Wood Juice or Cactus Juice

[Andrew Kertesz]

Has anybody used either Wood Juice or Cactus Juice. What did you think of the product you used? Any other suggestions for stabilizing wood?

[Jerry Marcantel]

I personally haven't used either one yet, but have seen vids of cactus juice being vaccumed into wood. Then it's wrapped in foil and cooked in an oven for awhile. Can't remember the time, but what's good about CJ is what doesn't get absorbed into the wood is poured back into the container for later use......Jerry (in Tucson)

[Andrew Kertesz]

There in lies the rub; not having a container for vacuum set-up. While I have a vacuum pump for the lathe setting up a vacuum chamber can get costly.

[ron hossack]

Has anybody used either Wood Juice or Cactus Juice. What did you think of the product you used? Any other suggestions for stabilizing wood?
There in lies the rub; not having a container for vacuum set-up. While I have a vacuum pump for the lathe setting up a vacuum chamber can get costly.

I use cactus juice and have been pretty happy with it. The one failure I've had was not the fault of the juice but me experimenting with glued red fir bark rings and I think the juice and TB III
were not compatible because it never set under heat.

If you have a vacuum pump you can make a vacuum chamber pretty reasonably. I doubt if I have $25 invested in mine.

Gallon Pickle Jar cost $4.00 @ Winco and it's full of vlasic pickles. Eat pickles and you have the basis for the chamber.

I took some 7mm pen tubes and went to Ace and bought some clear water line that was a snug fit on the tubes.

Used a Spaghetti Jar as a 'catch can'. Soldered the tubes in the lids.

The brass shutoff valve was the most expensive at around $8.00 and the vacuum gauge came out of my tool box but Grainger has them less than $10.

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I use different sized jars inside the gallon jug so you use less juice. Here is some spalted/punky Amboyna pulling -29hg

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After about 30 minutes it is wrapped in foil and Baked for 45 minutes at 225º

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This is some really soft and punky Chocolate Mango with the before and the pen after using Cactus Juice. This wood is so soft just touching it and the spalted areas fell of the blank.

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[Scott Lux]

Ron, I find your setup very interesting. I may have to try this.

[Jim Burr]

I have the large vac chamber from Curtis and it rocks!! Having only done one batch so far, it's just short of paying for itself. He also has great instructions for making a vac pump from a refrigerator compressor. The large one will handle stuff from pen blanks to a small HF or vase.

[Dave Mueller]

+1 for CJ. I have the small vacuum chamber and have used it about 15 times, mostly for badly spalted wood for pens, pendants, collars and finials. As Jerry mentions, you can reuse the leftover CJ. I pour mine into a separate container from the unused CJ and add to it as needed. It will acquire a brown color over time, but I haven't noticed any discoloring of the white spalted maple when I use it. I use the $114 vacuum pump from HF and it works great. Bottom line - turning CJ stabilized spalted wood is a joy compared to the punky unstabilized wood.

[Jim Burr]

I'm starting construction on my refrigerator compressor vaccum pump this weekend. I found a used, working pump for $40, $10 for parts at the BORG and I'll be in business! I looked on CL and ebay and in the end, called a local appliance repair shop..."yeah, I have 'em...works fine. Ok, how 'bout $40?...ok...see ya Saturday" I need to call around more! Posting pic's as I go.

[James Combs]

There in lies the rub; not having a container for vacuum set-up. While I have a vacuum pump for the lathe setting up a vacuum chamber can get costly.

I use CJ quite regularly and I like the job it does. My only complaint, a minor one, would be that the resulting wood is quite dusty when turning. I use a large 10" diameter PVC coupling I got for $10 as my chamber. The whole thing probably didn't cost me $30. Check it out here if you want see how I did it.

[robert baccus]

I'm lazy. Try this. mix up some clear epoxy or FG resin and thin almost to water with acetone. Put in a black VINYL bag with your piece and play shake and bake. will take several hours so it soaks in everywhere it needs to. Does not discolor the wood and turns like new wood. I've done 15-20 like this.---------old forester

[Mike Cruz]

I use Cactus Juice all the time. Around here we call it Tequilla, though. Mixed with some Triple Sec, lime juice, sugar, and crushed ice, it really quenches the thi....oh, wait a minute...this isn't what you were talking about was it? I think I'll go have another margarita...

[Rick Markham]

I'm lazy. Try this. mix up some clear epoxy or FG resin and thin almost to water with acetone. Put in a black VINYL bag with your piece and play shake and bake. will take several hours so it soaks in everywhere it needs to. Does not discolor the wood and turns like new wood. I've done 15-20 like this.---------old forester

I know of at least one master luthier and instrument maker that uses the thinned epoxy as a pore filler, I've always wanted to try it on a turning.

[robert baccus]

Epoxy sure works better than CA--just about like wood. the soak i described goes into the fibers and leaves the pores open matchingthe wood perfectly. i've done this on some fairly large soft bowls after rougfhing out of course.-------old forester