doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com After effects of acetone bath on wood

I was commenting from the perspective that relatively common, inexpensive things can create enough vacuum to draw natural oils and water out of wood. I'm pretty sure damascus is using equipment that can do a better job.

My understanding is that almost all vacuum pumps can get to a certain point, and then to get the last little bit, the cost starts to go way up or go very slowly. I think it's pretty well known that oil can be drawn out of a stock basically by chemically diluting it and or wicking it out with an absorbent. I wouldn't be surprised if a little warmth to lower the viscosity and some vacuum could work well.

I think a home setup vacuum tank may slowly leak, so if someone wanted a long vacuum hold, they might want to check it and refresh it if needed. I wouldn't buy it from a purpose built supplier, but if you look at wood working bag clamps, you can get an idea of how a vacuum pump and shut off valve could be hooked up to a tank. Those bag systems have an advantage though that the atmosphere collapses the bag around the work piece so it's easier for the pump to do its job.

I haven't looked in a number of years, but I've seen Gast brand double vane pumps come up for very inexpensive prices. But, maybe a tad bit more vacuum wouldn't make much difference that could be made up with a bit more time. It's interesting to me that damascus had success, but as he reminds, there's caution not to mix apples with oranges.

Back a few years ago I was casting acrylic and rotted wood for a pen making project on a wood lathe. Part of the process was to place wood into a container of heat cured acrylic which filled in most voids in rotted wood. First you pull a vacuum to about 99.7%, let it soak then reverse to 60-80 psi to drive the liquid acrylic into the cellular structure. Then remove and cure at 190 degrees f.. Then you placed the wood into a mold and fill the mold with another kind of acrylic which was pressure cured at 80 psi.

I used the Harbor freight vacuum pumps but could not pull enough vacuum. Had to buy a used Gast pump off EBay. My chamber was a paint pot. First was a 2 1/2 gallon then upgraded to a Binks five gallon pot. Much better made pot and could go up to 110 psi if needed. Never tried to pull oil out of a stock but no reason it would not work if you could get the stock into your chamber or use a vacuum bag like they use to clamp veneer for glueing.

As you approach true vacuum the boiling point for a liquid is falling. Guess at absolute zero pressure the oil should all come to the surface. If you have it wrapped in an adsorbent material most of the oil should be caught but if you don't there is nothing to prevent the surface oil from being pulled slightly back into the wood.