# Baking wood after Cactus Juice Infusion



## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I have 2 questions about baking wood to cure Cactus Juice after the infusion process is complete:

Is there a formula for how long to bake per inch of thickness? My first victim, er uh, subject is a piece of spalted hackberry - 2" thick by 4-1/2" diameter. 

Also, what I've seen and read indicates using a toaster oven to bake the blank. But, I don't have a toaster oven and don't particularly want one. My kitchen oven is a very temperature accurate convection which I see as a bonus. Is there a reason not to use it?


----------



## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Take however long you think it'll take to bake and triple that number. You can't overcook cactus juice, but you sure can undercook it. As far as using the kitchen oven goes, no real reason you cant, but there is always the risk of toxic times contaminating your food later down the line. Toaster oven are cheap, not a bad idea to get one for random tasks like this. 

Oh, and I hope you remembered to bake the blanks before you did the cactus juice impregnation, otherwise it won't go well


----------



## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

Quickstep said:


> I have 2 questions about baking wood to cure Cactus Juice after the infusion process is complete:
> 
> Is there a formula for how long to bake per inch of thickness? My first victim, er uh, subject is a piece of spalted hackberry - 2" thick by 4-1/2" diameter.
> 
> Also, what I've seen and read indicates using a toaster oven to bake the blank. But, I don't have a toaster oven and don't particularly want one. My kitchen oven is a very temperature accurate convection which I see as a bonus. Is there a reason not to use it?


Have you been to the Cactus Juice web site, *www.turntex.com*? It has complete instructions and a number of videos. Here is a link to the page that gives step by step instructions for using *Cactus Juice*. He says to use an oven thermometer to determine the right setting because the temperature scale on toaster ovens aren't very accurate. If you live by yourself and don't mind strong chemical odors then the kitchen oven should be fine, but otherwise get a cheap used toaster oven and do the curing outdoors.


----------



## preacherman (Nov 29, 2011)

I just got my stabilizing set up for Christmas gift and did my first pen blanks this weekend. As far as as baking them I bought a toaster oven and thermometer at Walmart for a grand total of 24 bucks. I didn't think that much was enough to have any concerns over baking in the wifey's kitchen. I would much rather get fussed at for spending 24 dollars (not that she would) than baking wood in her kitchen ( which she would). As far as time I just turned it on to 210 degrees and going to let it set all night.


----------

