I was wondering if anyone knows how to make resin dies? It seems as though a lot of people make there own stuff so I would assume that it's not to difficult to do but I have no clue how or where to start. I have some body shells I would love to cast.
Try here http://www.alumilite.com/index.php?page=info&type=HOWS There's a whole heap of info out there, google resin casting and you'll spend hours looking at everything
I've seen resin dies for low production injection molding. I think your looking for RTV rubber for molds. Another site is www.smoothon.com Kel
I use RTV that I order from Micromark. They also sell resin, coloring, mold release, talc powder and other supplies. Once I got into it I found I had lots of bubbles so eventually invested in a paint pot to use as a pressure vessel for curing both RTV and resin castings.
Just DON'T use the Allumilite. It's soft, short shelf life and WAY to exspensive. The two I like the best is: Hyperlast - http://www.hyperlastna.com Smooth-On - http://www.smooth-on.com/default.htm
I'll second that! Alumilite's own silicone rubber has a shelf life of one year once cast and the quantity you get is far less than the others. Smooth-on has tin cured silicones that will last many years...but you will have to mix by weight not volume which requires an accurate scale.
I've been doing a lot of casting over the last year and have introduced three different kits. I've started with Micro-Mark products, and with some changes, have stayed there. I've now made several hundred parts. I started with the two-part latex (the blue stuff) which is really easy to use, but is subject to rapid mold degradation from tear-outs. After about 10 pieces or so, things begin to break down. I was spending an inordinate amout of time in mold repair. I changed over to the high-strength 10:1 stuff this fall. That requires precision scales to control the weights, but is worth it. I've had minimal mold damage ever since. It is thicker, and more prone to bubbling, so the molds had to be redesigned to keep the part surface 'down' at all times so tha any bubbles drift up and away. I've been scratchbuilding for years, and designing masters is another step above that. You have to figure out how the molds will be made, how the material will flow, and where bubbles will trap, before you ever design a part. Some things are REALLY hard. A simple, stupid, part like the headlight on the 18-ton Climax had to have the master redesigned twice and is now on the fourth set of molds. NOW I get 100% good parts. I also went to the hypodermic-type of fibreglass boat repair syringes to pressure inject the resin. That was a huge breakthrough.
