Customer Comments

Hey guys , after using Cactus Juice for a while now ,I have decided to use it exclusively and have had 0 complaints on my product:D that being said , Curtis is a super nice guy and will help you when needed on an array of things . Faron Moore/Moores Customs

Curtis is very helpful with your questions. I make grips for the .44 Auto Mag pistol yep the one Clint Eastwood used in the movie (Sudden Impact) and The Cactus Juice works really well with some of the exotic woods I use to make them and it has cut about 3 weeks off my stabilizing time as to what I was using and it's thin enough to get in the wood and added about 50% or more to the weight so it's getting good penetration which is needed. I'am very happy with it and will be ordering more Cactus Juice from Curtis soon.

Curtis at TurnTex supplied me with what to me was a new product, Cactus juice for stabilizing wood for knife handles. He has experimented with a variety of products and came up with his own concoction that works, and offers it to the public. Now the general public can do their own wood stabilizing with a minimum of equipment or special knowledge and get professional results. I had great results the first time I used it. This cactus juice is way superior to anything else I had tried. I have used mini wax, water soluble polyurethane, acetone soluble plastics, 3-4 types of epoxy, fiberglass resin thinned down, superglue, etc. Another seller of great stabilized wood told me his process is a highly guarded secret! It insulted him I would ask what product he used. Curtis , as a stranger, and me, a first time small order buyer, spent almost an hour of his time talking to me on the phone, giving me pointers, tips, advice, for my specific needs. He did so without trying to push his products on me, but out of genuine interest in helping people out. This saved me dozens of hours and money stumbling along figuring it all out on my own. I’ve shopped around and his prices are better than elsewhere for similar product. There are hefty discounts for buying more volume. I liked the no profit in the shipping and he sent priority 3 day to Alaska for only the shipping cost. Others want to charge as much as the product for shipping! The cactus juice has no fumes, what is not sucked into the wood can be saved, is not harmful to my vacuum pump or containers, is not toxic on my hands, sucks in the wood well, accepts dyes well, takes a nice final high polish, adds good strength to my spaulted crosscut wood. In short, has all the qualities I want in one product. :D

Curtis you make a wonderful product. I am very pleased with chamber I bought from you. My only complaints would be, lack of communication. From the time I ordered the chamber I received only one email telling me I had bought the chamber. And the length of time 3 months from the time of order until shipment was a bit much. That wouldn't be a problem for me, if I had received regular updates on what was happening. I realize that you must be very busy, but I do not know you from Adam. I live so far away from you, no one I know has bought anything from you. So even though it may not have been necessary for me to pay up front I did and not hearing anything from you as the 2 month time came and went caused me more than a little concern. An email update telling me how the progress or lack there of would have done much to reassure me. But that is in the past like I said you have a wonderful product and you craftsman ship is excellent. Bob Hawley [color=red]My notes: Thank you for the constructive criticism Mr. Hawley. As we discussed on the phone, I did send out a couple of general updates to everyone on the list which you did not receive. That said, I do realize that I need to find more time in the day to better communicate with folks that are waiting on chambers. In an effort to increase production, I have spent a lot of money on a CNC Router which will help improve my lead times. It is also allowing me to produce even better lids that are more durable and produce better ultimate vacuum.[/color]

I am a knife maker, and recently came into a bunch of Elk Antler, which is very porous. and definitely needs to be stabilized for knife handles. This stuff works great! I ordered my Cactus Juice online and received it about 3 days later. Very Fast Delivery!! I need to order some more!

I've been stabilizing spalted maple using one of Curtis' original tanks and lids. I ordered up a second and, now, a third tank based on a little test I did. I had a block of spalted maple from which I cut smaller blocks with the intent of making stabilized bricks for knife scales. I clean and true the brick and then slice the bookmatched scales and sand them in a Jet 10-20 drum sander. Well, I noticed the new gauge appears to be drawing significant vacuum and the bubbling quit in the old tank while the new tank got the job done quicker. I liked that, but then began to wonder whether the lid made a difference. I repeated the process. Same result. Weigh-in of blocks showed more juice went in the new tank and lid. On the third run, when the new tank was done, I switched the new lid to the old tank and it was pretty much a strong bubbling action like the initial draw down at first evacuating air from the tank. I've learned also to put on as much time to equalization after stabilization as it took to stabilize to where the bubbles stopped coming out of the wood: better penetration, better product. I really couldn't be more pleased. Curtis's product improvements are great. I'd like to see him make some tank inserts, perhaps from 3/16ths clear material more resistant to the juice, a liner, if you will, to serve as an overnight soaking tank for the equalization process or as a soak tank for double dyeing. I kind of chuckle. There is a national competitor well-known for making vacuum lathe chucks who has come out with a stabilizing system. It can't draw much vacuum, the tanks are round (whoever thought a square stick fits a round hole, anyway?), and you can't see the bubble level on drawing first vacuum. Dumb and dumber. Don't know what the chain stores are thinking marketing this stuff, but it's not us. Folks, just go with TurnTex and Cactus Juice. You won't be disappointed. He'll always be there as your mentor and coach. And the product has so much science and common sense behind it, you'll soon realize anyone else doesn't have your interests in mind. The guarantees prove it. Matter of fact, I would be willing to pay a little more for production tanks because I think it's worth it. Curtis's tanks are under-valued with respect to performance. And in this day and age when you encounter a fella who refuses to weasel out from his responsibilities should there be an issue, you just gotta respect and honor that vendor with both praise and loyalty. It's such a rare thing in business. Wish the bureaucrats and politicians understood that kind of credibility, ergo, do what you say you'll do. Curtis for President?

Good product, good service.

It has been several weeks since I received my order of Cactus Juice. I have now had time to confirm that it works very well for stabilizing the sagebrush and other "herbaceous wood" that I use for various projects. Actually, I already knew it would work because this was my second order. The service was fast and the product is excellent. Now I only need to get as good at using it to make blanks as beautiful and unique as Curtis makes himself.

Just ordered another gallon of cactus Juice, it's definitely the best stabilizing resin, and Curtis is great to do business with. I have now used like 6 gallons of the cactus juice, I am very pleased with his products. Neil

[b]~~~A ROCK POLISHERS DREAM PRODUCT~~~\r\nI am a lapidarist (rock jewelry maker) and I slice, shape and polish many beautiful types rocks, that I get from all over the continent. \r\nCurtis\'s Cactus Juice works Wonderfully on stabilizing rocks, and is the answer to working with fragile or fractured or brittle rock/stones that otherwise would crumble/fracture into pieces when cutting them with my rock saw or grinding them into shapes to make jewelry.\r\nIt was Amazing to me, to see the huge amount of air (bubbles) rising from my rocks in a vacuum chamber, as the Cactus Juice took it\'s place inside them!\r\n\r\nBefore using this Excellent Cactus Juice Stabilizing Resin product, with some type stones, I had to settle for making small pendants, ear rings, etc., because those type rocks would fracture, and fall apart while slicing and grinding them.\r\nNow, that is Never a problem~!\r\n\r\nAnd I Really like that it is such a Very Affordable One Part resin, which means it can be reused repeatedly, when stored at cooler temperatures.\r\nWhen the vacuum has pulled all the air out of the stone (yes, there is air inside rock) and replaced it with the resin, all that was not used in the process, can be reused, over and over again, until the product is gone. There is *NO Waste*, at all as with 2 part resins!\r\nThat makes Cactus Juice Very, Very Cost Effective~!!!\r\nIt is clear in and on the stone.\r\n\r\nThe following easy heat curing treatment to solidify the resin is fast, and cures in Minutes, does not need high heat for Hours to do it\'s work, and can be done in a toaster oven typically.\r\n\r\n***Thicker slabs, need to be cured in an aluminum foil \"cup\" shaped to hold resin to the top of the slab to insure no cracks or porous area is not filled.***\r\n\r\nI had the very fortunate opportunity to meet Curtis, because he is located only about an hour from my house. And when he saw my mailing address on my online order, he called and invited me to his shop to save me the shipping cost, and spend some time with me (out of his very busy day, I might add), showing how the process works.\r\nThat\'s the kind of great guy he is.\r\nI recall him saying to me, while I was there, that for him, \"It\'s not all about the money, it\'s about helping people\".\r\nSo, that afternoon, I not only found a very low cost, Incredibly Great product, I met a new friend!\r\n\r\nDon Jackson[/b]

I am very satified.

Curtis has been vey helpful and Cactus juice works just like it is advertised. \r\n\r\n.

Great web site and was a wealth of information on the phone. Will continue to do business with him. Very knowledgable.

No better service anywhere. Cactus juice works as advertised and allows the knife maker to professionally stabilize his or her handle blanks.\r\nThanks Curtis!

Curtis was excellent to deal with prior to purchase, answering my questions and helping me with arranging the most appropriate purchase for my needs. Postage was quick and well packaged. Both before and after postage this juice is better priced than the competitor too. I have had a quick play with the Cactus Juice and have been very pleased with the results. It has performed exactly as hoped/expected and I'm looking forward to trying a few different things and seeing the results. Cactus juice means I can confidently put Aussie hardwood burl on my knives and not worry about it. Great stuff!! :D Thanks for making this available Curtis.

Worried about doing business over the internet? Not familiar with TurnTex? Curtis is highly professional and stands behind everything he does. You couldn't ask for a more honest person to do business with! I would recommend TurnTex to anyone! :D

Recently purchased some of the Allumilite Dyes and received them very quickly from Curtis. \r\n\r\nThank you for he quick turn around time!

I've recently purchased a stabilizing chamber from Curtis and the gallon of cactus juice with a few dyes. Curtis was very clear up front about his turn around time on the chamber so no surprises there and I appreciate the honesty; I would rather know he's taking his time and doing it correctly then receiving a product like so many other companies out there provide with is rushed and low quality. I know when I receive it I will have zero complaints. Now another side note which gives me a very good feeling about working with Curtis in the future is that when I ordered the cactus juice he shipped it and I had it within a very reasonable amount of time so great turn around time. I will place another post after I use the vacuum chamber and have more input on the results. Thank you Curtis I know I'll be doing business with you for many years to come. Sincerely, David Lowell "Of Wood & Vine Designs"

I make Duck Calls and this stuff is great,you can make spalted wood look so good,if you are a Knife maker, Duck Call maker, what ever,you have got to try this stuff.

Curtis,\r\nI have used your system three times since the MAPG. I have been extremely pleased with the process and the quality of the blanks I stabilized. The system works just like your demo and with that kind of success, I am a very satisfied customer.\r\nEnjoyed meeting and working with you at the MAPG!\r\n\r\nBill Sampson,Richmond

:D However many stars there are, this is what Curtis gets. Top notch product and always willing to assist with advice. Thanks Curtis!

This is an amazing product so easy to use, even easier to mix. The results are great and penetration is exactly as shown in the videos. Thanks for a great product and service, Jack "Pappy" Lewis.... pappyscalls.com

Thank you so very much for the great product, for the diy stabilizer! It works awesome!8)

The product was delivered perfectly and fast. The product is as advertized. I have not tried it as of yet, but all looks to be a solid product. I'm glad you are in business and offer these products. Thank you Brian

great product, but awesome service, .. i had wanted the 'juice' by the weekend, so i selected '3day ups' which was an upcharge, with in minutes of placing order, curtis called me.. told me the shipping time from him to me was 2-3 days anyway and he was refunding the shipping difference .. thanks

This stuff works great I was able to use on a couple of sets of knife scales they were mesquite. I sanded them down to 1500 then put a coat of super glue of it to fill the grain looks great. Great product and fast shipping.

Sorry it took so long for the review Curtis so here we go.my first time ever stabilizing wood would not try anything else wonderful product and wonderful person to deal with not only did everything work the way Curtis said he helped me get an old vacuum pump going. Thanks again will be placing an order real soon as I am in need of more juice. Mike Morton

Great product (MesquiteMan\'s Cactus Juice) for stabilizing the wood blanks I use to make gun grips. I have tried other stabilizers and this is the best I have used. Thanks again.

I ordered a quart of Cactus Juice of which I haven't tried yet, so I can't comment of that. But I can comment of the great customer service. I received my order fast & it was well packed. I will definitely buy from him again.

I am more than pleased with the blanks. I will be purchasing more in the near future. I am keeping watch on your inventory. Is it possible to get a notice out to me when new blanks become available? Thanks again

Super Fast shipping and spot on order. Thanks Curtis!!!

We like the product and the service. Thanks Curtis.

You have always been "top notch " to work with. Shipping is extremely fast and orders are processed asap. Highly recommend

I have purchased various pen blanks from Curtis for about 3 years now, and have been disappointed. His products are the best out there, of their type. Have had numerous conversations with Curtis, and his customer service is some of the best. Recently purchased a vacuum chamber and accessories, and am further impressed with the quality, fit and finish of it. Turntex is a great company to deal with.

Again, thank you very much for your quick ship while you are on vacation. The cactus juice sure works great on my maple burl wood. I have even tried dying some of this burl and it penetrates throughout the wood. Thank you for the order. Vit

I don't generally write reviews, but since I have been so impressed with this outfit I decided to take the time to give my thoughts. I've ordered Cactus Juice from Curtis a couple of times now, and have been consistently impressed with both his product and shipping times. I've used a number home stabilization techniques and Cactus Juice is hands down the best home stabilizing product I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Beyond that shipping is always extremely fast, I can never believe just how quickly my order arrives. Thanks Curtis for all your hard work and for bringing such a wonderful product the realm of hobby use.

I haven't used it yet but I received my juice Thursday and I ordered it Wednesday crazy fast shipping. Also it is nice to receive a hand signed thank for ordering receipt. Can't wait to try it I haven't heard anything bad about your product.

Sir, Just wanted to say how impressed I am that a placed order is delivered the next day. That is why I like to do business with small, one man or family owned suppliers. They take care of business like I do because it's their livelihood. Kudo's to you and much appreciated !! Mike Sharpe

I have today recived my first shipment of Cactus juice. Looking forward to try it.:D

Flawless Victory. Everything I ordered worked as stated. Curtis was a pleasure to do business with and I will be back to purchase again and again. Thanks for the great service and products.8)

Thank you very much, for the quick shipping, and great product. It is the easiest and best way to stabelize wood blanks! 8)

I pre ordered the vac chamber from Curtis and waited the 2 to 3 months for shipment. When i got it in the mail i was pleasantly surprised from the packaging which was pretty neat how everything was well protected from damage. The vac chamber was better than i thought it would be with its rounded edges and custom wood top. Thanks for the attention to detail and it was worth the wait. Thanks Steve

As is usually the case with Curtis, he exceeded my expectations. The vacuum chamber is beautifully crafted, and it works perfectly. Curtis is always giving with advice when I have called, and is a credit to our craft. I hope he gets filthy rich, ...but he better make'em a little faster if that's going to happen. Thank you for restoring my faith in quality craftsmanship! Lauren

fast delevery on the last order. great stuff

Curtis is fantastic to deal with and his products are second to none. He just does not sell you the product and leave you to try to figure things out all on your own. He provides very informative videos and world class telephone and email support to get you going in the right direction. His responses have been very timely and very complete to any and all of my questions. Thanks to him and his products, I am producing the stabilized blanks I wanted to produce and they are coming out as good, or better than I hoped they would. For me, there is no other supplier to deal with when it comes to stabilizing my wood products. Thank you very much Curtis for your quality products and your excellent Support.:) Sincerely Fred Strauss Vice President Busy Beaver Lumber, A division of F & K Designs

~~100%~~ All I can say is 100% , Turn Tex Woodworks and Curtis O. "MesquiteMan" Seebeck 100% . Products and the Man are 100% ! Buy a product, need help call him , 100% Did I mention 100% ? :D

Recently purchased a pen chamber from TurnTex. An amazingly well put together vacuum chamber. I am quite impressed with the construction and it's ability to hold a vacuum. All others I have used are sub-par in comparison. As a side note - cactus juice is another top notch product. TurnTex will receive ALL my business for future stabilizing needs...

Thanks so much Curtis for an incredible product. I was impressed by the quality of the tank. It works great too. The Cactus Juice is wonderful. Using it the first time I knew it was a great product. You can have a piece of wood that is falling apart and then vacuumed with the Juice and heated in toaster oven. You don't even need a finish, just sand to how ever shiny you want the finished product to be. Deputy Sheriff Eric Ward

I am very satisfied with the equipment and the end result. Curtis is great to work with and will explain anything and everything you ask about.

Well, so far I haven't "turned" anything that I've stabilized with Cactus Juice. I did run two batches thru (one clear, one with red dye) and they seemed to stabilize well. I'm using a 2 stage 5 CFM Rotary Vane Vac pump and a converted 2 gallon aluminum cooking pot I use as a "chamber". It pulls down to 29.5 inches so yeah, it sucks! (I live at 33' above sea level) I'll be gettin' back to you as soon as I get a chance to turn some of my blanks. I do have to say, I like how easy it is to clean-up everything afterwards, just rinse with water !!