Casting First Cast in New Mold

[egnald]

Greetings from Nebraska.

I tried out a new Schedule 80 PVC mold that I made yesterday. The blanks are between 8.5" and 8.75" inches in length depending on shrinkage during pressure curing. Here are the details of the cast:

Name: Ruddy Brown -- As a solid color, Ruddy Brown would be considered a reddish-brown that is reminiscent of the color of Mahogany wood.
Resin: Alumilite Clear Slow
Volume: 476 grams (79 grams per blank)
Recipe: Eye Candy Bushido Brown, 45% of the volume
Eye Candy Rusty, 35% of the volume
Eye Candy Senshi Red, 20% of the volume
Method: Standard Rotation of the colors starting with Brown, 4 to 5 cycles
Cure: 55 PSI at about 15 minutes after mixing (about 4 hours before demolding)

Considering the vertical mold and the way that I pour I think the colors always look more blotchy on the outside of the blanks. I think it is a relatively common artifact because of how the resin clings to the sides of the mold tubes as they are being poured in. I've found that there is usually a lot nicer swirling on the inside even though I do not use any kind of skewer, wire, or other stir stick after pouring.

The Eye Candy Rusty was a lot more vibrant and a little more heavy on the red side than I was expectiong. I thought it would be more of a copper-ish color. I also think that is why the reds look much more pronounced in the picture. Overall I like this color combination and I will probably make up a pen before the end of the weekend to get a better idea of how the red and brown swirled together on the inside.

Dave

Here are the pictures:

 

[leehljp]

It may not be the outcome you were expecting but it is awesome the way it is!. I can't wait to see how a pen will look dressed in that.

 

[tomtedesco]

Looks like you will have enough blanks to keep you busy, they look good. Also would like to see finished product.

 

[montmill]

Very nice Dave. Appreciate the detail you share on the pour. It's helpful for those of us getting started.

 

[NJturner]

I pour vertically in both silicone molds and in PVC pipe - both work great, but the results are a bit unexpected because as you say, the resin sticks to the walls of the mold and the outside looks much different than the inside on both molds. My first batch I though the colors looked really awful when I first looked at the rods - blotchy, no swirl, and badly blended, so I gave a few away to turning friends to use for trial runs on new designs. About a week later one of my friends showed me this utterly amazing pen - with a blank that was really pretty incredible. He then pulled out a small piece of the rod that I had given him and he proceeded to tell me that the pen came from that blank! I was stunned. Lesson learned.......now I try to turn down a piece of each rod to see what I have beyond the outer skin, and more times than not, it looks way different. Both the silicone molds and the PVC pipe do the same thing, with or without mold release spray.

Love to see what yours turn out like!

 

[Tanner]

Really good detail on what you did. I haven't cast yet but from what I've seen, the outside of the vertical rod blanks are way different than the inside. I was at Turners Warehouse this weekend and watched Jim from Cocoon blanks, Zac Higgins and Kate from Bullseye. Everybody does things a little different, you just find out what you're comfortable doing and perfect it.

 

[KMCloonan]

Very cool Dave. Looking forward to seeing how they turned out (literally)

 

[leehljp]

I pour vertically in both silicone molds and in PVC pipe - both work great, but the results are a bit unexpected because as you say, the resin sticks to the walls of the mold and the outside looks much different than the inside on both molds. My first batch I though the colors looked really awful when I first looked at the rods - blotchy, no swirl, and badly blended, so I gave a few away to turning friends to use for trial runs on new designs. About a week later one of my friends showed me this utterly amazing pen - with a blank that was really pretty incredible. He then pulled out a small piece of the rod that I had given him and he proceeded to tell me that the pen came from that blank! I was stunned. Lesson learned.......now I try to turn down a piece of each rod to see what I have beyond the outer skin, and more times than not, it looks way different. Both the silicone molds and the PVC pipe do the same thing, with or without mold release spray.

Love to see what yours turn out like!

I have come to understand that from your and from other's posts too. I don't always look at the outward but try and visualize what could be inside. That doesn't always work like I think, but most of the time I am amazed at the inside color mixes. And I look forward to seeing Dave's next pen with one of these blanks.

 

[egnald]

Really good detail on what you did. I haven't cast yet but from what I've seen, the outside of the vertical rod blanks are way different than the inside. I was at Turners Warehouse this weekend and watched Jim from Cocoon blanks, Zac Higgins and Kate from Bullseye. Everybody does things a little different, you just find out what you're comfortable doing and perfect it.

Wow. I'm envious. - You got to see my heros! - Dave

 

[Todd in PA]

I've reduced the number of blanks I pour in a batch to 3. This way if I don't like the color, I don't have too many, and also 3 is about the max I can pour carefully once the temperature is reached. I wait until 100 degrees and the consistency thickens from milk to Elmer's glue. Then I get better patterns and swirls. The last one I pour is always the best of the batch (thickest consistency).

 

[NJturner]

Really good detail on what you did. I haven't cast yet but from what I've seen, the outside of the vertical rod blanks are way different than the inside. I was at Turners Warehouse this weekend and watched Jim from Cocoon blanks, Zac Higgins and Kate from Bullseye. Everybody does things a little different, you just find out what you're comfortable doing and perfect it.

Wow - I was online watching the live cast of the Turners Warehouse event - I thought the live stream of each of the people you mentioned was excellent - I can't imagine how good it was being in the audience and getting to see it live and talk to everyone! Did you try the pizza???? lol....

 

[Tanner]

Wow - I was online watching the live cast of the Turners Warehouse event - I thought the live stream of each of the people you mentioned was excellent - I can't imagine how good it was being in the audience and getting to see it live and talk to everyone! Did you try the pizza???? lol....

Oh yeah, I had three pieces of pizza! I talked with Zac Higgins for quite awhile just standing outside. He's a really nice guy. Chad had other people there at tables outside. The forge people were really fun! The forge people even have a date night for couples to make a knife blade to take home. Not sure if I can talk my fiancé into that but it sounds fun. The forge person was hilariously funny. It was a fun time at that event. I also talked with Jim from Cocoon for awhile about doing something different I want to try. He gave me some really good tips. He actually lives about 15 minutes from me. I'm gonna try to get a one on one with him. Kate and her mom were super nice to talk to as well.