I am new to turning and never done any casting but, want to learn. How can i do casting without a presure pot. I would like to just use homeade molds and just pour into molds. Is this possible. If so can somone explain the proses to me? How and where to buy
Casting
- Thread starter Dan1908
- Start date
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Paul Downes
Member
Dan, Welcome to the forum. I made some molds from poly cutting boards I bought at wallyworld. You will want to figure out what size to make them based on the pen kits you want to turn. You can purchase the poly resin at several places; art stuff, mister fiberglass, us composites. I would check the price and also check the shipping cost. The pigment powders can be gotten at either artstuff or costal scents. You can get some basic colors at harbor junk...I mean freight-the powder coat pigments. They work well. The resin comes with the catylist. You don't need a pressure pot to cast with poly. You will want to read up in the tutorials in the forum library to learn the basics. Check out the luster pigments at artstuff. I bought a pound of the pearl white and use it a lot. You can also request samples of the different pigments from them in the text box on their order page. I think they are 1 oz. This is plenty to experiment with. Do your casting in a well ventilated place. A good idea is to cast at the garage door. I cast in my workshop with the windows open and vacate the place while the resin cures. Good luck and happy casting.
bruce119
Member
Hi Dan
Welcome, ask 20 people about casting and 20 different answers. Start reading buy some resin from Michael's with the 50% off coupon. Go to the home page of this forum and read the tourtal "Casting Poly Resin" by Richard Greenwald. It is long and very detailed you will pick up some good info. He tells a good way to make cheap molds. Read about the pressure pots from harbor freight. I also use a vibrator tumbler. I put a piece of wood on top of the vibrator does a great job you can get it cheap at harbor freight. Some use an ultra sonic cleaning tub also harbor freight. Best advise I could give is read up a little first and before you start buying a lot of stuff. Get a small batch of resin from Michael's. Vibration works good you can even put your mold on top of a scroll saw they usually vibrate pretty good get the idea.
Have fun
Bruce
Welcome, ask 20 people about casting and 20 different answers. Start reading buy some resin from Michael's with the 50% off coupon. Go to the home page of this forum and read the tourtal "Casting Poly Resin" by Richard Greenwald. It is long and very detailed you will pick up some good info. He tells a good way to make cheap molds. Read about the pressure pots from harbor freight. I also use a vibrator tumbler. I put a piece of wood on top of the vibrator does a great job you can get it cheap at harbor freight. Some use an ultra sonic cleaning tub also harbor freight. Best advise I could give is read up a little first and before you start buying a lot of stuff. Get a small batch of resin from Michael's. Vibration works good you can even put your mold on top of a scroll saw they usually vibrate pretty good get the idea.
Have fun
Bruce
Leather Man
Member
Bruce,
Where can you get the 50% off coupon for Michaels?
Thanks
Ben
Where can you get the 50% off coupon for Michaels?
Thanks
Ben
bruce119
Member
Around here in Florida it comes in the Sunday paper coupons. That is the only place I know they DO NOT have internet coupons. Maybe somebody in your aerea will point you to what paper. Check with your major Sunday paper. Oh and here it's only the home delivery papers that has the coupons. They have the sale about avery other week. 40-50% of any 1 item.
Paul thanks for sharing were you get your pigment artstuff I called them and ordered some nice pepole to talk to.
Bruce
Paul thanks for sharing were you get your pigment artstuff I called them and ordered some nice pepole to talk to.
Bruce
Leather Man
Member
Thanks Bruce,
I will look in my Sunday paper.
Ben
I will look in my Sunday paper.
Ben
sbell111
Member
I never use pressure/vacuum/vibration/voodoo if I am just casting PR blanks. I just pour the stuff into my mold, give it a swirlie, and let it sit until hard. PR sets slow enough that I have never seen a single bubble when we've turned a chunk.
If I cast wood or other stuff in my PR, I always use pressure. If I stabilize material, I use both pressure and vacuum.
My favorite simple/cheap molds are made from white poly cutting boards. I cut them up using the table saw to build the right size mold for about four blanks, making sure that it will fit in my pressure pot, just in case I want to use it for pressure casting at some later time. Some people then use screws to put the mold together. I do not. I simply tape it together using duct tape. I then seal the joints with a smear of Goop. After casting, I merely break down the box. The PR releases easily from the cutting board material and the Goop pulls off without a hassle. The mold then can be stored flat, taking up little room.
If I cast wood or other stuff in my PR, I always use pressure. If I stabilize material, I use both pressure and vacuum.
My favorite simple/cheap molds are made from white poly cutting boards. I cut them up using the table saw to build the right size mold for about four blanks, making sure that it will fit in my pressure pot, just in case I want to use it for pressure casting at some later time. Some people then use screws to put the mold together. I do not. I simply tape it together using duct tape. I then seal the joints with a smear of Goop. After casting, I merely break down the box. The PR releases easily from the cutting board material and the Goop pulls off without a hassle. The mold then can be stored flat, taking up little room.
PaulDoug
Member
Welcome Dan and thanks for asking the question. It's like casting made simple which is the way to start in my opinion. I've been holding off trying because I thought you had to have all the "stuff", reads here like it would be pretty simple to just give it a try. As for molds, I might add that people use PVC pipe and Wally's round ice cube trays with success. I like the round idea, seems like mught lead to less waste.
grub32
Member
Welcome to the vortex...
I have created some videos of my castings and I have placed them online at youtube. I have a bunch more to edit and get up but I Havent had time since we have been getting ready to move...More to come I assure everyone.
Go to you tube and search polyester casting resin or grub32 and you will be able to see them.
Best of luck and enjoy
Grub32
I have created some videos of my castings and I have placed them online at youtube. I have a bunch more to edit and get up but I Havent had time since we have been getting ready to move...More to come I assure everyone.
Go to you tube and search polyester casting resin or grub32 and you will be able to see them.
Best of luck and enjoy
Grub32