Bicycle pump. Or get a semens pressure tester for outboard lower units. I don't want the noise from a compressor while I'm shooting waxes, drinking beer and watching tv....
I think I'll have to start working on an easier mold. One without so much detail. Then once I can see and overcome issues head to more detail. Hell, I still need to get something cast too. I can get melt bronze in the microwave with some modifications but my list of rabbit-hole-to-do's is getting long. I'm gonna have to head back to really finding a burn out kiln instead. The wax injector that's here in town I can get for less than $200. Its a Kerr (I believe) model. Big-ole tank from the looks of it. I'd much rather have a smaller unit.
I get almost all of the wax details my little silicone mold has in it except the same two spots. So I got a toothpick and tried dabbing some in the tiny slots with hot wax before infecting the whole thing to see if I could paint those areas and fill the rest. And what do you know? The wax was being resisted in those areas. I cleaned the areas with rubbing alcohol and then dish soap+water. But still those same small areas (in two separate molds) won't fill. I checked online about issues with this wax and small details and found this one review on Rio Grande on Joe's Jewelry Investment Wax Turquoise: What wax are you guys using for very fine thin details? =.018 of an inch / .47mm (for reference = .039 of an inch / 1mm deep.
For something that small and deep, you need a vacuum wax injector to guarantee a good fill. You might want to get a max wax pen for your touch ups... https://www.esslinger.com/portable-cordless-max-wax-pen/
.....and PUNT! I'm re-designing the model. I appreciate that info. I don't mind being a moth banging my head against the lightbulb....but I want to eventually get in! That helps me learn more about limitations that I can design around. Thanks!
Happy you picked up on that so quickly. I do alot of castings with text on them. They can prove very challenging.
You can build a wax pressure pot. Stuller sells the all important valve, but you won't like the price. Makes 200bucks for the pot look cheap. https://www.stuller.com/products/22-7403/?groupId=13471
There's a guy in town that is going to show me what he has when back in town. It's a compressor model asking $200. He also has a kiln so could be a nice stop. I modified my model/mold and when the silicone dries by tomorrow around 11 am PST I'll know if I need one.
I use Alibre for my cad, which is similar to fusions cad, then Sprut cam for cam. Been working on learning Z brush core, but far from being proficient with it. Maybe I'll figure it out eventually
I always wanted to learn Zbrush but I can't justify the cost. I started playing around with a nice app for my tablet- Nomad Sculpt. I think it's 14.99 on the Apple Store. It blows me away with what it can do. The designer has been updating this thing a lot! There is a content creator who also offers online courses to learn the program, SouthernGFX. Check out Glen's videos to see what it can do -. Glen also has a Facebook group and responds to just about everything, as well as others there. Stephan who owns/designs Nomad has a forum for keeping in touch and updating users; https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/latest jbc
monthly = no thanks. Check out Nomad Sculpt. $15.00 is an easy choice. This prog is really maturing rapidly.
I have a question about the flask (4" dia 6" tall) and vacuum. If I do move forward with microwaving the flask and can get the heat up to calcify the investment (I can't put a flask with a metal sleeve in the microwave) will the vacuum table be effective? The suction force will draw in air over the entirety of the flask and not just from the top/spout. I would think the vacuum table will help but not by much right? Thoughts? If that's the case I think my best approach would be to make a sheet metal sleeve I can place around the flask prior to the pour (seems fiddly). Any other ideas?
I had a decent pour last night but still missed the mark. I was able to get the cavity of the flask to approx. 200F but I couldn't get it higher. Hopefully this weekend I have time to try another pour with a slightly different approach. The details I was able to get gives me hope. This was the best I've had so far but nowhere near my goal. Still so much to learn casting small detailed models: Wax injection/using a wax pen/spruing the tree and overcoming a furnace that keeps turning off but shows its holding temps (waiting to hear back from the manufacturer for replacement thermocouple). Good stuff!
Have you used Silpak's Silicones? http://www.silpak.com/products/r1000.html I liked it but I dont have much experience with any silicones for wax injection. I'm tempted to try Aluminlite Platinum. i have tried some Smooth-on and found it basically the same as Silpak, so I'm thinking they are all pretty close to each other (when looking at hardness and elongation before break). I hate buying 2lb trials at $58/try.
Some microwaves allow you to nuke metal objects. I know the new crappy samsung over the range one I have has a metal rack in it. My first one lasted 2years so instead of fixing it, I grabbed another new one for 189bucks. Samsung is great for phones and stuff, but their appliances are grade A chinese JUNK!
