# Food saver casting/dying???



## Tony (Feb 16, 2017)

Question for the experts: would I stabilize/cast/dye with a Food Saver? I was thinking maybe the canisters would work better than the bags maybe. Has anybody ever tried this? It seems like a dam stupid idea, so y'all have fun with me on this.

@Don Ratcliff , I've teed this up for you, drive it down the fairway!! Tony

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Jim Beam (Feb 16, 2017)

Oh this should be good!


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## Sprung (Feb 16, 2017)

You won't get anywhere near enough vacuum to remove enough air from the wood to properly stabilize it using a food saver pump. They don't pull a full, deep vacuum.


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## Tony (Feb 16, 2017)

That's what I figured might be the case, thanks Matt! I wonder if it wold pull dye into wood?


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## Schroedc (Feb 16, 2017)

It might pull dye into wood a ways but the first time you suck liquid into your food saver your wife will kill you.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Tony (Feb 16, 2017)

Solid point Colin. I was thinking if I could find a cheap one at a garage sale I would try that.


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## Don Ratcliff (Feb 16, 2017)

Oh boy... @Tony I think this may be the best idea you have ever had and I mean that sincerely...

Reactions: Funny 6


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## Schroedc (Feb 16, 2017)

Tony said:


> Solid point Colin. I was thinking if I could find a cheap one at a garage sale I would try that.



Just buy an el cheapo stabilization rig on eBay or Amazon. you'll get some use with less screwing around.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Sprung (Feb 16, 2017)

I agree with Colin - if you just want to do some occasional playing around with stabilizing, something like one of these might suit you well to get started.


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## rocky1 (Feb 16, 2017)

Just go ahead and do it Tony!!! You been cleaning shop for 4 weeks now, you should have a spot on the counter cleaned off to set the pump up by now.

When you do, splurge and buy the bigger pot. It is SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH EASIER to work with than using a little pot. Since I broke the 5 gallon pot out, the lid hasn't been on my little pot. It's been set in the bigger pot numerous times, but I haven't even remotely considered using it as a stand alone unit since getting the bigger pot out.


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## Wildthings (Feb 17, 2017)

Tony said:


> Question for the experts: would I stabilize/cast/dye with a Food Saver? I was thinking maybe the canisters would work better than the bags maybe. Has anybody ever tried this? It seems like a dam stupid idea, so y'all have fun with me on this.
> 
> @Don Ratcliff , I've teed this up for you, drive it down the fairway!! Tony


BUT and I mean BUT the wood will last a lot longer in the freezer by using the food saver!!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Tony (Feb 17, 2017)

Thanks for all the input guys! I didn't think that would work, but the idea got in my head and wouldn't go away. I do want to get into all this, but now is not the time. A little down the road I think. Tony

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## blaineo (Mar 8, 2017)

It might be good for Double Dying/Stabilizing blanks? Give you a 1/3-1/2 way penetration in them, a bit deeper than just letting them sit and soak, and free up your good chamber to do a FULL vacuum? Hell, that's what we're all about, right? Experimentation? :P

Reactions: Like 1


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## kweinert (Mar 8, 2017)

We have one of those Foodsaver things and it does work well for its intended purpose.

If you do decide to experiment with it (for partial penetration) you could try what I do for liquids - I put stuff in one of those cheap Ziplock 'tupperware' things. It keeps the liquid from being sucked into the machine and it's nowhere near as costly as the purpose made ones for the machine.

For stabilizing you could probably even put a hole or two in the lid to ensure the vacuum was complete (well, as complete as can be).

The ones that are like these: https://ziploc.com/en/products/containers/rectangle/containers-medium-rectangle

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Mar 8, 2017)

blaineo said:


> It might be good for Double Dying/Stabilizing blanks? Give you a 1/3-1/2 way penetration in them, a bit deeper than just letting them sit and soak, and free up your good chamber to do a FULL vacuum? Hell, that's what we're all about, right? Experimentation? :P



Actually the same thoughts crossed my mind briefly the other day. Was wandering through Harbor Freight and they had a package of small vacuum storage containers for hobbyist type projects. Those unfortunately were a tad too small, so I didn't purchase them, but they did make me wonder what I might find at Wally World the next time, to try.

The one problem I see with that in double dying blanks is, you really don't want that first color penetrating anything that requires vacuum to penetrate. You just sort of want it to soak in nice and easy over several days. But, I have attempted more ridiculous bat guana in my life, and the cost of a set of vacuum containers isn't going to break me. The half vacuum might speed up the soaking up process from a week or so to a day, hard saying.



Tony, you can buy the cheap Vacuum Pumps from any number of sources for not a lot of money, you might be cheaper to buy one of those than the seal a meal honestly. For instance... Wally World has this one.

Or, if you really wanted to go the cheap route... This set of containers comes complete with Hand Vacuum pump.

I'm thinking I might have to go find that set at Wally World!! Put 'em inside a second container so as not to contaminate them, and if it fails donate them to they house.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung (Mar 8, 2017)

Rocky, I definitely get better color penetration when I apply some vacuum to the first color in a double dye. Usually between 5 and 20 minutes under full vacuum power, depending on the size of the blank. Then soak time is anywhere from 12 to 24 hours, depending on how much penetration I'm looking for from the first color.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Mar 8, 2017)

I stand corrected then, you're definitely way ahead of me on this game Matt. I suppose that would make sense though, you really aren't pulling it throughout the blank in that manner, you're just giving it a good start into the center of the blank, and no longer than you're running it there, it doesn't have any chance to penetrate the more dense woods on the outside of the blank. I've just been letting them soak for 3 - 5 days on the first color. Which I am getting penetration, but my colors aren't as intense, which I am assuming an issue with the amount of dye I'm using.


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## Sprung (Mar 9, 2017)

Yeah, only pulling vacuum for a short length of time helps give it a really good start. I've found that if I don't soak it long enough or pull vacuum for long enough, then I don't get deep enough penetration. The short amount of time spent under vacuum really helps.

Yes, for more intense color, use more dye, lol.


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## rocky1 (Mar 9, 2017)

Yeah... As discussed in recent PM, trying to figure out dye in stabilizing and casting all at once is bit much, kinda opposite ends of the same spectrum there. Need overkill on one end; really easy to overkill and find undesirable results on the other!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## DKMD (Mar 9, 2017)

Tony, you've got one of these Swedish pumps, right?

Reactions: Funny 4


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## CWS (Mar 10, 2017)

DKMD said:


> Tony, you've got one of these Swedish pumps, right?
> View attachment 123704


Those dr. know everything

Reactions: Funny 2


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