Safest option??

[USAFVET98]

I am not sure if this has been asked but what is the safest option for casting blanks using pressure. I want to try my own assorted coffee bean blanks as well as other castings and also stabilize different wood blanks.

I know the pressure pot works great but dangerous.. If I were to use a pressure pot, is it safe if I dont push it? Other ideas?

 

[leestoresund]

My experiences are that even an HF pressure pot is OK for casting because you really don't need to go over about 40 lbs. It is also easy to convert to a vacuum pot for about $10.00.
For stabilizing blanks I did not find it acceptable. That really requires lot more pressure than you can create with air. More like pneumatic pressure. Constant (Lazerlinez) uses about 3000 lbs to stabilize his wood.
YMMV.

Lee

 

[workinforwood]

Safest way in my mind is to pay someone else to do it. Otherwise, if I was ..er well, I am doing it...I can only recommend you use a pot built with quality, and you can add some additional safety features, such as placing the pot into a cage. 40 lbs can be deadly. We had a tractor tire at the College where I did heavy equipment training. The compressor was really old, belt drive and required an hour to fill a tractor tire. The tire was hooked up in the shop and we all went to the classroom next door to study our books. 20 minutes later, there was a large boom and then a whole lot of crashing going on. The tire developed a bulge while being inflated. The guage when the tire exploded was only 44 Lbs and the tire rated for 120 lbs. The roof of the building was now on the floor and there were shrapnel holes through the walls.

When you go to a certified repair shop, they have a safety cage. 2" metal bars that loop around the tire. Tires must be inspected and if they have any visible defects, they can't be inflated. If a tire does explode, the 2" metal cage absorbs most of the impact. The moral is that you must inspect your paint pot and see if it has any cracks. If you drop it, don't ever use it again. If you visually look at it and it doesn't quite look round, don't use it. If you have the slightest worry, don't use it. If you truly want to be safe after that...build a cage to go around the pot.

 

[Padre]

If you are careful a pressure pot is your best tool for casting/stabilizing.

I cannot recommend Harbor Freight pressure pots because I had three that would not seal. I know Curtis (MesquiteMan) had one blow up on him.

Curtis also has a few threads on the topic. Here is one. Here is another. Just search "pressure pot" and you'll get lots of articles.

If you look in the casting forum you will find a lot of opinions and helpful pointers.

 

[Padre]

Hey Brian, I also have to add that casting is a lot of fun. It can stink when using PR, but so what? Make sure you use good eye protection and use a respirator, or do like me and wear a full gas mask when pouring PR. Seriously, I use one I got on Ebay for 14 bucks. Protects your whole face and you don't smell a thing! See this post.

Back to the fun: When you get Silmar40 or Alumilite, and mix it up and add the colors, and swirl, and pour it. It's a lot of fun. The color combinations you can try are limitless. You can add "stuff' to the castings to make them look cool. If you want red/blue/gold/orange....just do it. You want to save some of that worthless wood? Just do it. Mix it up and pour it in. Want to make a candy cane pen? Good luck! LOL:biggrin:

I use Resinsaver molds. You can get them at exoticblanks.com

I use a pot I got from http://www.gleempaint.com. When I bought it, it was $195. Now it looks like it is $230.00 , worth every penny in my estimation. This pot is rated up to 80 psi, and most folks cast at around 40 psi, so you would only be approaching 50% capacity.

I also made a variation on Curtis' stand and my pot sits down and is surrounded by a box of 3/4" plywood. So hopefully that would absorb a lot of the damage if the pot blew. Curtis uses 2 pots!

I think a pressure pot is much like the other tools in our arsenal. If you are careful around it you will be fine. The minute you lose focus, you are headed for trouble. But that is no different than our table saws, band saws, lathes, grinding wheels, drill presses and a host of other tools we use to make pens and other artistic endeavors.

Good luck. Here's to hoping you become a crazy caster like some of us!