Thread: Vacuum&pressure pot experiments

I had an interest in saving burl ends and soft punky pieces. Also wanted the ability to reproduce scales and maybe cast scale and brush designs.
To that end I researched vacuum pumps, stabilizer fluids such as cactus juice and the like and starting stockpiling items.
I have an old paint pressure pot, good to 60 psi for pressure casting, and used a thick glass jar with a gasket for a lip seal and some lexan and brass fittings for my vacuum chamber. Using a 6cfm hvac vacuum pump I get over 28" of vacuum out of the unit.
Ok, the burls, and some action shots.


I added some red dye to a few of them prior to stabilizing.
After curing the other day I chose three to make up a 3" x 6" blank.
Used foam board and a glue gun to build the mold.

Mixed up the appropriate amount of alumilite and added some red color and a bit of copper brushed onto the burl surfaces in some areas.

And put it in the pot for an hr at60 psi.


A bit leaked out as the glu gun seal left a little to be desired, but overall I like it and look forward to slicing it up into scales and handles.

More ideas and experiments to follow. Feel free to add your own so we can all benefit from the shared ideas.
Cheers gents.