Who said casting was easy??????????

[Bob Wemm]

Hi People,
Watching all you experts has created an urge in me to try some "On-tube" casting. I'm not sure that the "Urge" will continue, after having a FEW failures.
These are some of the better ones, and even these have flaws. My biggest problem is adhesion of the resin to the decorative material.
I did attempt a variety of pre-finishes before the casts, and I think that there may have been a heat problem with some of them when finishing??:redface:
The effect I was trying to achieve could not be done, the material had fabulous refraction while flat but as soon as it was wrapped around the tube most of the refraction was lost. However one of the Sierra pens did work. photos 5 and 6 are the same pen.

I would really like to have some feed back, please.

C & C welcome, and thanks for looking.

Bob.

 

[teamtexas]

Welcome to my hell! I'm in the same boat. I have given it a rest for now, had too many christmas projects to get done. I think I will try my PR tube casting again once I make a pressure vessel.

Dan

 

[its_virgil]

Bob,
What resin are you using? What pre-finishes have you used?
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Bob Wemm]

Don,
Sorry, I should have said what I used.
The Resin is "Clear casting Polyester Resin".
I attached the material, and stamps to the tubes with a re-positional spray adhesive called Micador.
The pre-finish was a CA coating. Some were buffed with white diamond and others were not buffed.

Bob.

 

[its_virgil]

Bob,
Here is what I can tell you. I have cast stamps and I attached them with a product called ModPodge which is a decoupage glue. I coated the stamps with thin CA. I allowed the ModPodge to dry for a couple of days prior to the CA coating. I also allowed the CA to cure and outgas for a couple of days also. Getting a good adhesion to the tubes is important. I have not buffed the CA coating. I have also used the ModPodge to coat stamps instead of CA. Both worked well but the CA seemed to work better for me. Others have had good results with ModPodge.

When using labels I only use Avery labels. Other brands seem not to work as well for me. Good adhesion here is important as is allowing the label adhesive to have a day or two to dry and cure. Be sure the seam (over lap, not butt joint) is tightly sealed together. Ink jet printer, not laser, is the one to use letting the ink dry for a day or two. I do not use a pre-finish over printed labels. Others do…I do not. I use 3 drops of MEKP per ounce of resin and I sometime cure the casting in a toaster oven and sometimes I do not. I do preheat my resin to about 110-120 degrees and allow air escape prior to adding the MEKP.

I know your frustration. I have been there and still get unusable castings. Good luck and I hope some of this info proves helpful.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[mikespenturningz]

Nice job on these Bob. You have been very busy!

 

[robutacion]

Hi People,
Watching all you experts has created an urge in me to try some "On-tube" casting. I'm not sure that the "Urge" will continue, after having a FEW failures.
These are some of the better ones, and even these have flaws. My biggest problem is adhesion of the resin to the decorative material.
I did attempt a variety of pre-finishes before the casts, and I think that there may have been a heat problem with some of them when finishing??:redface:
The effect I was trying to achieve could not be done, the material had fabulous refraction while flat but as soon as it was wrapped around the tube most of the refraction was lost. However one of the Sierra pens did work. photos 5 and 6 are the same pen.

I would really like to have some feed back, please.

C & C welcome, and thanks for looking.

Bob.

Hummmm, I wonder from where you got the casting "urges" from...???:wink::biggrin:

You are doing some great work with your pens, how would tell a "mad" bowls turner would find pen turning and pen blank making so interesting...!

I keep looking at your attempts to get that reflective material to show after casting, you obviously did something right on pen in pic 5 & 6 not to disclose some of the other pens that show some amazing colourations but, and as you said, that Sierra barrel seem to be the closest to what you are looking to achieve and while I keep looking, I don't know much about the workability of that material you use, and I wonder, what can be interfering with the reflective capabilities.

In the top of my head, I can only remember one blank/pen barrel that I done using a reflective material of some sort, we both use the same resin and I seem to have had very acceptable results with that blank so, I tend to believe that, this resin quality is clear enough to allow crystal clear results, I tend to believe that, the coating of this reflective material of yours, is affected by the coating before casting, or that coating is messing up the PR surface that comes in contact with it.

I had recently someone asking me if I could demonstrate how crystal clear this resin we use is, and if can be cast with some wood embedded in without a pressure pot and have no bubbles.

My response was that I knew it would be crystal clear but, even tough bubbles and this resin hasn't been a big issue, without pressurization, is a great possibility that some bubbles will be trapped in the resin and this many little bubbles would form on the wood surface, that was exactly the results I had on this test...!

This is a round cast at about 35mm or 1"1/2 diameter, and some of my She-Bull/Oak wood, and theses are the results;



Crystal clear...?? yes, the resin can do it, that is half of the problem in many see trough castings so, is definitely not the resin clarity, something else is the problem, and that, I'm not sure what it is, sorry..!

Cheers
George

 

[Bob Wemm]

Bob,
Here is what I can tell you. I have cast stamps and I attached them with a product called ModPodge which is a decoupage glue. I coated the stamps with thin CA. I allowed the ModPodge to dry for a couple of days prior to the CA coating. I also allowed the CA to cure and outgas for a couple of days also. Getting a good adhesion to the tubes is important. I have not buffed the CA coating. I have also used the ModPodge to coat stamps instead of CA. Both worked well but the CA seemed to work better for me. Others have had good results with ModPodge.

When using labels I only use Avery labels. Other brands seem not to work as well for me. Good adhesion here is important as is allowing the label adhesive to have a day or two to dry and cure. Be sure the seam (over lap, not butt joint) is tightly sealed together. Ink jet printer, not laser, is the one to use letting the ink dry for a day or two. I do not use a pre-finish over printed labels. Others do…I do not. I use 3 drops of MEKP per ounce of resin and I sometime cure the casting in a toaster oven and sometimes I do not. I do preheat my resin to about 110-120 degrees and allow air escape prior to adding the MEKP.

I know your frustration. I have been there and still get unusable castings. Good luck and I hope some of this info proves helpful.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Hi Don,
Thank you for that info. Much appreciated.

Bob.

 

[Bob Wemm]

Hi People,
Watching all you experts has created an urge in me to try some "On-tube" casting. I'm not sure that the "Urge" will continue, after having a FEW failures.
These are some of the better ones, and even these have flaws. My biggest problem is adhesion of the resin to the decorative material.
I did attempt a variety of pre-finishes before the casts, and I think that there may have been a heat problem with some of them when finishing??:redface:
The effect I was trying to achieve could not be done, the material had fabulous refraction while flat but as soon as it was wrapped around the tube most of the refraction was lost. However one of the Sierra pens did work. photos 5 and 6 are the same pen.

I would really like to have some feed back, please.

C & C welcome, and thanks for looking.

Bob.

Hummmm, I wonder from where you got the casting "urges" from...???:wink::biggrin:

You are doing some great work with your pens, how would tell a "mad" bowls turner would find pen turning and pen blank making so interesting...!

I keep looking at your attempts to get that reflective material to show after casting, you obviously did something right on pen in pic 5 & 6 not to disclose some of the other pens that show some amazing colourations but, and as you said, that Sierra barrel seem to be the closest to what you are looking to achieve and while I keep looking, I don't know much about the workability of that material you use, and I wonder, what can be interfering with the reflective capabilities.

In the top of my head, I can only remember one blank/pen barrel that I done using a reflective material of some sort, we both use the same resin and I seem to have had very acceptable results with that blank so, I tend to believe that, this resin quality is clear enough to allow crystal clear results, I tend to believe that, the coating of this reflective material of yours, is affected by the coating before casting, or that coating is messing up the PR surface that comes in contact with it.

I had recently someone asking me if I could demonstrate how crystal clear this resin we use is, and if can be cast with some wood embedded in without a pressure pot and have no bubbles.

My response was that I knew it would be crystal clear but, even tough bubbles and this resin hasn't been a big issue, without pressurization, is a great possibility that some bubbles will be trapped in the resin and this many little bubbles would form on the wood surface, that was exactly the results I had on this test...!

This is a round cast at about 35mm or 1"1/2 diameter, and some of my She-Bull/Oak wood, and theses are the results;

View attachment 107075 View attachment 107076 View attachment 107077 View attachment 107078 View attachment 107079

Crystal clear...?? yes, the resin can do it, that is half of the problem in many see trough castings so, is definitely not the resin clarity, something else is the problem, and that, I'm not sure what it is, sorry..!

Cheers
George

Hi George,
Yeah, there is not a real problem with the resin, just got a bit too hot when sanding, and that caused the slight "Craze/fractures" in some of them.
The loss of refraction happens when the material is bent around the tube. I didn't notice that on the first batch which has fibres in it. The stuff I used in No's 5 & 6 does not loose the effect. So if I do any more I will be using that material.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bob.

 

[OZturner]

Bob, I know with your perseverance you will get the process right, and those blanks will look Awesome.
It obviously is a big learning curve, and one not easily obtained from Books, Tutorials, or Articles.
It needs your hands on approach, Trial and Terror, tempered with the guidance offered from your IAP experts.
Please keep us informed of your progress.
Regards,
Brian.

 

[Bob Wemm]

I thought Forum this was about helping each other.

Bob.

 

[robutacion]

I thought Forum this was about helping each other.

Bob.

Oh...! OK..! so, something upsetted you, what is it, Bob...???

Cheers
George