Thread: Resin Stabalising in Redlands area

There is a stabilising subform in the pen turning forums.

I'm in Nerang in the Gold Coast and do a lot of stabilising and indeed lecture on it, and casting, to various clubs throughout Aus on my travels as a grey nomad. Although COVID has me stuck at home this year.

My first question is why do you want it stabilised?

For wood turning, especially bowls and platters, you would only consider stabilising if the wood was rotten as Red Gum is solid enough without it.

Stabilising timber blanks large enough for bowls and platters is also often too large for the vacuum chambers needed to stabilise properly. The time necessary for both drying and vacuum stabilising the timber is also excessive for these type of blanks. What is more common for these sizes are to rough turn the bowl/platter, dry completely (to 0%MC NOT back yard dry), then soak in the stabilising resin (I use Cactus Juice) for a few weeks, then cook the blank to set the resin. The bowl/platter can then be cast as necessary to fill any cracks before finish turning.