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Russianwolf

Russianwolf

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Joined
Jul 13, 2007
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Location
Martinsburg, WV, USA.
latest batch of Dichro curing. Got about another dozen or so to cast in the next few days. Wallstreets, Churchills, Tritons (which I was told is the same as the Atrax), Jrs and Barons. Need to make more stoppers.

tried casting a Black Chrome Baron tube without painting (all they had)... not happy with it. Think I'll paint the rest first.
 

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Bubbles are the devil. I hope they are all surface bubbles.
Dr fart.... I think it is glass somehow wrapped around a tube and cast in resin. Im no expert but I think that is what it is.
 
Ruby pen turning said:
Bubbles are the devil. I hope they are all surface bubbles.
Dr fart.... I think it is glass somehow wrapped around a tube and cast in resin. Im no expert but I think that is what it is.
Click to expand...


Dichroic glass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's a vapor deposition process that places extemely thin layers on glass. There is no dye or tint used to get the colors. The glass just lets different wavelengths of light through the glass while blocking others. I think he is buying the thin raw sheets of dichroic glass and heating and wrapping them around pen tubes just like Ruby said.
 
I gave up on PR because it chemically reacts with quite a few things I'm trying to work with, and I've never had luck mixing Alumilite. So, I've switched to West Systems Epoxy (105 with 207), which seems to be a better option but more expensive.

Get the pumps for perfect measurements each time
More chemically stable.
low odor.
not flammable
Longer open time.
Demold is about 2 hours at 80+ degrees.
turns very well and polishes nicely once fully cured.
Accepts CA finish if you want to do that.

The bubbles you see here are surface bubbles. If I catch them while still "wet" I pass a lighter over the surface to pop them (don't try with PR).

With the dichro, without pressure I do occasionally get a bubble stuck to something. I'm going to get a pressure pot to help eliminate that, but with glass they aren't as detracting (some of the fusing I do I encourage bubbles in the glass). Some of the other stuff I'm working on collect more bubbles due to the irregular surfaces. I won't be showing these until all the kinks are worked out.
 
Is the Epoxy the same result as the PR? Why don't more use it? I have been waiting to pour some more blanks but with the smell I need to so it outside and it has be almost 100 degrees out there. :)
 
So far, the Epoxy has been as good or better than PR in all ways I can tell.

Less chemically reactive (the solvent in PR is very volatile stuff that will eat many plastics and is flammable)

Longer open time, I usually mix the epoxy and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the bubbles to escape before pouring. You risk PR gelling in that time if you add too much catalyst.

Less chipping when turning. Just my observation here. I'm looking for feedback as people buy blanks. What I've seen puts it more on par with Alumilite here. Another Epoxy I tried would get soft as you turned/sanded, the West Systems doesn't do that once fully cured.

The big reason many avoid the epoxy is the cost. its 2-3 times as expensive as PR. $160 per 1.33 gallons (with the 207 harder) rounds about.

With the epoxy you can cast inside, then once you demold stick them outside to fully cure. That's what I've done a couple times. I'm also thinking about building a "casting closet" in my shop that will be insulated and have a small oil radiator heater in it to keep the temp over 80. My basement shop is cool even when its 100 outside.
 
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