# Who has the largest stabilizing pot



## Don Ratcliff (Jan 29, 2017)

How big of a piece of wood can you stabilize in your pot?


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## Sprung (Jan 29, 2017)

I have a chamber that has internal dimensions of 8"x8"x8". To leave room for resin and bubble under vacuum, I'd probably call my max size that I'd do somewhere around 7"x7"x6".


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2017)

How big a piece you wanting stabilized Don? My big pot is 14 3/4" diameter x 14" deep; which you can't do but about half that depth realistically. However, when you start talking large pots and large chunks of wood, there are a few points to consider...

1.) Is it something that can be laid flat? It gets really expensive to try and fill a lot of room up in a big pot, at $90/gallon for resin.

2.) Then you gotta go on a stabilize-a-thon to try and use up all that left over juice before it spoils.

3.) Then there is the matter of penetration time. And...

4.) Will it fit in the toaster oven to cook it off? (_My wife and mother-in-law aren't quite as understanding as Matt's wife._)

5.) Where you may also have to consider, can you get it hot enough to cook the resin all the way through before your resin on the outside starts scorching.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

Thank you guys, good points all. 

I do not have a particular project in mind just some large pieces that can use stabilizing. That being said there is no reason they can't be cut down. I wanted to learn the +- of the procedure which you provided. 

Matt, as always you sir are an angel to offer assistance.

Rocky, once again you have provided usable Intel by way of short novel.

Thank you both for your time in answering my question, now you may carry on with your day...

Really... go away now.... Matt put down the keys to my storage!.... damn it rocky! Get out of the fridge, and put the toilet seat back on the toilet!

WTH was I thinking...

Reactions: Funny 8


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## Tclem (Jan 30, 2017)

Now this is a BIG pot

Reactions: Funny 7


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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)

Tclem said:


> Now this is a BIG pot
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That is a horrible image to start the day with.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 3


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## Tclem (Jan 30, 2017)

Mike1950 said:


> That is a horrible image to start the day with.


Suck it up buttercup and deal with it

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

Tclem said:


> Now this is a BIG pot
> 
> 
> 
> ...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 7


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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)




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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

Tclem said:


> Now this is a BIG pot
> 
> 
> 
> ...

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

Thank you @Tclem this is going to provide me hours of enjoyment...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tclem (Jan 30, 2017)

People and their apps

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)



Reactions: Funny 5


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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)

@Tclem This is fun.....

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

Mike1950 said:


> @Tclem This is fun.....

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## ripjack13 (Jan 30, 2017)

where's that unsee button?

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

There's the pitch! And it's outta here!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 30, 2017)

Don, I've got a chamber with a 12 inch diameter, three to four feet tall....


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## Don Ratcliff (Jan 30, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Don, I've got a chamber with a 12 inch diameter, three to four feet tall....


Thanks Colin, that's big enough to do a paddle blade, good to know. I think it would be far less expensive to cut the wood I have in mind into blanks before stabilizing.

Have you done anything that big before?


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## Tclem (Jan 30, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> There's the pitch! And it's outta here!
> 
> View attachment 121352


I lofted it down the middle belt high

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 30, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> Thanks Colin, that's big enough to do a paddle blade, good to know. I think it would be far less expensive to cut the wood I have in mind into blanks before stabilizing.
> 
> Have you done anything that big before?



For something like that I might look into a vacuum bag.... that's what I did for a stock I'll have to see if I can find the bag.


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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)

Tclem said:


> I lofted it down the middle belt high


I think the turkey is quite becoming....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Jan 30, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Don, I've got a chamber with a 12 inch diameter, three to four feet tall....



Stabilizing chamber, Colin...not your bong.....sheesh...

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> View attachment 121351



A gal was looking over my shoulder and indicated she would like ta meet ya- I gave her your number....

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)




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## Mike1950 (Jan 30, 2017)

........

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Sprung (Jan 30, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> (_My wife and mother-in-law aren't quite as understanding as Matt's wife._)



I don't do any curing of blanks in the house oven. Just drying down prior to stabilizing! Speaking of which, I need to load up her oven again tonight and dry some stuff...

But, that does raise the question of curing. I could do a 7x7x6 piece in my chamber, but I'm not sure it would fit into my little toaster oven. Would be too thick. 4" might be about as thick as I'd be able to fit into my toaster oven without doing something stupid or dangerous.

But not only does Colin have a big chamber, he's also got a regular kitchen oven in his shop, which would allow him to cure larger pieces too.


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2017)

I don't think mine would even allow the blanks for drying but maybe a time or two. 

Yeah, I've never given consideration of how big a blank toaster over will take either, but mine is convection, so I need to have room for air to flow around it as well. I'd really be interested in information on cure time for larger blanks if anyone knows where there is some. Wood is not a good conductor of temperature. If it takes 1 1/2 - 2 hours to cure the resin in a pen blank, how long does it take to heat a 7 x 7 x 6 blank through and through to cure the resin within?? Obviously it isn't done in 2 hours.


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> For something like that I might look into a vacuum bag.... that's what I did for a stock I'll have to see if I can find the bag.



Something you could park in the closet for a month or two and let it penetrate thoroughly, such as a vacuum bag was running through my mind, but questions arose and got all in the way of thought process. How do you get enough resin the bag to fully penetrate the piece, and be able to pull sufficient vacuum? Vacuum first, then add resin slowly from the end opposite the vacuum port??


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## Schroedc (Jan 30, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> Something you could park in the closet for a month or two and let it penetrate thoroughly, such as a vacuum bag was running through my mind, but questions arose and got all in the way of thought process. How do you get enough resin the bag to fully penetrate the piece, and be able to pull sufficient vacuum? Vacuum first, then add resin slowly from the end opposite the vacuum port??



Couple ways to do it, Pull vac with the item in the bag dry, close valve, let in resin. Or you place item in low flat tray with resin, place in bag, pull vacuum. You just need an intermediary catch chamber between bag and pump in case of overflow.


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## Schroedc (Jan 30, 2017)

@rocky1 @Don Ratcliff - Here is a link to the Holdfast branded bag. Meant for bowls but would also work for this- I don't know that particular site but you can shop around.

http://www.chefwarekits.com/wood-st...ag-for-turned-wood-bowls-made-in-the-usa.html


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2017)

Aaaahhh, yes, I see... Didn't think that one through. I'm actually doing that with my big chamber, set small pot inside the big pot. Makes bubbling up a non-issue, if it bubbles up it doesn't get sucked up, and if it runs over, you just pour it back in the pot when you're done, wipe the big pot out, and go on. No harm, no foul! Makes perfect sense.


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2017)

Just ran across that site the other day, have a few interesting goodies there.




Don Ratcliff said:


> Thanks Colin, that's big enough to do a paddle blade, good to know. I think it would be far less expensive to cut the wood I have in mind into blanks before stabilizing.
> 
> Have you done anything that big before?



If you can cut it up before stabilizing, I would Don. Smaller pieces are going to allow more even penetration throughout whatever you're stabilizing, in less time and more even cooking in less time. Just way easier to work with.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Sprung (Jan 30, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> Aaaahhh, yes, I see... Didn't think that one through. I'm actually doing that with my big chamber, set small pot inside the big pot. Makes bubbling up a non-issue, if it bubbles up it doesn't get sucked up, and if it runs over, you just pour it back in the pot when you're done, wipe the big pot out, and go on. No harm, no foul! Makes perfect sense.



I like the intermediate container too. I have to use one with my chamber and I use these square ice cream pails. It's also nice because I can run one round of vacuum, then pull out the pail and set it aside for the soak, while being able to immediately start another round under vacuum. It's nice to not have the chamber tied up for the soak.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 30, 2017)

I was wondering what you'd been using, as I needed something a little bigger than my small stainless pot the other night. Started to shout at you when I came to the revelation... The stuff is packed in a plastic bottle, plastic should be safe! Grabbed an empty plastic Coffee container and loaded it up.

Also contemplated smaller containers that could be stacked for pulling multiple colors at one time when I get started dying things. Lunchmeat container inside an open ziplock bag or something. They could be stacked and you could pull several colors at once. Small batches of dye could be stored in them. Only problem would be getting them out of the ziplock bag if they bubbled over and made a mess.


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## Sprung (Jan 31, 2017)

@rocky1 - Just thought I'd let you know that right now my wife's oven is filled until tomorrow morning with wood drying so I can start stabilizing it by the end of the day tomorrow!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## rocky1 (Jan 31, 2017)

You have a VERY UNDERSTANDING WIFE Matt, you better hold on to that one!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Sprung (Jan 31, 2017)

rocky1 said:


> You have a VERY UNDERSTANDING WIFE Matt, you better hold on to that one!!



I am quite blessed!


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## rocky1 (Jan 31, 2017)

Me too, but I still don't think she'd understand me stacking her oven full of wood and baking it over night!!  

Honestly, I couldn't get away with that down here but maybe a couple days a year. So it really has never crossed my mind to see if mine's understanding of it.


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