3)Checking the Components a)Glass Lid b)Vacuum Chamber with attached vacuum valve, air inlet valve, Vacuum Gauge c)Vacuum Pump d)Vacuum Hose 4)Inspect for Damage or Missing Parts: 5)Set Up Instructions: a)Check the lid gasket b)Tighten the vacuum gauge to seal c)Fill fluid for pump d)Plug in the pump e)Attach the hose to the pump and the chamber’s vacuum valve. Here’s a step-by-step guide to stabilize a wood burl using Cactus Juice: Materials Needed: Cactus Juice Stabilizing Resin and Catalyst (comes with it with this brand) a)Link to Cactus Juice https://amzn.to/3UVl8Ki 2)Vacuum pump and Vacuum chamber (to evacuate air and force resin into the wood) a)Link to a pump and 5 gallon chamber https://amzn.to/4fvUJuL 3)Wood burl (the wood you want to stabilize) a)I get my burl from Word Wide Burl on Instagram i)https://www.instagram.com/worldwide_b... 4)Plastic container (optional for additional sealing) a)2 gallon bucket https://amzn.to/3Oa7hfj 5)Gloves and safety glasses (for protection) a)Gloves https://amzn.to/40QdxjS b)Glasses https://amzn.to/4hOrVPv 6)Heat source (such as an oven) for curing the resin. I have seen others use a toaster oven and had bad results because the resin dripped onto the heater coil. This is why I use a oven with a plate over the bottom to catch any drippings of cactus juice. a)Oven i)https://amzn.to/40RYDcF Step-by-Step Process: 1.Preparation of the Wood: Dry the Wood: Before stabilizing, the Wood should be dry. Moisture content can interfere with the process. I use my oven at 140 F to dry wood after it has spent most of the drying time being air dried. 1.Weigh the wood before placing in the oven and record the weight. After 24 hours, take wood out and weigh again If the weight is the same as the last weight you have reached constant mass and the wood is completely dry. If not, continue drying in oven every hour until the weight weighs the same as your last weight. Cut to Size: If necessary, cut the wood into manageable sizes that will fit in your vacuum chamber. I don’t cut then to final size if I will be casting in resin as I will have to sand the off the cactus juice from the wood. Cactus juice does not bond well with resin. Allow wood to cool: Do not use hot or warm wood in vacuum chamber. It will start the curing process and ruin your cactus juice. 2.Mixing the Cactus Juice: Remove foil seal for activator bottle carefully and add small amount of cactus juice. Replace the small bottle lid and shake well. Empty contents into the jug of Cactus Juice, replace the lid on the jug, and shake well. If any small clumps remain, allow the Activated Cactus Juice to sit for an hour or two and they should dissolve. Once fully dissolved, your Cactus Juice is ready to use! 3.Setting Up the Vacuum Chamber: Place the wood inside the vacuum chamber. If you're working with smaller pieces, you may want to use a grated top that fits in the bucket and a weight to hold the wood submerged. Make sure the vacuum chamber is clean and free of any debris that could contaminate the resin or the wood. Turn on the vacuum pump Run it until air bubbles stop. 4.Soaking the Wood: Close the valves and allow to hold negative pressure overnight. Turn pump back on and see if bubbles continue. Repeat until the bubbles stop. Very punky wood has been known to require leaving the wood soaking for 24-48 hours to ensure full penetration. Curing the Resin: Once the wood is fully impregnated with the resin, remove it from the vacuum chamber. You will need to cure the Cactus Juice resin to harden it. This is done by applying heat, 200°F (93°C) in an oven. Place the wood in the oven and allow it to cure for 2-4 hours until Cactus Juice has solidified. 6.Post-Curing and Finishing: After the wood has cured and the resin has hardened, remove the burl and let it cool. Once cooled, you can proceed with sanding, turning, or other woodworking processes. The burl will now be significantly stronger, less prone to cracking, and easier to work with. #wackeyworx #wackerle //www.northsidecustomcrafts.com