Doozer
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Post by Doozer on Mar 1, 2009 21:45:23 GMT -6
I'm not sure if anyone has any experience with making molds, but I thought it might be cool to try and copy my 4#3B Canopy and then paint it whatever color I wanted. This is my first attempt at this. After some careful research, I think I might have bought a bad batch of RTV though. So I might be trying this again with different mold mats. Here are some pics.  Yes.... I went and bought Legos on the advice of someone at my LHS.   These are my mats  I'm suspending the canopy to allow the RTV to flow beneath the canopy. I used sewing needles.  Another view  Everything that comes into contact with the RTV has to have some sort of Mold release. I imagine vegetable oil will work too. Make sure everything dries first before applying the RTV.  This is why I don't think this batch will work. It didn't "pour" it was more like pudding.  I used the modeling clay on the cracks in the blocks that I thought were suspect.  This is where I'm at now. It's supposed to take 24 hrs to cure. So by this time tomorrow, I'll know if this works. If it does.... you could make a mold of parts that consistently break and pour them up. This was a bit time consuming an hour or so, but you only have to make one mold for infinite parts. Its just an idea.... we'll see what happens. |
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Raygun
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Post by Raygun on Mar 3, 2009 10:48:04 GMT -6
For my first patent I made molds because I could not afford an injection mold for a one off prototype, I did compression molds turned out nice. I am making vacuum molds for canopies just like what your doing. Vacuum molding is fun and easy if you want I can show you how to build your own vacuum former. I just make the mold out of wood or plaster sometimes body putty. Ray
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Post by Dave on Mar 3, 2009 11:16:30 GMT -6
For my first patent I made molds because I could not afford an injection mold for a one off prototype, I did compression molds turned out nice. I am making vacuum molds for canopies just like what your doing. Vacuum molding is fun and easy if you want I can show you how to build your own vacuum former. I just make the mold out of wood or plaster sometimes body putty. Ray By all means Ray.. add it to this thread or start a new one on How to Vac. Mold please  |
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Doozer
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Post by Doozer on Mar 3, 2009 11:27:42 GMT -6
yes.... please ray, I'm very interested.
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Raygun
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Post by Raygun on Mar 3, 2009 11:52:18 GMT -6
OK it is kind of fun and I found a good place for the plastic I have been using the Pet-G plastic it is the same stuff you find that is very transparent the stuff comes on packaging parts that you need a chainsaw to get open. It forms well over deep pulls and the detail is good That is how I made the transition piece from the back of my Blazing Star to the CF tube the parts look factory when you get done. Plus it is cheap a 2'X4' piece of plastic was around $14. I am right now building a bigger vacuum former using a heat element out of a toaster oven I will photo it as it goes together and post that one. Ray
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Raygun
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Post by Raygun on Mar 3, 2009 15:34:51 GMT -6
How did the mold come out Doozer?? You sometimes have to vibrate the mold to get rid of all the air. Now if you where to want to vacuum mold that you could just fill the inside with some rockhard wood putty and pull off the canopy then mount it nose up and pull the plastic down around it you can pull long molds like that in one piece if your careful.. I think they do two and three piece molds because there is less chance of failer. Ray
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19000rpm
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Post by 19000rpm on Mar 3, 2009 16:12:39 GMT -6
Dooz, that things starting to look a lot like Richard Dryfus's Devil's Tower model in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Have you been sleeping well? Have any urges to travel to Wyoming?? Maybe building one two many helis at the same time?
Happy landings
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Raygun
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Post by Raygun on Mar 3, 2009 19:22:38 GMT -6
Its all making sense now Doozer is from Arizona, beedm is from Roswell NM area 51 is not that far away.. Oh Boy I new these guy where too smart for there own good!!! Ray
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Doozer
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Post by Doozer on Mar 3, 2009 19:44:03 GMT -6
I have the sudden urge for mashed potatoes.
I'm going to post pics of the mold tonight when I get home from work. Its like Flan, and its still sticky. If it were stiffer, I'm sure I could pour.... I might just try anyway.
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Post by Dave on Mar 3, 2009 20:17:28 GMT -6
Patients young man...patients
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Post by Solitaire on Mar 3, 2009 20:21:24 GMT -6
Or in Ray's case...patents ;D
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19000rpm
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Post by 19000rpm on Mar 4, 2009 6:44:29 GMT -6
Too smart and too much energy. I'm jealous. ;D
Happy landings
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Doozer
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Post by Doozer on Mar 4, 2009 9:27:51 GMT -6
I have the sudden urge for mashed potatoes. I'm going to post pics of the mold tonight when I get home from work. Its like Flan, and its still sticky. If it were stiffer, I'm sure I could pour.... I might just try anyway. Need Ginko.... 19 is right... too much going on.  Its still really wet. I showed a person at work, who builds models and makes his own molds, my pictures and he said that the rubber was crappola (Italian for crap). So I'm going to wait and build rays gadget, with his permission.  |
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Raygun
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Post by Raygun on Mar 4, 2009 12:20:28 GMT -6
It does not take much a heating element some wood perferated metal a shop vac a mold and some plastic. I will get that up ASAP. Ray
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19000rpm
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Post by 19000rpm on Mar 4, 2009 15:59:46 GMT -6
Now it's look more like a tower of cheese. Or as the italians call it; tower of pizza crapola. ;D
Happy landings
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