Ultrasonic Mixing

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DurocShark

DurocShark

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I keep picturing my little ultrasonic cleaner being full of permanently stuck on resin.

Those of you that use the method, do you put the resin in a container and then in the mixer loaded with water?
 
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DurocShark said:
I keep picturing my little ultrasonic cleaner being full of permanently stuck on resin.

Those of you that use the method, do you put the resin in a container and then in the mixer loaded with water?
Click to expand...

I stop at the supermarket once a week and 'beg' for a few of the containers
that they sell potato salad, macaroni salad etc. in. They'll sell me 20 for
about a buck (depending on who is working that day) They make great
mixing containers. And yes, you put them in the water bath. The ultrasonic
actually does a decent job getting rid of bubbles.

IF you're mixing colors, you'd want something large enough to pour one
color on top of the other. I find that used Glad or TakeAlong containers
work well, but you can't fit two in at once.

But if you can find the hard, clear plastic cups .. the short ones so that
you can dig in there with a popsicle stick, that will fit in as a second
container if you're mixing colors.

A few lessons I've learned:

1) Do NOT leave resin in the hard plastic cups in the ultrasonic. It will
eat through the plastic and you will have the scenario you described.
I put two containers of colored resin in there and then realized at the
last minute that I couldn't find my MEKP.. I had taken it home. I knew
that the tupperware container I was using would be OK but I forgot about
the plastic cup.

Fortunately, the inside of the ultrasonic is metal. It cleaned right up with
acetone.

2) Do not leave the cover on if it is full of water. The condensation will
drip down into your resin. alumilite does not like this. Empty the reservoir
after use or leave the cover open so that the water does not condense
on the cover.

3) resin mixed with MEKP and put into the warm bath kicks very quickly..
.. I lost a batch today because it gelled before I could mix the two colors.
The red was fine, but the black was off to the races..
 
go to wal-mart......or your local grocer. look in the area where they keep their 'canning' supplies. amoung the glas jars and lids, they sell plastic jars as well. small ones and larger one. that's the only container i use in mixing and pouring. the resin doesn't begin to eat away at it.....and if you leave your stir stick (popsicle stick) in the cup after you're done.....once the remining resin in the bottom sets up, pull it out with the stick. i have several cups.....i use one for each color, that way i don't have to be sooooo peticular as to full cleanup.....they're cheap as well....
 
I use glass jars from the kitchen...jelly, peanut butter, salsa, etc. I don't trust plastic (hard or soft) cups any more...too may failed. The resin goes into the jar and the jar into the ultrasonic cleaner water bath...hot tap water and the cleaner's heater is turned on. I really like the results I'm getting with warmed resin.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

DurocShark said:
I keep picturing my little ultrasonic cleaner being full of permanently stuck on resin.

Those of you that use the method, do you put the resin in a container and then in the mixer loaded with water?
Click to expand...
 
I just use my regular prep, but do a rough mix, dip the cup into the water in the cleaner, run it for 30-60 seconds (more for PR, less for Alumilite)., pull it out, stir some more, and then continue with my regular routine.

If using alumilite, don't have it in long at all if you've already mixed the 2 parts.
As I mentioned in another thread even with room temp water it seems to speed up the gel process.

And as someone else mentioned, if using PR don't use the cheap plastic cups.
I had one cut through in <30sec.

I usually hold the cup to make sure it doesn't tip over. (the water's high enough and there's not a lot of resin in the cup so it floats). So keeping the lid on isn't an option.
 
I don't know which "cheap" plastic cups anyone is buying but if they don't have the recycling codes 1(PET), 2(HDPE) or 5(PP) then you shouldn't be taking a chance with them anyway. Polyester resin will disolve all of the other cheap plastic cups that are not a RC 1, 2 or 5.
 
Cheap plastic ones work just fine for Epoxy resin.

Just when you have both epoxy and PR (and alumilite) you have to be careful to be sure you grab the right kind of cup.

Maybe I should add that Recycling code to my notes
 
Don, I get these little graduated paper cups off Ebay for cheap (perfect for measuring), and they happen to fit perfectly into the red plastic cups from Costco. When I first started casting, I never read where those just plain red plastic cups would burn through, and I had the bottom fall out of one inside my cleaner. Like Charlie said, acetone will clean it fine, but what a pain.

Hey, by the way, Cindy Drozda is presenting next Tuesday night at FRW. Let me know if you're coming, I'll show you around!

Dale
 
I'll check with the boss and see if I can make it.

I discovered something this week. RC6 cups somehow contribute to the demold stickiness. I was using the last of my plastic cups and at the same time I used a waxwd paper cup for a different color. The cast mixed in the paper cup had no stickiness. The cast mixed in the plastic was typically sticky.

I have no idea why this would be, and a single event does not a trend make, but it would explain much.
 
RC 6 is polystyrene. Polystyrene is disolved by the styrene solvent in polyester resin. So you are changing/contaminating your resin with the plastic from the cup.
 

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