wood stabilizing using acrylic resin ??

[Sam]

looking for info on stabilizing wood for small projects, my understanding is that the wood is placed in a vacuum chamber to remove moisture and air while submerged in the resin then the chamber is returned to normal atmospheric pressure and the resin is forced into the cells of the wood ?? what sort of vacuum would be required?? How long would it be necessary to be held in the vacuum ?? Would this resin be a two part resin and hardener? Whether this is a feasible project to undertake or not I would like to have a good understanding of the process. any info would be appreciated. Sam

[joe2]

Depending on where you are going with your project, there is something called CPES, clear penetrating epoxy sealer. Not cheap! Part a and b, mix equally, has the consistence of diesel fuel. It penetrates the wood and replaces the water in the cells with two-part epoxy, basically making the wood (almost) forever. It is used extensively for restoration and boat building because it encapsulates any existing rot, solidifies it and makes it workable again, and makes new wood resistant to the marine environment. A Vacuum is not needed with CPES.

[George]

Well, not really. You have to have dry wood to start with. That's where the vacuum comes in. The reason you can't "replace" the water in wood is that up to 30% of the wood's weight is water bound to cellulose at the molecular level. The stuff inside the cells is long gone before the wood starts to shrink as this begins to leave.

Theory behind the vacuum is that the water leaves so quickly that the structure doesn't have time to collapse. Sort of like some of the methods used in

specifically the acetone and alcohol-ether dehydrations. The only vacuum method discussed is the Silicon Oil Treatment, and it doesn't seem it's a home job at all.

The acrylics, since they're soluble in water - Polycril, for instance - will do fairly well on their own at bulking the surface fiber. Turners use it. They also use PVA glue to accomplish pretty much the same thing. Here, however, the idea is if the first crack can't start because the surface is fully glued, it can't grow into a split.