'fession time

[Doug Lester]

For those of you who haven't tried it, if you are using Minwax Wood Hardener on some handle material, don't put it in a plastic container. I did and it ate through the vacuum jar right at the miniscus line. . There was a quick $26 down the drain and I was late to work because I had to clean it up off the tile floor. It's also a little thick, especially with the disolved platic in it. It smells and glues your fingers together like cryocyanate (sp) glue. I'll have to cut into the antler that I was trying to stabilize to see how the penitration was. I'd cut it with about half or maybe even equal parts of acetone the next time. Before that I'm going to try to find a glass jar that the lid to the vacuum jar will fit or rig some other attachment for the hose.

I guess that my signature line says it all.
Doug Lester

[cdent]

When you get the new jar going, you might also try putting the material in a ziploc bag. You can use a lot less minwax and still get full coverage. I think it's safe advise. The wood hardener doesn't eat through the bag when I've done it.

Good luck, Craig

[NJStricker]

Doug,

In a previous life I worked at a veterinary research lab at an Air Force Base while an undergrad. It was very close to Hangar 51. Anyway, one of my jobs was preparing bone samples for processing. "Processing" basically meant cutting micro-thin sections to be stained for viewing under a microscope. We prepared the bone by--you guessed it--stabilizing the material with a plastic material (I think it was polypropylalcohol, but don't quote me on that, it was 20 years ago).

Anyway, we didn't put the bone straight into the full-strength resin. We did it sequentially, starting with 20% solution, then 50, then 75, then full strength. It might take a week or more (and no vacuum) but you had 100 percent saturation. I'm actually surprised that a similar method isn't used for knife handle materials, but some of those solvents can be pretty nasty and can leave an odor, I suppose.

Nathan