My new casting rack

[Russianwolf]

inspired by the one John shared in a pick. Mine fits snuggly inside my pot (I can drop it in and the air prevents it from crashing to the bottom). Think I got 34 holes in it. Could have made it prettier, but honestly who cares if its pretty.

The bottom and top are held together without glue by Miller dowels and the hand is another one. So if needs be, I can take it apart in a minute.

Making another for my second pot.

The tube with wire around it is empty waiting on resin, the ones without wire need to be topped up just a tad (the two in the middle are complete and waiting for their partners to get finished).

 

[JD Combs Sr]

Very nice but can you get that many poured before the first one sets up? Another question, is that a wire bail on one of the molds keeping a corked tube centered?

 

[theidlemind]

Nice rack!:biggrin:
Care to share what the casting is in the second picture, blue, in the foreground?

I'm still struggling with vertical casting........horizontal is no sweat, vertical the resin pulls away from the tube while curing.

 

[Russianwolf]

Very nice but can you get that many poured before the first one sets up? Another question, is that a wire bail on one of the molds keeping a corked tube centered?

Yes, and Yes.

I use West systems Epoxy for my casting so I have a pot life about 25 minutes. (see my other post on that). I usually only need about 5-10 though to mix and pour them though.

The wire centers the upper end of the tube while it cures. The lower end is held centered by the bottom plug which fills the entire tube.

 

[Russianwolf]

David, that is one of my Opal FX blanks, A long click in this case.

 

[JD Combs Sr]

Thanks for the quick comeback Mike. Just a couple more questions if you got the time. What are you using for the mold tubes and are they reusable? Kind of look like pen display tubes, could get expensive if not reusable?

 

[Russianwolf]

Thanks for the quick comeback Mike. Just a couple more questions if you got the time. What are you using for the mold tubes and are they reusable? Kind of look like pen display tubes, could get expensive if not reusable?

I was using T8 Florecent light protectors, but Asked Seamus what he was using and he was kind enough to send me a box of his tube molds.

They are not reusable. With PR, Seamus says that they bond to the cast. With the Epoxy, you still can't get the cast out and save the mold, but I am able to peel them before sending the out as part of my demolding process. (gotta get my stoppers).

The T8 tubes are about $4 each at lowes for a 48" one. So yeah, kinda expensive and at 1.25 inches they tend to "waste" more resin.

The ones I got from Seamus run less than a dollar a tube at 48", but you have to buy $130 worth (155 48"ers). and are about an inch in diameter. The holes in that rack are 1".

Needless to say, I'm about to blow $130 and not have to buy tubes for a couple years. :biggrin:

 

[Joe S.]

Cool! Now you just need to fill 'er up!

 

[John Doyle]

casring blanks

inspired by the one John shared in a pick. Mine fits snuggly inside my pot (I can drop it in and the air prevents it from crashing to the bottom). Think I got 34 holes in it. Could have made it prettier, but honestly who cares if its pretty.

The bottom and top are held together without glue by Miller dowels and the hand is another one. So if needs be, I can take it apart in a minute.

Making another for my second pot.

The tube with wire around it is empty waiting on resin, the ones without wire need to be topped up just a tad (the two in the middle are complete and waiting for their partners to get finished).

I think that I will make one of those . Getting the tubes here in australia might be a little difficult but I am sure that I will overcome that small problem.
Cheers
John Doyle

 

[Russianwolf]

Visipak.com thin walled packaging tubes.