Hey, there was some discussion on plastics casting. I have some experience in that recently. The pressure cooker was discussed as a dual use vessel, first vacuum degassing, then pressure to reduce bubbles. Should be possible with fabricating a acrylic lid, and adding the valves and safety valves for the other part. I forgot to mention… a timer is really handy on fast setting mixes, as the guess work is taken out of time to mix. Short pot lifes can be “okay, okay, okay… Wham! Set up.” which is a real pia. And, a supply of what look like caulking tubes and gun applicators are needed to inject the plastic to fill from bottom to top. Each mold will have its own pattern of tilting and adjusting to make sure there is no entrapped air. Anyway, I can ask for somebody with quite a few years more experience than me to come give a talk if there is interest.
So, I saw you don't like slack, so I'll summarize here:
While the pressure cooker will be great for vacuum chamber with a clear lid, it's not good for the pressure that castings do best at (pressure cooker 20 psi max, castings need 30-50 psi)
For the vacuum lid, 1/2" polycarbonate or acylic will work, but polycarbonate would be better than acrylic because is much less prone to shatter if it does break. I got a quote from Queen City Polymers in Dayton of $29 for a piece 1/2" x 14" x 14".
I found a Middletown Craigslist add for a paint pressure pot already converted for resin use for $80, I have a friend checking it out this afternoon.
Mike let’s skip back to the guy willing to talk about casting.
Shoot me an email willb@ Hive13.org
I had thought about cobbling together a presentation on cheap quck mold making and casting. But if there is someone with years of experience will to talk, let’s get them in!
WillB
Ahh q.c.p.
Thanks kevin
30-50? Heck we are at 110. Plenty of pressure to squish the micro bubbles out. It’s not that I don’t like slack, its that I don’t have it in stalled, and am behind the times on cell phone stuff. I guess the last experience with it was not so good, startup on robotic hobbies.
For resin casting, there are resins you dont need either a vacuum pot or pressure pots. I use both for my business. You want individual items for both uses and I DO NOT recommend making a pressure pot, with the funds we have we can get a quality one thats tested and rated for 80PSI, which is more than enough for most resins (I havent come across one that needs more than 60PSI.)
And Vaccuum chambers are not that expensive to get one thats already made. ($290 for a 15 gallon, which would be over kill.) https://www.bestvaluevacs.com/best-value-vacs-15-gallon-aluminum-vacuum-and-degassing-chamber.html
Here is more info on both: https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/pressure-vacuum-chambers/
I bought a pressure pot off a Craigslist post to bring in.
While the Vacuum Chamber will be an upcoming project, I Brought in a pressure pot today. I also have noticed a few of Hive13’s tools could use handles, anyone want to try and replicate some of these with me?
Kevin I been wanting to check out lathed Resin for a while. I would love to see whats up. I also can bring in my Vaccuum Chamber.
Hey so i am one of the people interested in plastic casting. I am going to be at the meeting next week (march 26th) if you want to meet up and talk about it. we have some ideas and we are doing some basic stuff but we are trying to learn as we go.
With the Pressure Pot I brought in, and the Vacuum chamber & pump Daniel brought in, we pretty much have everything required to do this now other than the resin materials themselves and someone with a project to cast. If you bring in your materials and project next tuesday we can try to fumble through it.
Ours is reusing plastic so it’s a little hard to travel but we will come by and talk and even take a look rezin stuff is always cool
If you need something to cast. I still have my molds to make a 3d Settlers of Catan Board. I may still have leftover resin as well.
Ohhhh that sounds cool we would love to see what that looks like
You should definitely bring that in so we can give it a shot.