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Silicone Moulds

Bucks

Bucks

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Dalboy said:
You can buy the mould material HERE(make sure you buy the correct one for the resin you use) all you need is to make a decent negative mould and follow the instructions for the moulding material
Click to expand...

Haven't got a clue what this stuff is you linked to Derek but our moulds are made from nothing like this! It might work just for making your own diy mould though, But I don't know for sure as I've never tried it!
 
Z

Ziggy Sawdust

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I am interested too in some of these moulds, my UK supplier just stopped making them...Colour is not a problem ha ha message me prices
 
Bucks

Bucks

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Ok we've been having a look at our costs and our prices are as follows: (Note all prices would be plus delivery which would be charged at cost price).

PnT Less-Resin Moulds £22 for the Condensation Cure & £24 for the Addition Cure.
PnT Block Style Moulds are going to be £35 for the Condensation Cure & £41 for the Addition Cure.

At the moment we will be making these to order on a first come first served basis (turnaround should usually be within the week but at the moment we may need an additional week to get organised & order in more materials.)

The PnT Less-Resin Moulds are available in Slimline & Sierra/Gatsby (possibly be able to use with other pen kits) we will make moulds for other pen kits if we have enough interest.

Note: we will be putting up more details on the Condensation vs Addition Cure Silicones tomorrow with more details on the moulds & how to order, but in the mean time you can express your interest by posting on here.

Regards Paul & Jackie (PnT)

View attachment 32796
 
21William

21William

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Bammer said:
RTV silicone, Conti board, a blank cut to size, bobs yer uncle.

Just takes a little thought and practice. I have made my own before but now get them off Sawes (Scott Walker) as I'm lazy.

They look good.



Not exactly a secret, just do a bit of research, you tube, IAP forum
Click to expand...

Yes, it's dead easy to do. I found a good release agent like Macwax is handy though. About twenty years ago I was into making stuff with RTV rubber, Polyurethane Resin and wet layup with Epoxy resins. Some of it can be a bit messy but they all come with clear instructions for use and there must be dozens of YouTube videos of the process these days.

Have a go, it's not that expensive. If you can cut MDF you can do it! :winking:
 
Bucks

Bucks

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21William said:
Yes, it's dead easy to do. I found a good release agent like Macwax is handy though. About twenty years ago I was into making stuff with RTV rubber, Polyurethane Resin and wet layup with Epoxy resins. Some of it can be a bit messy but they all come with clear instructions for use and there must be dozens of YouTube videos of the process these days.

Have a go, it's not that expensive. If you can cut MDF you can do it! :winking:
Click to expand...

Yep that's all probably fine for the people wanting to make their own DIY moulds :thumbs:

The moulds we are making & selling are made from non of the above materials & using proper materials for the mould & the pattern, if everyone reads the instructions on their glass/clear type resins (including Alumilite Clear & Water Clear Resins) there are a lot of do's & dont's on using them with moulding materials, also if you are using the correct moulding material there are also a lot of do's & dont's on what materials to use for making the mould master, including not using any type of wood material!

That all said I don't know how important it is in making pen blanks where part of the cast is going to be turned away, maybe it's more for casting when you are wanting to pull the finished product straight from a mould! But I've spoken on the phone to two suppliers of resin & moulding materials & they are advising the Addition Cure silicone for even pen blanks for these glass/clear type resins!

Seems to look like people casting their own pen blanks haven't had a problem so far!!! and other mould makers probably aren't aware of all these obsticles, but when I do a job I research, research & research & do a job properly! That's how I came across all these obsticles!
 
21William

21William

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The silicone moulds I made were more than simple troughs. Most of them were two part moulds requiring registration points. All the masters were made with wood and body filler sanded down and then painted with several coats of high build primer. It's not difficult. Before moulding they were sprayed with release agent. I didn't have one mould failure using this method.
 
Walter

Walter

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Bucks said:
when I do a job I research, research & research & do a job properly! That's how I came across all these obsticles!
Click to expand...

I too have made my own DIY moulds (from plywood using wax as a release agent) and they worked fine, but if I was making more than the odd one or two castings I would want something more professional and I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiment about researching and doing the job properly.
 
Bammer

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21William said:
Is this the one you were thinking of Brad?

http://content.penturners.org/library/tools_and_jigs/simple_and_easy_mold_making.pdf

I always painted mine with Hi Build primer filler to get a really good finish but obviously not required.
Click to expand...


Not exactly that particular one William, but that would work. There are plenty of materials you can you to make the molds out of, my last slab one I used doubled up corian to give the perfect depth I wanted.

I have a couple that must have had nearly 50 pours now, nothing wrong with them, in fact they are in the pot as I type this. No release agent required. There are far more crucial aspects to a good casting then the molds

Woody doesn't even use silicone, vacuum, pressure or anything, think he makes them out of flour ... might be wrong though.

The ones that Bucks has made look great, I have some made by Sawes and they work great, i have an old Zeta mold made by Dan and that's still going strong too
 
21William

21William

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I didn't use release agent when using the mould, just when making it to ensure a smooth release from the master.

Yes, Corian would be ideal for mould making if you have it. :wink:
 
Scots Bill

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Thanks Paul, we are near Leyburn. Still confused about the thread on the resins. Melanie seems well clued up, I just cannot get my old head around what does what, or how! Cannot afford vacuum chambers or pressure pots though. Woody seems to manage without? :thinks:
 
Bammer

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Scots Bill said:
Thanks Paul, we are near Leyburn. Still confused about the thread on the resins. Melanie seems well clued up, I just cannot get my old head around what does what, or how! Cannot afford vacuum chambers or pressure pots though. Woody seems to manage without? :thinks:
Click to expand...

Bill, to make blanks on a small scale you don't need a vacuum or pressure pot. In fact you don't even need a mold / mould (Silver)

In the IAP Library there is a Bubble Free casting report.

Simple heat the resin, i guess to around 50. It then becomes easier for the bubbles to float to the surface.

To make it more simple for you ... Bubbles in honey take a long time to float, bubbles in beer rise rapidly. Heating the resin increases the viscocity therefore the bubbles come to the surface easier.

You can sit it on some that vibrates to help the bubbles rise.

Turners Retreat do a casting kit which is quite useful for folks who want to try it out

Pen Blank Resin Kit

Has everything you need plus instructions.

Good Luck

Cheers

Brad
 
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