# Cactus Juice



## Dick Mahany (Jan 22, 2013)

I tried my first "Cactus Juice" sample and yielded some great blanks from some pretty punky but gorgeous burl cut offs that I had laying around so I decided to get some more.   Just received my new gallon size container of it...................my wife wants to know why I'm paying for that stuff when I can just go down the road and squeeze some myself !

My answer was simple......the cactus varieties here in California aren't as high quality as those in Texas.  So, while we can do grapes, we can't do cactus juice.  Got a blank stare with that one :wink::biggrin:.  ( If she ever reads these forums, I'm a gonner)


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## flyitfast (Jan 22, 2013)

And you have to filter out all those sticky pointy things!! 
Everybody knows that things are bigger and better in Texas!!! :biggrin:
That Cactus Juice is great stuff.


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## Kenny Durrant (Jan 23, 2013)

My wife said the same thing. We have a Korean friend that drinks the stuff and she said I could get it cheaper at the grocery store. I told her it wasn't the same stuff and don't try drinking mine. At least I hope it different ha ha.


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## Charlie (Jan 25, 2013)

Why don`t you just get a one gallon paint can at the paint store, pour in 1 qt lacquer thinner ,one quart clear lacquer. Mix well, throw in your wood, once a day shake can,leave wood until it sinks. Non punkie wood will not sink. Air dry out doors.

Works great I have even done small bowls that were going past punkie.I have a can going for a couple of years when it gets low I just add equal parts to it.

Charlie


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## Dick Mahany (Jan 25, 2013)

Charlie said:


> Why don`t you just get a one gallon paint can at the paint store, pour in 1 qt lacquer thinner ,one quart clear lacquer. Mix well, throw in your wood, once a day shake can,leave wood until it sinks. Non punkie wood will not sink. Air dry out doors.
> 
> Works great I have even done small bowls that were going past punkie.I have a can going for a couple of years when it gets low I just add equal parts to it.
> 
> Charlie


 

Thanks for the suggestion.  Lacquer is no longer available in my area and hasn't been for a few years. ( Auto guys now have to use water based finishes as of late 2010. )   Oh I long for those good old days :frown:.


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## joefyffe (Jan 25, 2013)

Seems to me, at two years for a can full of blanks, you may wish to mix into the equation, your age and life expectancy to see if you will live long enough to do any turning!


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## sbell111 (Jan 28, 2013)

joefyffe said:


> Seems to me, at two years for a can full of blanks, you may wish to mix into the equation, your age and life expectancy to see if you will live long enough to do any turning!



I'm pretty sure that he meant that he reuses the goop, not that the blanks take two years to stabilize.

That being said, I've used the mix that he uses.  I prefer cactus juice.


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## Katya (Jan 28, 2013)

I watched Kurt Hertzog do a demo with cactus juice and I was quite impressed.  It worked really well.  When I get to casting, that's what I'll use.


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## mhbeauford (Jan 28, 2013)

Cactus Juice works fantastic. I just received two more gallons. been experimenting with one color and two color stabilizing with some very porous Big Leaf Maple burl. Getting great results.


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## triw51 (Jan 28, 2013)

Darn still waiting for my kit to come in from Curtis and can't wait to start I have some beatiful spalted oak I want to try it on.  Hopefully my wife won't tell me to press my own from the cactus in the yard LOL


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## RetiredJake (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm waiting for my chamber also. Hoping to see it by the of the month. I have a bunch of blanks I have accumulted over the last year that I am anxious to try.

Jake


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## HamTurns (Jan 31, 2013)

*Me too---*

I'm waiting for the chamber I ordered from Curtis too. He must be a very busy guy. It's good to see a "little guy" keeping so busy. It'll get here when it gets here, I have plenty other fun turning stuff to do untill then.

I've got a bunch of spalted maple and a big chunk of Burl "whatever wood" that I'm going to stabilize then plan to use the Wasted Wood process to cast them.

Has anyone color stabilized some wood then used that colored stabilized wood in a Wasted Wood application? I was wondering if the colors would stand out or get lost.

Tom


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## hanau (Jan 31, 2013)

add me to the waiting list from Curtis.


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## NotURMailman (Jan 31, 2013)

HamTurns said:


> I'm waiting for the chamber I ordered from Curtis too. He must be a very busy guy. It's good to see a "little guy" keeping so busy. It'll get here when it gets here, I have plenty other fun turning stuff to do untill then.
> 
> I've got a bunch of spalted maple and a big chunk of Burl "whatever wood" that I'm going to stabilize then plan to use the Wasted Wood process to cast them.
> 
> ...


 
I'm pretty sure it will tunr out just like you are hoping. Unless I'm mistaken, the dye from the resin will not get into the wood.


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## merrym (Mar 1, 2014)

I have a newbie question...maybe totally off base but....a newbie here. After I have made my blanks...and turned them...can I use the turnings/cutoffs and reuse them? Can I fill a blank mold with these then do a fresh pour over them and vacuum my blanks?


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