I'm casting a tire with some intricate tread...I have a seal a meal canister set that would allow me to de-gas some resin (vacuum chamber). Since a pressure pot is out of the question, is degassing enough?
Powder mold
pour degassed resin
wait
perfect piece...
or am I dreamin'
Phd dream-on
The "trickle-down" theory: the principle that the poor, who must subsist on table scraps dropped by the rich, can best be served by giving the rich bigger meals. W. Blum
“Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson
If your resin has a working time of 5 min or so, powdering your mold should be plenty. Just be careful not to trap any new air when putting your mold together and you should be fine!
We all dream of Vacuum pumps and pressure pots and all..
I was pricing Vacuum pumps and they were all very expensive for the range we need to get at .. Neg 11 mercury... something.. and I was hitting 400+ USD too steep for my Blood till I watch the ALUMILITE BOYS DVD
they Had an industrial Vacuum chamber for them selfs but they also carry an attachment for a normal compressor...
the size of a cigarette pack... it plugs in your compressor which makes it turn.. and the output is actually a vacuum pump.. you plug the other end on vacuum chamber... which I found NEAT and will try to get .. through Alumilite.com.... for sure..
so all you really need is a Compressor... and a pressure pot .. which is an expensive endeavor for budgeted Hobbyist but WELL WORTH IT.. in the End if you cast a lot for yourself or others.... as a Hobby !
if you don't degas.. and pressure cast.. you parts risk of getting out with little tinny pebbles... which can be sanded down... but otherwise... a pain in the neck... Tapping on the bottom or vibrating the RTV Works great... Mixing slowly and not having too much Catalyst.. help the RTV Cure slowly and not forming too much gas which is a part of the curing process... !
powdering is one option as well but I use Mold release spray... works for me....
Best of luck with your Casting project...... let us know how you made out !
schweinhund227 wrote:We all dream of Vacuum pumps and pressure pots and all..
The reality is that after I plunked $700 down on a 3cfm vac pump, bell jar, 2 paint pots, air compressor and pnuematic accessories I made that money back in a month.
Well the Seal-a-meal couldn't pull enough Hg...no magic "foam up" for me
However the project plugs along, my mold worked out well, and the slow set epoxy I had layin' around is watery enough to make nice clean castings. I have 6 wheels done, but need "a few" more
PhD The wheels on the bus...
The "trickle-down" theory: the principle that the poor, who must subsist on table scraps dropped by the rich, can best be served by giving the rich bigger meals. W. Blum
“Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson