Alumilite bleeding into wood

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
bgio13

bgio13

Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
260
Location
Oak Bluffs, MA, USA.
I have now tried three times to cast an item in Alumilite similar to El Mostros cross blanks and am having a problem with the Alumilite bleeding into the wood. I am not sure what kind of wood it is as the objects were cut for me. I have tried soaking the wood in Minwax wood hardener for a week and then letting it dry for a week, and also soaking one with thin CA. Both attempts have failed. Not sure if there is another option or if I am doing something wrong. I am using Alumilite dyes and a pressure pot at 40 psi as well. Any info greatly appreciated.

Bill
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
I'm certainly not an expert but I can't even tell what your problem is from your post.
Are you saying that some of the dye in the Alumilite is unevenly soaking into the wood making the wood no longer a uniform texture or color?
If there were no dye in the Alumilite would that make a difference in what you are trying to do with the wood?
 
leestoresund said:
I'm certainly not an expert but I can't even tell what your problem is from your post.
Are you saying that some of the dye in the Alumilite is unevenly soaking into the wood making the wood no longer a uniform texture or color?
If there were no dye in the Alumilite would that make a difference in what you are trying to do with the wood?
Click to expand...

That is excactly my problem. I used a blue dye to color the Alumilite and it soaked into the wood. I don't want a clear blank so I have to add some sort of dye to color the Alumilite.
 
I have found that it is the dye that bleeds into the wood grain and not the alumilite itself so much. The courser the grain, the more likely the dye is to permeate into the wood grain. I just cast a few blanks of wormy butternut and the "bleeding was very noticeable around the worm holes. I have not had a chance to try casting the same pieces with a lower pressure yet, but I am sure that the dye will still bleed into the grain at less than 40 psi.

I can not get Resinol 90C here in Canada like Pat uses at Ankrom Exotics, but that may be the only way to work around this.

Dave
 
Any time you cut a recess into a wooden pen barrel or blank by any means , including laser engraving , end grain is exposed . It will always wick water or low viscosity liquid such as thin CA in - basically that`s how a tree moves water from the roots up to it`s leaves . The more open the pore structure , the greater the problem from a pen turning point of view as Dave has said .

Several shots of thin CA will usually work , hit with accelerator as soon as the CA has penetrated . The objective , whether it works or not , I don`t know , is to rapidly set the CA at the pore entrances before it goes too far . The wood is sealed when the last application doesn`t want to penetrate . On very open grain woods like red oak , it may be necessary to paint the end grain with medium CA to completely seal it .
 
You might also wait until the Alumilite is almost set and then pour it over the blank so it does not have time to be absorbed.
You have to be quick 'cause at least in my experience Alumilite will go from liquid to set up in about 3 seconds. Right, Andy?
 
"am having a problem with the Alumilite bleeding into the wood"

Bill, just a hunch but I don't think your problem is "bleeding" as much as it is "being forced under pressure".

When Curtis (mesquiteman) was teaching me how to make "worthless wood" blanks, one thing he shared with me was that in order to force the colored alumilite deep into the pores and grain of the wood, was to apply pressure in a pressure pot. The more pressure... the deeper it was forced into the wood!

You are getting the colored alumilite into the wood because you are forcing it in under pressure! Cut way down or eliminate the pressure all together and you should see your problem go away.

I would suggest sending Curtis a PM and getting his take on this in case he doesn't chime in, after all he is "Mr Alumilite"!:)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom