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Shuttle Wars, Part 18


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Being a teacher on Spring Break is great...aside from my wife's "Honey Do" list, I am able to get caught up on the shuttle videos and get some work done.

Part 18 is

If you ever wanted to see how a resin part is molded, this is the video to watch!

Edited by DutyCat
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Good deal! I've been following the other videos and these are really great for all skill levels. I'll have to check out this latest when I get a chance. With so many shuttle builds going on, every little bit of information helps. :thumbsup:

Bill (who is jealous of your spring break time off, but NOT so much jealous of your job!) My wife was a teacher, yeah you guys don't get payed enough!

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Bill (who is jealous of your spring break time off, but NOT so much jealous of your job!) My wife was a teacher, yeah you guys don't get payed enough!

Well, at least I am teaching aviation to supposedly "intrinsically motivated" students. Some are and some aren't. It just depends on how much vision a student has.

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Oh-h-h ... you teeeze! <_<

What a great video Gil! Thanx! I've not seen it demonstrated before ... and I have a coupla questions.

It looked like you filled up the container, full, twice with Aluma-lite (?) was it ALL contained in the kit, or did you have to combine 2 kits?

Did the 1st part completely harden in just 24 hours? And was it 24 hours, or 20 or 27, or does it matter?

The release agent that you applied before pouring the 2nd part, was it just Vaseline, and why did you hafta wait till it 'dried' ... or was it something else, and contained in the kit. So, does the kit contain EVERYthing needed to make a mold? ( ... except the LEGO of course ... )

This was so cool!

Thanx alot!

Pete

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Oh-h-h ... you teeeze! dry.gif

What a great video Gil! Thanx! I've not seen it demonstrated before ... and I have a coupla questions.

It looked like you filled up the container, full, twice with Aluma-lite (?) was it ALL contained in the kit, or did you have to combine 2 kits?

Did the 1st part completely harden in just 24 hours? And was it 24 hours, or 20 or 27, or does it matter?

The release agent that you applied before pouring the 2nd part, was it just Vaseline, and why did you hafta wait till it 'dried' ... or was it something else, and contained in the kit. So, does the kit contain EVERYthing needed to make a mold? ( ... except the LEGO of course ... )

This was so cool!

Thanx alot!

Pete

Pete,

A mold as big as this one takes two kits, almost two containers of Alumilite...one for each half of the mold. If you notice I was actually a little short of filling it to the edge when pouring the top half. For the bottom half, I had a little extra. You can do some ball park measuring and approximate volumes, or do a displacement test with water to be more accurate. You can mix up only what you need, but that is a bit of a pain. These rubber and resin manufacturers have a tendency to ask you to mix the two components PRECISELY by weight, which is damned inconvenient. Who has a set of fine measuring scales sitting around the house unless you are a "dealer?" I just mixed up the whole batch, as I knew I was going to use all or most of it anyway.

I had to pour this mold three times before I finally got it right. Plus all of the resin I used during the R & D effort...trying to figure out what would work. It was not cheap. Designing the master, AND the mold properly is part of process. Had I known I would be using actual glass panes for the windows, I would have designed the master around that requirement. As it sits now, it just requires a little more work on your part than it otherwise might have. You will see what I mean when I post the "how to" video in a day or two.

The rubber I used was Alumilite High Strength 3. It is a higher quality, more durable product than the "Quick Set" that they sell. The HS3 kit contains the RTV silicone rubber, the catalyst, and a couple of small graduated measuring cups. There might be a popcycle stick in there too, for mixing, but I don't remember for sure. RTV silicone rubber in this kit hardens "overnight" (18-24 hours). RTV silicone will bond the previously poured, hardened RTV, hence the Vaseline barrier. The mold release was more for the part, than anything else. The instructions on the mold release say spray and dry. You can use it before every casting to increase the longevity of your mold and help ease your casting out after it is cured. However, I don't use it for casting. I just use it to re hydrate the mold with oils so that it remains pliable and minimizes friction. Instead, for casting, I use a thin layer of baby powder. It works great and it is cheap. It also helps to heat your mold up in the oven to 140 degrees right before you pour (just throw it in the oven for half hour on warm).

The resin is sold separately. There are comparable products out there. Micro-Mark sells some. I used Alumilite because it works and it is available right down the street at Hobby Lobby.

Edited by DutyCat
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