First Decal Casting (Turning Failure)

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T

tdibiasio

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Aug 15, 2007
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78
Location
West Kingston, RI, USA.
I finally got around to turning my first decal casting..... While turning with a gouge I had a total blank failure :-(

Does anyone have any casting pointers for me as I was careful while turning so I am thinking the way it chipped out has something to do with the casting on top of the decal.

My casting process was as follows:

Clean tube with acetone to remove hand oil
Spray paint tube white
Apply decal - let set up for 2-3 days
Cast in a resin saver mold with Crystal Clear (3 drops for 1 oz of resin)
Let set up for 3 days and then put out in the sun for 5 hours to dry the top layer of tacky resin

Once dry then I squared the ends and mounted blank between centers with some of JohnyCNC bushings and started turning, then I heard the dreaded CRUNCH......

Any suggestions you could give a newbe would be appreciated.

TomD
 

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Thanks for the fast response - this was a waterslide decal not a label.

Also with regards to the being tacky on the outside - You could be right that my process could be wrong, but I have read many posting were people described the same sort of "tacky" outside feeling to the blank and once put out in the sun for the afternoon it dries up pretty well. Do you have any suggestions??

TomD
 
the 'crunch' indicates that there was resin where no resin should be.
What are you using to square the blanks?
 
Could it be a little "soft"?
I usually use 4-5 drops of catalyst with Castin' Craft resin. If it was soft it may have come off more like peeling rubber
 
I use labels in my castings, but by all you listed, everything appears to be good. I'm with Charlie though, what type of gouge were you using and were you making light cuts or jamming it? also, as others have stated about your resin still being tacky, you can post cure as some of us call it, in the sun, or in the toaster oven on 150 from 30 minutes to an hour and that will work too, but i usually bust the blanks out of the molds for the post curing process, that way the heat is evenly distributed throughout the blank.
 
I prefer my spindle gouge to any other tool I have, but have been told by many more knowledgable than I on on this site that I should be using my skew on all castings and probably on all acrylics, etc. So, I have been learning. Unfortunately the skew is still an unpredictable friend for me !

Just passing on what i have been told.
 
RogerH said:
I prefer my spindle gouge to any other tool I have, but have been told by many more knowledgable than I on on this site that I should be using my skew on all castings and probably on all acrylics, etc. So, I have been learning. Unfortunately the skew is still an unpredictable friend for me !

Just passing on what i have been told.
Click to expand...

here is what i say to that: Turn with whatever you feel comfortable with. However, I too, like others will agree that learning to use a skew would valuable when turning these acrylics or casts blanks, but it doesnt really matter if you can get the same results using other tools. I use a 1" roughing gouge to get the blank round and to remove alot of material fast, then hit it with the skew to smooth it up and turn down to the components sizes using calipers. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!! you will get better with time.
 
seamus7227 said:
I use labels in my castings, but by all you listed, everything appears to be good. I'm with Charlie though, what type of gouge were you using and were you making light cuts or jamming it? also, as others have stated about your resin still being tacky, you can post cure as some of us call it, in the sun, or in the toaster oven on 150 from 30 minutes to an hour and that will work too, but i usually bust the blanks out of the molds for the post curing process, that way the heat is evenly distributed throughout the blank.
Click to expand...

Seamus, as you know I love your blanks. Are those waterslide decals on the blanks?
 
dennisg said:
I've seen it posted here that it's best to use labels on the tubes and water slide decals should go on the turned blank, not the tube, and then finish with CA.
Click to expand...

+1 on this

IMHO you will get better results from decals if they are applied to a turned blank and then coated with CA. Labels work better on tubes.
 
PedroDelgado said:
I thought it was 7 to 10 drops per oz depending on temperature.
Click to expand...

the amount of catalyst will depend on the resin type. But for the types
we typically use around here, that sound like a lot of catalyst. It may
give you a more brittle blank as it can generate a lot of heat quickly
 
Did you only make one?

I would suggest making 3-4 at a time.

My guess is that it was not squared up, maybe the bushing was pushing on the resin instead of the whole tube squarely.


I would add at least one more drop of catalyist per once of resin.
 
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