Topic: Production Platform Two, Outland Station

[DocOutlands]

Well, Hobby Lobby is running a 40% off one item coupon this week.  Last week it was a 25% off coupon and I picked up some Quick-Set, because they were out of HSIII.  The lady managing the Art section said she'd be getting some HSIII in Monday, as she was ordering it Wednesday.  SO!  I'll be working on making sure she GOT IT and then I'll be working on GETTING THERE to get me some at 40% off!  I'll prolly pick up some more Alumilite plastic with  similar coupon while I'm at it.

I picked up some "water gel" resin in WalMart's floral dept today.  24-48 hr cure time?  I'm thinking Spud is teaching us that'll kill air bubbles and also get us some neat stuff like computer terminals.

[spudafett]

it won't kill bubbles completely.  You still need something to shake the bubbles out...  I'm still getting bubbles in the clear stuff

and I wouldn't use that "water gel" stuff.... it might be the same thing but I don't think it is.  is it a two part resin?  I thought it was something else...   

like I've said, I get the clear resin at lowes, it's called "glaze coat; crystal clear table top epoxy"

[DocOutlands]

Yeah, this stuff is still a 2-part resin.  Worth trying, imo, because you can get it easily at WM, it is clear, costs less than $7, and is available in smaller-than-movie-prop size. 

And bummer - I grabbed up the resin, thinking you'd found out the clear stuff had beaten the bubble issue.  Oh, well...  SOMEWHERE I have an orbital sander that should do the trick.  Then there's pressure-casting.

[spudafett]

it does help with the problem of getting into the tight little spaces... but there are still bubbles, just not as many and not as big.

[DocOutlands]

Well, I poured up several molds full of the clear resin I got.  We'll see how they work out in 24-48 hours.  One is a BAD R2 head.  What do we call a see-through R2 head?  an *R3* head!!  But it will be a solid piece rather than properly fitting the BAD torso.

One thing I liked is that I was able to use a toothpick in the molds to prod air-bubbles out of crevices.  I was able to take my time and not have to worry about the stuff flashing on me as I worked.

[Clonehead]

Cool buddy. you will have to show us how those turn out. Drilling in a peg so that it would work with bad parts shouldn't be hard.
  doesnt HL have a clear resin that cures quicker?

[DocOutlands]

You *know* I'll be showing 'em off!    HL prolly does, but I'm 60 miles from one and can't easily check.     Had to make do with what I could get.  Might bite the bullet and spend the gas to make a trip this week - those 40% off coupons are too durn nice to miss out on.

[Clonehead]

I peeled one out of the sunday paper today. I need to make a run tomorrow and I will look again. this will be about the third time that I have looked at the stuff.

[narceron]

what does this stuff run with/without the coupon at HL?

because its about 25 bucks online, lol.

anyone thought about joining that VIP club on misterart?

[DocOutlands]

I've thought about it - prolly will if I started getting all my supplies thru them.  I thought about signing up as a affialiate so I could make a few cents every time someone ordered casting supplies from them, but eh - haven't done it.  HL's price is $25.99 regular, then take 40% off that ($10.40?) for a final price of $15.60 or so, plus tax.

The HL in the direction I needed to go did NOT get any HSIII on Monday's truck as expected and the HL that is the same distance away in the exact opposite direction has ONE box of HSIII on the shelf.

[Clonehead]

Is that the price for the clear resin or the hs3, Doc. My hl charges $30 for hs3 or quick set mold material before the discount. After the discount and taxes, that would make it about $20

[DocOutlands]

$25.99 is on the tag of quick-set I just bought last week.  The HSIII I have was bought by mail, so no tag.

[narceron]

wow, with shipping, I'm pushing 30 bones, each tub.

How do I get my HL to carry silicone?  Is there part number I can carry to the service desk or something?

[DocOutlands]

My local HL has a wire display rack in the art dept. between the pinewood derby cars and the eXacto/Excel knives.  They carry some of the other stuff over in the soap/candlemaking aisle, too.  My advice is 1 - look down the pinewood derby aisle for the terrain-making supplies.  the Alumilite should be right there in that area.  Failing that, find the art dept. main person - NOT a floor flunkie!! - and tell them you are looking for Alumilite molding and casting material and you *know* other HLs carry it.

BTW - my HL has started carrying the Foamwerks foamcore tools.  Very nifty.

[DocOutlands]

Heck yeah!!  Just demolded some parts, about 36 hrs later.  Still some tackiness and flexing on some of the parts.  VERY LITTLE in the way of bubble issues!  That "fusion lamp" mold I've been fighting with?  This was the BEST pull of it yet!  And the solid R2 head?  Almost CRYSTALLINE! I've got everything sitting under my halogen desklamp to cure some more.

Now, issues - shrinkage and roughness on the molds.  There's a substantial amount of shrinkage as the resin cures.  The molds I make from now on WILL include a pour-reservoir to allow for shrinkage as well as for making a bigger target to pour into.  It also seems to "hold" to the molds a good deal more firmly than the other materials I've used.  I'm thinking a mold-release agent will be in order.  Plus I'll just keep the original masters handy to make new molds if/when the "clear" molds degrade.

All in all I am *very* pleased with how this run came out.