Casting Mold

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JerrySambrook

JerrySambrook

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
1,312
Location
Southwick, MA, USA.
I am finally looking at making my own acrylic pen blanks.

Is the better to begin by making my own molds, or is it better to use an established mold makers molds?

What are the pitfalls of making own, and conversely the pitfalls of purchased ones?

If the recomendation is purchased, who's, and why?

Thanks

Jerry

p.s. I will be doing mostly full acrylics, as a friend of mine does the wasted wood already.
 
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Jerry,

I just started the same as you. My wife and I are experimenting and I made 4 single blank molds (1"x1"x5.5") out of silicone caulking. They work just fine. I will likely improve their quality when we figure out where we are headed with the production of the blanks.

The short is, I think making them at the start works just fine.... But that is my 2 cents from a casting newbie.....
 
Go to my website, www.Turntex.com and look at the Penturner's Resources page. There is a cust list and brief tutorial there for making your own molds out of white plastic cutting boards. If you get the 1/2" x 15" x 2" boards from Sam's Club, you can make 3 molds for a total cost of $10 or so.
 
I made the ones that Curtis posted and they work well if you want a solid block. I will be getting some of the ones made to cast your own tubes soon.
 
I made my own mold out of silicone, but spent a small fortune doing it because of my own impatience.

In hindsight, i wish i would have made it a little different, but that just gives me an excuse to make another one!!
 
MesquiteMan said:
Go to my website, www.Turntex.com and look at the Penturner's Resources page. There is a cust list and brief tutorial there for making your own molds out of white plastic cutting boards. If you get the 1/2" x 15" x 2" boards from Sam's Club, you can make 3 molds for a total cost of $10 or so.
Click to expand...

Say, are those dimensions of the cutting board correct? I purceive it as being 2" wide. Is this correct? I like your cutting board and am going to make one to your specs.

Thank you for any consideration.
 
Jerry,
I will probably go with the method Curtis has posted, I like that a lot. I currently have been pouring(without pressure) resin into PVC pipe and some clear plastic tubes (the kind you would put a completed pen in). The resin knocks out of the PVC well enough, but I end up turning the clear plastic off the blank. To get a better mix of color, the method of casting in a block may be better than using PVC. Time will tell.
 
I like your idea. I think we are headed to SAM's tomorrow and will look for them. I have been using tubes but the only way I get a rock hard result is when I pour into a 30.06 bullet casing and heat it with a tourch first. Subsequently I am thinking the open air would help it cure better. What do you think? If the result is based entirely on chemical reaction then the tube should not matter.
 
It is a chemical reaction but small casts may not generate enugh heat to get it to cure fast. That is why you are having to heat your casing first.
 
Cindy,

I think he is using Alumilite. If so, the popsicle molds may not work since Alumilite does not shrink very much and there may not be enough give to get the blank to break free. I have not tried it with the popsicle molds but I do know that PVC does not work well. I actually had a blank I could not get out of the pvc so I had to turn it pvc and all!
 
MesquiteMan said:
It is a chemical reaction but small casts may not generate enugh heat to get it to cure fast. That is why you are having to heat your casing first.
Click to expand...
Aha, right again. I have been creating a window in the side of 30/06 bullet casings. I then insert the tube with the decal on it. Then heat the brass tube, pour the Allumilite and compress it at 60 psi for 30 min. Then bake at 150 degrees for thrity minutes. The window Allumilite is soft and can't be finished. Now, when backing this truck up a little, I have two out of ten that were rock hard and finished clear, magnifying the logo inside on the tube. I have six to turn tomorrow. I let them set an extra 24 hours. I would like to take pictures and run them by you if you would give the time to give me some sage advice.

Please and thank you,

John
 
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