Alumilite questions

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WHartman

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I turned my first alumilite blanks the other day and absolutely love the stuff.. it turns great and threads so easily that now I'm hooked... so now I have a few questions before I jump in and buy a bunch more stuff.

Approximately how many blanks can you get from a gallon?

Also, is there any problems with using PVC under pressure? Do the molds come out without using a demolder product?

I remember seeing someones design using PVC and two circles with holes drilled in it to hold the PVC, as a type of cradle to put in a pot, but for the life of me I can't find it now.

Thanks,
Wade
 
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Are you talking about Alumilite Clear, Alumilite White, or Alumilite Black? The Clear is very different thatn the Black or White when it comes to turning, polishing, and threading.

I don't have an answer off the top of my head (although I should) about blanks per gallon.

Alumilite doesn't expand/shink while curing like PR does, so it is difficult to get out of rigid cylindrical molds (such as baby soda bottles, pvc pipe, and ice cube molds). I'd only recommend flexible (silicone) tapered (tray) molds, or molds that disassemble.

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
Sylvanite said:
Are you talking about Alumilite Clear, Alumilite White, or Alumilite Black? The Clear is very different thatn the Black or White when it comes to turning, polishing, and threading.

I don't have an answer off the top of my head (although I should) about blanks per gallon.

Alumilite doesn't expand/shink while curing like PR does, so it is difficult to get out of rigid cylindrical molds (such as baby soda bottles, pvc pipe, and ice cube molds). I'd only recommend flexible (silicone) tapered (tray) molds, or molds that disassemble.

I hope that helps,
Eric
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Eric. Ya know, I'm not sure if the blank was Alumilite Clear with black ink or if it was Alumilite black... I got them from Exotic Blanks. Hows the difference between the clear and the black? I kinda assumed that it would turn the same. Does the clear thread as easy as the black, which threaded way better than PR... for me at least.

Wade
 
Was it one of EB's "opaque alumilite blanks"? If so, then it may be one that I poured and if so, it's made from RC3 black. The Black and White resins are quite different than the Clear. They turn, polish, and thread much easier.

Regards,
Eric
 
How many blanks per gal depends on the size of the blanks and how exact you can pour each blank or block of blanks everytime you pour.
If you use PVC pipe and cork one end(cork wraped in cellophane), a wooden dowel and a hammer will knock it right out of the mold. Although you do not need a mold release, it would me much easier.
Thanks, Gary
 
Thanks for the responses guys.

Eric, it was a dense opaque black, casted by Fred Wissen...I would suspect that it was the RC3 resin. It turned like butter...

Sully.. Thanks for the link to youtube... I hand't seen that one before.

Gary... Thanks for the info about the hammer and dowel... I'm looking to be casting anywhere between 6" to 9" at about 3/4".

Wade.
 
WHartman said:
Approximately how many blanks can you get from a gallon?
Click to expand...

There are some handy calculators on line to convert from volume to lquid oz. So if you are using 3/4 schedule 40 pvc, the nominal ID = 0.814". If you wanted blanks 5" long then the volume would be 2.6 cu in. Since Alumilite takes 0.554 oz / cu in, then one blank would take approx 1.44 oz.

Obviously one needs to account for waste, but the 1gallon kit from Alumilite is actually 2 gallons (1 gallon each for the A and B sides) and would yield approximately 170 - 175 blanks if you pour them approximately 5" full.
 
Chevota Guy said:
There are some handy calculators on line to convert from volume to lquid oz. So if you are using 3/4 schedule 40 pvc, the nominal ID = 0.814". If you wanted blanks 5" long then the volume would be 2.6 cu in. Since Alumilite takes 0.554 oz / cu in, then one blank would take approx 1.44 oz.

Obviously one needs to account for waste, but the 1gallon kit from Alumilite is actually 2 gallons (1 gallon each for the A and B sides) and would yield approximately 170 - 175 blanks if you pour them approximately 5" full.
Click to expand...

I ordered two 32oz alumilite bottles and received a total of four 16oz bottles counting part A and B so you mean I should have received 8 16oz bottles? This is the second time I buy alumilite so I'm new to this.
 
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