Casting this piece of wood into Alumilte

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BJohn

BJohn

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My wife is wanting to take some of this wood (see picture below)and cast it in with some Alumilite. To make blanks for some pens for people at work.

We are just starting to get into casting and this will be are first time to cast what some call worthless wood.

This is a piece of old Barn Wood, As you can see it is quite old and probably very dry. Are there any steps we would need to take before we place this in the mold for casting? Drying more in an oven. Stabilization ?

Our thought is that stabilizing the wood might fill some of the obvious voids that we would like to fill with the colored Alumilite.

Any help appreciated.



John & Brenda
 
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There are others that are more qualified to answer you than me, but if I were doing it, I would cut them in to oversized blanks. If the cracks run deep you could even consider drilling a 7mm hole down the center of them to help the alumilite penetrate and definitely use pressure when casting. If the wood is soft, you can always stabilize after casting. Good luck!
 
Readin' up on this myself..

I have been reading & research & watching you tube info. about this & I think it would be advantageous for you to stablize the wood 1st with Cactus Juice under a vaccumn & then use the alumilite. I have just ordered my 1st gallon & intend to start stablizing my own "worthess wood". Under "Other things we make", is a duck call treated this way....(that I hav just posted):wink:



JohnU said:
There are others that are more qualified to answer you than me, but if I were doing it, I would cut them in to oversized blanks. If the cracks run deep you could even consider drilling a 7mm hole down the center of them to help the alumilite penetrate and definitely use pressure when casting. If the wood is soft, you can always stabilize after casting. Good luck!
Click to expand...
 
Also, I would suggest contacting Curtis "mesquiteman" . He's a resident expert here on casting and stabilizing and would be able to give you the good instruction on the material your working with.
 
I have had some luck casting Alumilite into wood with small cracks. I make a mold that is much deeper than needed and place the voids 'face up' so to speak. I de-gas the Alumilite in a vacuum chamber (per the Alumilite video) then pour and place the mold into a pressure pot at 50psi.

The idea of pre-drilling a 7mm hole down the middle makes sense too. I do not know if I would pre-stabalize, as you want the colored Alumilite down into those cracks, and the stabalizing resin may take up some of that space.

Any idea what kind of wood that is? Barns were often made of whatever was being cleared so it could be any variety local to where the barn was.

It does look like it will be interesting once done.
 
Thanks for the ideas. I too have thought that stabilizing it first may feel some of the cracks that we really want the Alumilite to get into. I have watched some of the videos and they have helped some.

I do like the idea of drilling the 7mm holes first to help the Alumilite get into the voids.

As for the type of would I have no idea, wife found the board leaning one a rack with many other with a for sale sign on it while driving down a back country hwy. It is probably either a species of Gum or Oak.
 
I would cut to pen sized blanks so you get penetration from all four sides. Dont think stabilizing is necessary unless the wood is rotten. if it is solid and just cracked them pressure cast alumalite to fill pores
 
I had ruled out the cactus juice. But was planning on casting a larger section thanks for the advise on making it a pen size section. That does make sense. I think I will also drill a 7mm hole, then drill again after casting.

Hopefully try this evening.
 
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