Using fillers

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Marshall Tucker

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Aug 10, 2011
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Lubbock Texas
I recently made a casting 3" diameter by 4" long in a PVC mold and used
Shavings to reduce the amount of resin. I cast under pressure, 50#, but still had some bubbles. I was wondering if anyone had used anything for filler or recast poly shavings and how it worked. I think maybe if I put them in a blender and pulverized them it might work better. Any ideas?
 
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Yes, you can recast shavings or chips--the commercial blanks called "chipped" acrylic do this and several have done it with polyresin. The end product looks like it has chips in it---can be pretty if they are a complementary color--but I've never seen the "sawdust" fine enough to disappear in the final product.

Hope that helps, sorry I didn't read carefully--a 3" pen would be a little heavy.
 
The amount of filler needed to significantly reduce the amount of resin is going to create more problems than it's worth in that volume. Using a filler in that volume will trap a lot of air, especially depending on the filler. Much less trouble using the resin without fillers in that volume.

Just an opinion...
 
ive done that for perfume atomizers and bottle stoppers. put the chips in for effect, not to save resin, and they look real nice. the atomizers were gone at wifes work before she could get them shown yo all the girls.
rember. the resin itself is only about $0.50/oz counting shipping in gallon orders. not worth the risk of attempting to save resin that way.
IMHO guys.

Sent from my Galaxi via forerunner
 
You probably need a mold with something in the middle so that you don't even have resin there in the first place. Is that what you are talking about? Casting it so that there's no resin in the middle that goes to waste since you're hollowing it out anyway?
 
I was considering another mold, I wasn't sure if fillers could be used as I was asking about. I like the idea of a monolithic cast instead of three pieces(top, cylinder, and bottom) but there is alot if waste that way. My casting had 14 oz resin and a bunch of shavings and I know I put too many in it because it was of too thick viscosity and I could not get the bubbles out. I'm going to try to put the shavings in a blender and powderize them and try it again using a lot less. I see no reason that the waste cannot be reused, I just need to get the grain and proportions right. I think if reusing waste can be done it should be done.
 
How about turning the mold upside down with the insert coming up from the bottom so the bottom of the pour will be on top when poured. that way you would still have a one piece mold. You would most likely need to inject some air in the center to get the piece out of the mold once set. Just a suggestion.
Charles
 
Getting a mold like that apart has been one of my concerns. I know a casting will shrink away from the outside or the mold walls but I don't know if it will shrink away from an insert or not at the same time.
 
Marshall Tucker said:
Getting a mold like that apart has been one of my concerns. I know a casting will shrink away from the outside or the mold walls but I don't know if it will shrink away from an insert or not at the same time.
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If you want to use a mold like that, it will work. I've used them in several sizes and the blank pops right out. If you are concerned, use silicone for the mold.
 
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