I LOVE BUILDING THE GALESBURG DEPOT... I LOVE BUILDING THE GALESBURG DEPOT... I LOVE BUILDING THE GALESBURG DEPOT... There, I feel better now. Thanks for listening. I'm done. [ 10. January 2003, 02:57: Message edited by: galesburghead2 ]
I was wearing that face today... I had ordered a new batch of CR-600 casting resin from micro-mark so I could finish my 2-8-2 project. It arrived today and I mixed up a batch, and poured it into all 28 molds I have. 70 castings total. I have been making these molds for several years and the whole lot of them were ruined by this resin. It turned into a sticky, oily, chunky mess that I cannot clean out of any of the molds. I mixed up another batch in a clean cup, and left it to harden, and it never did either. I sent them a nasty-gram, explaining my displeasure, and asking how they prefer we proceed. I want a new batch of resin, and a new batch of mold making rubber. Beware of Micro-Mark casting resins. I posted for help on the Yahoo Casting group, and was told I might try alcohol to clean the molds, so I soaked them and when I pulled to molds out, the natural oils had been removed and the molds crumbled! Some days are good, some no so good!
You have just found out that some pourable mixes are not compatible with some kinds of "rubber" molds because they react with eachother. Next, ask Micro-Mark what "rubber" mold material will they Guarantee to "work" with their pouring plastic. Preferably find out what their plastic is, then you can look on the chart and see what it is compatible with. Before I got sick from using these kinds of pourable mixtures, we found that Solo-goma rubber molds will eventually harden and become gritty in the detail surface after about 5 pours of polyurethanes. They reacted with epoxies, destroying both mold and pour material. Silastic RTV molds lasted longer and retained their elasticity when used with polyurethanes. PAM was the best mold release we found. NEVER try to make a mold from raw natural latex rubber (French rubber), it will react with the polyisocyanate (cyanide derivative) catalyst and the formaldehyde in the epoxy. The fumes given off during the cure are highly toxic and can kill in some cases! Just a word to the wise. [ 10. January 2003, 13:11: Message edited by: watash ]
Robert; "Some days you're the winshield, some days you're the bug!" ....Mary Chapin Carpenter song Hope you get some reparations from the vendor. regards / Mike
I suppose your going to show that at the next Railroad Days Model Train Show at Carl Sanborn? NICELY DONE! Brings back a few memories for me...
I'm sorry for venting everyone. The resin issue was my fault. I did not stir a full 2 minutes. I received reply from Micro-Mark instructing I stir for a full 2 minutes, so I stirred 3 to be safe. The resin cured perfectly! By the way Galesburg, that is an excellent contest quality model you have made!
Man O Man!! Wish my wife would let me work on my models on the Dining Room Table!!!! Shucks, looks like she didn't even make you put down paper on the table, while you were working on your depot. Now don't knock over the paint or glue bottle, you might be evicted to the basement. Upstairs of the house is the wive's, I've got what I want----THE BASEMENT. MARK
Thanks, but it is NOT of contest quality. It is only intended as a "good enough" model. If I could just run it around on the track, no one could see the flaws. In fact, I need to re-do parts of it. I would not want to display it in any contest! I am hoping that I can use it as part of a larger display... It was on display last year at Carl Sandburg Brent. But it was hidden a bit. I hope I'll have something to show that is more easily spotted this June... Plans from the Burlington historical group (and others) helped a lot! Now the real challenge is to model the express and restaurant buildings next to it. There are no plans (yet) for either of those. I will have to rely on pictures and ground measurements. CRIKEY! Spilled glue on the table? In the words of the politician - "I do not recall"! Bill "I love the smell of Dullcote in the morning"
