I have removed the head from this tf2 pyro figure and epoxied a cherry stem to the area where the neck would be.Show Image(http://www.figures.com/forums/attachments/news/44141d1351189084-necas-team-fortress-2-series-1-action-figures-1tfpyro.jpg?stc=1)
So far I've been having a lot of luck with oomoo 30 silicon and 325 and 327 casting plastics, but getting rid of the small bubbles would be awesome.
which mold making solution(s) would you suggest for keyboard key caps?
I would like a mold that will last a very long time.
I would also like to cast in clear resin with a pressure pot to remove the bubble.
I was thinking smooth-on clear but I am unsure about the different numbers on the solutions.
thank you
I would recommend either OOMOO 25 or Mold Max 25 because of their flexural properties.
As far as the casting materials, Smooth-On Crystal Clear plastic resin, the numbers go as follows:
Crystal Clear 200 can be used in castings that range from 1/2" up to a 3" thickness
I would take a look at the task series of urethane plastics they too might work for what you are trying accomplish.
Dude....Do you mind if I add that shore durometer hardness chart link to my o-ring review? So people can better understand what it is?
Is this overkill?Show Image(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/315N6NKNSQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/Israeli-Civilian-Mask-Nato-Filter/dp/B0002XJ2OU/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1375825070&sr=1-4
So they recommend to degas the casting plastics? Interesting
Interesting, I might have to look at converting a spray paint pressure pot for this! One of my mates is a master sculptor as well so he can probably help me knock together some awesome stuff.
I totally believe that if we are going to post in "making stuff together", we should be making stuff together.
I will be sharing as much info as I can.
WatchedHooked
I was planning to order some Innovative Polymers IE-3075, or TP-4052 (high impact rating). These are translucent, not water-clear, but I plan on coloring them anyway.
Anyone have experience ordering from http://www.innovative-polymers.com (http://www.innovative-polymers.com)?
I was planning to order some Innovative Polymers IE-3075, or TP-4052 (high impact rating). These are translucent, not water-clear, but I plan on coloring them anyway.
Anyone have experience ordering from http://www.innovative-polymers.com (http://www.innovative-polymers.com)?
I would buy from smooth-on directly unless your looking for something that do not have.
they are in Easton, Pennsylvania so the shipping should be cheap and as a added bonus there products are $2.00 cheaper directly then farwestmaterials.com that I ordered from.
I ordered from farwestmaterials.com because they are instate and I received my stuff the next day.
Love it. Wish it had the more traditional base, but looks awesome.
Yo....that pyro head looks incredible. IT'S SO SMOOTH!
Yo....that pyro head looks incredible. IT'S SO SMOOTH!
I really hope his casts come out as smooth :)
strong tints made me look twice....me too and want!!!
and I was expecting to see one of these :p
(Attachment Link)
but looking forward to see what awesome keyboard science will happen here :thumb:
that gasmask master looks great btw. also, something to think about is wax sprues.
So I poured/injected my first cast about 6 hours ago.... To be continued....
Domo. I've been looking into vacuum systems to degas rubbers/plastics. Have you found anything on allowing the plastics to cure in a mold under a vacuum?
4.2.1. Vacuum pump and chamber
Insufficient mixing may cause a range of problems with finished parts - but vigorous stirring will almost always introduce some air into the resin. This problem aside, bubbles of air may get trapped inside mold crevices as you pour the mixture in - even if your mixing skills are beyond reproach. Last but not least, some resins may simply liberate some amount of dissolved gases once the polymerization reaction begins; IE-3075 is an example of that. Vacuum degassing solves all these problems, and is not as scary as it may sound.
4.2.5. Optional: pressure pot
There are some complex, multi-part molds where it may be hard to consistently avoid air entrapment, even with the aid of vacuum; on top of that, there are some resins that tend to be difficult to fully degas, or that will develop bubbles of carbon dioxide when not mixed perfectly well, or when exposed to residual humidity. That latter set of problems is particularly evident in mercury-free water clear poulyrethanes, such as the vanilla version of Innovative Polymers OC-7086 (TD 283-18 is much more forgiving).
To improve your odds when dealing with such tricky cases, it helps to have a pressure pot; the idea is to increase ambient pressure surrounding the mold to about 3-4 bar, thus crushing and dissolving back any existing bubbles, and discouraging the formation of new ones. Sure, it's a brute-force solution - but can you argue with its results?
Pressure casting equipment is more bulky, more expensive, and somewhat more dangerous than vacuum pumps (due to much higher pressure differentials) - and for most part, isn't necessary; get it only if you have plenty of room, and you are either forced to work with water clear resins that don't tolerate non-pressurized casting, or you are willing to spend at least $200 to improve your yields a tiny bit (say, from 85% to 97%).
See, I am quite afraid of using high pressure systems in my home. I just don't have the security of having the right spot for something like that. I will be able to use a vacuum system however :)
Domo. I've been looking into vacuum systems to degas rubbers/plastics. Have you found anything on allowing the plastics to cure in a mold under a vacuum?
ok so the results....
good and bad....
I will start with the bad. :(
1. shake the containers for part a and part b before you weight them. also stir them before you mix them to ensure that they are ready to go.
2. do not overdo the tint. I used just a little bit of purple on the end of a toothpick. too much....
This has resulted in a cast that is sticky and has not fully cured. I am not sure which one it is or a combination of both but my next attempt will be with only the clear resin and no tint to rule that out.
Good.
Pressure casting has ensured that I had 0 (zero) air bubbles in my cast. it is perfect except for the sticky/soft cast. I am going to let the first attempt sit for about 4-5 days as I have read that it may take eventually harden and to let it sit.
did you make sure that your part a and part were shaken first?
also instead of dipping a toothpick and going straight to part b.... next time (not this next attempt) I will dip the toothpick and then wipe that on a piece of paper. then take a second toothpick and wipe it across the little line that I wrote with the first toothpick.
smooth-on named it strong tints correctly :D
ok so the results....
good and bad....
I will start with the bad. :(
1. shake the containers for part a and part b before you weight them. also stir them before you mix them to ensure that they are ready to go.
2. do not overdo the tint. I used just a little bit of purple on the end of a toothpick. too much....
This has resulted in a cast that is sticky and has not fully cured. I am not sure which one it is or a combination of both but my next attempt will be with only the clear resin and no tint to rule that out.
Good.
Pressure casting has ensured that I had 0 (zero) air bubbles in my cast. it is perfect except for the sticky/soft cast. I am going to let the first attempt sit for about 4-5 days as I have read that it may take eventually harden and to let it sit.
later I want to try something like this.
but I thought that starting with the pyro would spark more interest.Show Image(http://h4msterworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/domo_wallpaper_by_raydezee-png.jpeg)
later I want to try something like this.when i first come across your thread, the first thing that comes into my mind is Domo-kun, and not Domoaligato's Domo, ^^'''
but I thought that starting with the pyro would spark more interest.Show Image(http://h4msterworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/domo_wallpaper_by_raydezee-png.jpeg)
Although I do have several pressure cookers and canning kettles in storage.... Hmmm. :-\
i would not eff around with harbor freight for a pressure pot. get something high quality. your life is worth it.Although I do have several pressure cookers and canning kettles in storage.... Hmmm. :-\
Don't even think of it Greystoke, a pressure cooker won't support more than 15 psi.
If you try 60 psi it can simply blow your head, no joke (I've been there except that my head is still attached, luckily).
The safest/cheapest option is the harbour freight pressure pot.
i would not eff around with harbor freight for a pressure pot. get something high quality. your life is worth it.Although I do have several pressure cookers and canning kettles in storage.... Hmmm. :-\
Don't even think of it Greystoke, a pressure cooker won't support more than 15 psi.
If you try 60 psi it can simply blow your head, no joke (I've been there except that my head is still attached, luckily).
The safest/cheapest option is the harbour freight pressure pot.
i would not eff around with harbor freight for a pressure pot. get something high quality. your life is worth it.Although I do have several pressure cookers and canning kettles in storage.... Hmmm. :-\
Don't even think of it Greystoke, a pressure cooker won't support more than 15 psi.
If you try 60 psi it can simply blow your head, no joke (I've been there except that my head is still attached, luckily).
The safest/cheapest option is the harbour freight pressure pot.
I hear you on the Harbor Freight quality - or lack thereof - just haven't found much else that looks like it's of decent quality and doesn't also cost $500. Name brands like Binks, Devilbiss, or Graco all seem to be north of $800 new, and even beat-to-crap units on eBay still go for several hundred. The HF unit is $99, which is hard to pass up.
Still evaluating options, if anyone has recommendations I'm glad to hear them!
Hi: Sounds like a good project. I would say you need to degas the part while it is in the mould. The other issue is the pigment. What I have found is using to much will cause the Urethane to bubble. I believe it is the solvents in the pigment being effected by the curing heat but it may just be the pigment I use. The 3 Gallon is 9.75 inches inside but the pot does taper at the bottom about a 1/4 inch. Is this large enough to fit your mould? Phil
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=pressure+paint+pot&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=22680825690&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1737192564765464642&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5yi0ahzvyo_e
^ pressure paint pot 5x fast
In my few days with the hb one.... the seal sucks ass and the safety valve kicks in randomly if you flow air in to fast.\
I will be replacing the safety relief with a better one and applying silcone as a gasket instead of the rubber one it came with.
Spend the money tovget a better one.
what I have seen a lot of people do is put a bunch of bricks in the bottom and put a circle cut piece of plywood on top.
sand may retain moisture and ruin your cast/mold. it may also blow up on your cast/mold when you fill the pot with air.
nice. I am interested in how the lid is designed on this model.
Nice. The clear is definitely getting there. I'm sure you could send one my way or Dionoda's way if you want some more photographs.
For making making the multiple mold, have you thought about casting in wax? It's quicker and you can more easily correct any mistakes in the part with it.
I really do not have many mistakes to speak of.
the mold max 25 works perfectly and is supposed to last a really long time with reuses.
for the multiple mold I will follow the same process I used for the single item mold from this video series...
So far I have cast 5 times in the same mold without mold release and it seems to stand up to my learning process very well.
The only reason I have a seam line is because I did not get the shipping/packing tape around my mold quite tight enough before the injection with the syringe.
For pictures I have already contacted mashby. I love his photo albums and in-depth reviews and thought of him first.
Sorry I did not know that you were handy with a camera :D
Maybe next time. (there will be plenty of opportunities!)
so let me see if I got this right.... your saying I can just cast wax in my silcone mold to make the prototypes for the multi unit mold instead of waiting 16 hours for each one?
what kind of wax will I have to use to make sure that it is not brittle and doesn't break when being pulled from the mold?
repost! excited!
Fyi.... success! I guess i can stop whining about clears!Show Image(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=46284.0;attach=32386;image)
It is inconsistent because we are maing such small casts. That is why I want to make a bunch molds that hold 5-6 each so I can mix a half a cup of resin at once.
repost! excited!These are rad I wish I could get my hands on one. The next craze on GH - Domocaps!
Fyi.... success! I guess i can stop whining about clears!Show Image(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=46284.0;attach=32386;image)
Yes
the stem seems quite beat up... will it fit nicely on switches without wiggling? and since it is open cross section like those for metal keycaps, putting them on and taking them off for some time, will it be out of shape or even broke off?
i just wish you would let me give you my money for these already
Well good! Bunny and I can make that happen... Right Bun?i just wish you would let me give you my money for these already
+1 lol I would love to make my money back I have spent on materials and equipment. :D
Left revision 1
Right revision 2 the new reworked design.Show Image(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/08/eha3a4e7.jpg)
ok my garage is not a suitable location to make caps anymore due to the humility and temperatures.
my wife is going to love me using the air compressor in my office :D
ok so the mold max is flowing again!
ok so the mold max is flowing again!
Let it flow, let it pour!
ok so the mold max is flowing again!
Ridic necro post but what happened to this? These caps were awesome. Are you still casting?
Ridic necro post but what happened to this? These caps were awesome. Are you still casting?
this would have made so much more sense if you would have just pm'd domo