AWGB Woodturning Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: slackbladder on April 08, 2014, 05:20:41 PM

Title: cactus juice
Post by: slackbladder on April 08, 2014, 05:20:41 PM

Has anybody tried using Methyl Methacrylate instead of cactus juice for stabilising porous timbers
 Methyl Methacrylate is the main ingredient in cactus juice but is available in the UK. Waiting replies from a couple of UK suppliers

Title: Re: cactus juice
Post by: Paul Disdle on April 08, 2014, 07:44:34 PM

Not tried it but I believe I read that Methyl Methacrylate is the ingredient that attacks some types of perspex/acrylic so you need to be careful what you use as a chamber.  I would be interested how you get on.

Paul

Title: Re: cactus juice
Post by: malcy on April 08, 2014, 07:51:25 PM

Just a note to clarify some comments here. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is the monomer used to make what we know as Perspex, which is in fact polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). That is to say that MMA is the base ingredient of PMMA and that it is polymerised to form the PMMA using other chemical components. It will dissolve PMMA or Perspex or other brand acrylics. Make sure you follow the health and safety advice when handling any such monomers. Malcolm