I dunno what to call this thread... so

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RAdams

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I was just reading over a thread about the PVC casting, and have come to notice a wild variety of successes and failures of people's casting experiences.

In my experience with casting, it is a very simple procedure and my failures have all been self inflicted (not enough pigment so the blank is semi opaque, or beating it out of the crusty piece of PVC and cracking it.).

With that in mind, I think i have figured out a possible source for alot of the confusion and failures. I think people read the forum and think to themselves "This casting business seems simple enough". Then they buy Alumilite, and follow the Poly Resin istructions they read online, or vice versa.

If there were maybe seperate sub forums for each? Or some tag or something that let everyone know what you are using to cast? I don't really know who to bring this up to, so i figured here would b a good spot... Just trying to make IAP a little more helpful!
 
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I think the pvc is the problem, use Cpvc, it can take the heat. But you do bring up a good point. I have only used acrylic so far.
 
I'm not sure if the separate sub forum would work, as there's so much other
information that could be missed if someone sees "Alumilite" and they only
cast with PR, or vice versa. They might not read it, and miss that information.

But if people should read both forums just in case, then having two wouldn't
really gain us anything.

But I'm sure some of the problems could be related to treating the two resins
as if they are the same.

Perhaps just making people aware of it by mentioning it in the thread
title is enough? Dunno.
 
I agree - pvc is the problem. I use PR for casting and have had great success with pvc and then failures. Sometimes the casts slip right out of the molds and other times the are stuck fast. I've used mold release, I've used Pam, I've used olive oil and still had the casts stick like crazy.

Michael
 
RAdams said:
I was just reading over a thread about the PVC casting, and have come to notice a wild variety of successes and failures of people's casting experiences.

In my experience with casting, it is a very simple procedure and my failures have all been self inflicted (not enough pigment so the blank is semi opaque, or beating it out of the crusty piece of PVC and cracking it.).

With that in mind, I think i have figured out a possible source for alot of the confusion and failures. I think people read the forum and think to themselves "This casting business seems simple enough". Then they buy Alumilite, and follow the Poly Resin istructions they read online, or vice versa.

If there were maybe seperate sub forums for each? Or some tag or something that let everyone know what you are using to cast? I don't really know who to bring this up to, so i figured here would b a good spot... Just trying to make IAP a little more helpful!
Click to expand...

This is the reason I have asked repeatedly for everyone to define the resin they are casting with so people who have experience with that resin can respond. Of course we always get the obligatory "use Alumilite!" comment.

There is still some confusion on how PR cures and that drives me crazy. But that is also another set of subjects.
 
My point exactly! I have seen you, and others ask what the person was casting with in order to offer assistance. I agree with NewLondon too. I would probably miss some stuff because i wouldnt likely read an alumilite forum. Maybe a tagline or something.. I dunno.

Maybe as mixed media casters, we should do like Glass Scratcher says and be more vigilant about saying what we cast with. hmmmm something Actually USEFULL for the signature line?
 
Polyester resin such as Silmar 41 and castin craft shrink during their curing, and you can get decent results in PVC, but after 4 or 5 castings, the cured piece doesn't want to slip out of the PVC. Alumilite on the other hand doesn't shrink, and casting it in PVC or CVPVC or ABS is going to present problems, I like the silicone molds, some day I'm going to try Alumilite and get in touch with the modern age.
 
Hturnings said:
I've given up using PVC. I can't get it to work even using Pam and all other non-stick methods.
Click to expand...

Does that include actual bona-fidey mold releases like Stoners, Ease Release and McGuaires mold release waxes? or the usual home remedies like Pam and vasoline, or even liquid dish soap?

Perhaps the PVC needs something like SuperSeal (a Smooth-On product) as a barrier coat and then a mold release
 
As I said in the other thread, with PR the only times I can't get the blank out is if the thing bent. It'll happen if the resin heated and cooled unevenly. I can also induce it by putting the blank w/PVC mold in the toaster oven on the top rack. (Needs to be on the bottom... As far away from the element as possible.)

Any mold will get crusty after a while and need to be tossed. Silicone is the exception since it will wear out long before enough un-removable bits accumulate to cause trouble. And I suspect I'll stop making sierras long before that. ;)

But by all means, use whatever mold works best for YOU. I can rave all day about PVC and ABS tubes. But YOU are the one who needs to make it work.
 
How much does a piece of pvc cost, that is long enough to cast a pen?
Why not use as throw away, and just turn pvc off of the blank on the lathe.Instead of risking breaking the blank trying to remove it with force..
 
That would dramatically increase the cost of each blank.


And this thread now has examples of exactly what i was talking about. One person cannot even get PVC molds to work even with a release agent, while a couple of other members don't even use mold release and have little to no problem with PVC. And that is just one of the issues clouded by "What type of material do you pour".



And thank you for the spell check Daniel! I will go change it in a second!
 
Ron,
I have also used butcher paper to line the inside of the tube. Just cut the paper to size and pour in the paper. Havent had any problems with that.
 
Hey Ray, I just checked Lowes webb --10' pvc by 3/4'' 200lb is a whoping .85cents. Lets see a serria is less than 2.5" ,,10' is 120" thats not dramatic to me.
point 71 hundreds of a cent per inch. I think, cause its getting late.....
So the cost to do a throwaway mold for a serria would be .71 multiplied by 2.5"===
one penny and 78 hundreds of another one. sounds cheap to me and solves many problems to boot.
 
I think you were talking to me?? Only i am Ron, not Ray ;). All of my PVC molds are 7 inches long, so i can get two sierras out of one, or a regular two piece pen and still have enough length to mess with mods. I usually pour 15 or 30 blanks when i am pouring. I could get just over 17 molds from one 10 foot stick of PVC. So, I would need two new sticks of PVC to even think about turning. Locke supply or the borg or anybody with PVC, is a 20 minute drive, one way, and i drive a S-10 Blazer.

Then let's consider the work. Now, to get one blank, You first have to cut the pvc to length for every blank, and turn it or cut it away after the blank is ready. If that was the alternative, I would just keep casting square blanks in my silicone mold. Seems excessive for each blank. If you weren't careful, it would take you longer to make the blank that it takes to make the pen!

Luckily for me, I have no problem casting with the same pieces of PVC. In fact my pvc has been cast in so many times, the outside is starting to look like a "suicide" flavored snow cone or something.


The Butcher paper idea sounds awesome! I don't know why we didn't consider that earlier! I guess we needed a guy with a cow in his avatar! J/K
 
Mac said:
Hey Ray, I just checked Lowes webb --10' pvc by 3/4'' 200lb is a whoping .85cents. Lets see a serria is less than 2.5" ,,10' is 120" thats not dramatic to me.
point 71 hundreds of a cent per inch. I think, cause its getting late.....
So the cost to do a throwaway mold for a serria would be .71 multiplied by 2.5"===
one penny and 78 hundreds of another one. sounds cheap to me and solves many problems to boot.
Click to expand...

The problem you have is the danger of trying to turn the PVC off of the pour.

Have you tried it? I have. I didn't really have a good experience with it.....
 
Are the jigglies the big funny lookin things on his head? We got some of those around here, but they ain't that long. I hope it's not true what they say about size!
 
I just realized. I better tread lightly here, Between el d in Texas, and Smokey in Kansas, I am stuck in the middle. Did I mention the wind here in Oklahoma???
 
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