%$#@*(@+cactus

[OKLAHOMAN]

I have cast literally hundreds of cactus blanks with little to no problems. This week I cast 20 blanks and the first 3 that I turned on the upper and lower barrel I have this cloudy looking patch at the ends. For the life of me I can't think what could be the problem as I'm not doing anything different than I have in the last 3 years..It's just at the ends so my thoughts are maybe in milling but I've always milled the same with an end mill that has carbide tips attached and they were just sharpened by Paul. I can't see how they may be heating the ends but stranger things have happened. My next guess is maybe the castings are not totally cured, I cast them on Monday and the small amount of heat buildup from milling....but they are rock hard. Here is a photo of the worst of them...The glue used is 5 min epoxy.....Any ideas??????

 

[DCBluesman]

Bad epoxy? Perhaps it is not setting up right?

 

[Gary Max]

You bought the Bargain paint that doesn't like resin ?????????
DAMHIKT

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

If it was all over it could be but it's just at the ends...But if it is I have 10 all clued up and milled, 3 down 7 to go

Bad epoxy? Perhaps it is not setting up right?

Gary wish it was that easy but I used the same Testors I have for the last year. Again why just at the ends....

You bought the Bargain paint that doesn't like resin ?????????
DAMHIKT

 

[Gary Max]

They get air-????????????

 

[rjwolfe3]

Contamination of some kind?

 

[jtdesigns]

Me thinks moisture

 

[PenMan1]

Just a S.W.A.G. (scientific wild A$$ guess) here, Roy. I had a similar problem not too long ago. The cork that I use to seal the ends of the tube had been sitting out of the plastic bag they are supposed to live in. They abosrbed a lot of moisture from my shop.

I read that Oklahoma has been getting more rainfall than usual, which means higher than usual humidity. My problem was definitely humidity. If you use cork to seal off the barrels, stick a moisture meter in a few corks and see how "wet" they are.

 

[PR_Princess]

Looks like a moisture issue to me as well Roy.

 

[arioux]

Did you hold the tube this end with your bare finger for gluing. Could be contamination (read extra sweat) or something like that.

 

[bruce119]

If it's only on the ends looks like separation to me. A mill can cause this as well as over tightening the bushing or a catch. I always sand the ends also tight fitting parts can cause separation. Anything that cause the brass tube to expand the resin separates from the tube and you get a milky silvery look AIR a death sentence. It can be a BIG problem with snake skins.

That is what I think is going on anything else it wouldn't just be on the ends. Moisture bad resin anything else would be random not just on the end. Separation is much more common than most think.

That's my thoughts.

.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

After a phone call from Jeff Tate I think we narrowed it down to moisture. I buy my PR five gallons at a time and restore them in one gallon plastic gas cans. The blanks in question were in the last of one of the gallon cans and I poured 12 blanks from this PR, I poured another 8 from a fresh can and I will see today if they do the same. We're thinking the almost empty can had some moisture contaminate the PR. We'll see but to be safe I will mill the next 8 by sanding just to be safe.

 

[bruce119]

After a phone call from Jeff Tate I think we narrowed it down to moisture. I buy my PR five gallons at a time and restore them in one gallon plastic gas cans. The blanks in question were in the last of one of the gallon cans and I poured 12 blanks from this PR, I poured another 8 from a fresh can and I will see today if they do the same. We're thinking the almost empty can had some moisture contaminate the PR. We'll see but to be safe I will mill the next 8 by sanding just to be safe.

The strange thing as you mentioned is that it occurred just on the ends. If it was contamination I would think it would be random. Unless the contamination was causing pore adhesive then it would separate easier. I still say if it is only on the ends it is some type of separation.

Oh big question I should go back and read but. Was this flaw present and noticeable straight out of the mold before you touched it. If it was that would rule out a separation and if it looked good out of mold well what I said

Isn't casting fun.

Hope you get it figured out
Good luck

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

It could be anything but Operator error...

After a phone call from Jeff Tate I think we narrowed it down to moisture. I buy my PR five gallons at a time and restore them in one gallon plastic gas cans. The blanks in question were in the last of one of the gallon cans and I poured 12 blanks from this PR, I poured another 8 from a fresh can and I will see today if they do the same. We're thinking the almost empty can had some moisture contaminate the PR. We'll see but to be safe I will mill the next 8 by sanding just to be safe.

The strange thing as you mentioned is that it occurred just on the ends. If it was contamination I would think it would be random. Unless the contamination was causing pore adhesive then it would separate easier. I still say if it is only on the ends it is some type of separation.

Oh big question I should go back and read but. Was this flaw present and noticeable straight out of the mold before you touched it. If it was that would rule out a separation and if it looked good out of mold well what I said

Isn't casting fun.

Hope you get it figured out
Good luck

The moisture might be trying to seep out and that's why only at the edges, and upon real close inspection you can see a few small aeras of the same in the blank.. No they are not present before turning and really not present until the blanks is almost down to the bushings.
Yes casting is so much fun, almost as much fun as being hit by a truck sometimes...

 

[bruce119]

Yes casting is so much fun, almost as much fun as being hit by a truck sometimes...

Yea and you can see it coming at full speed

:biggrin: