rattlehead
starting to spend too much on rocks
MI Rocks
Member since December 2010
Posts: 213
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Post by rattlehead on Mar 10, 2013 0:18:51 GMT -5
Here is a link to some pics of the box mold. It wasn't perfect, but did a half-way good job. I have since bought some stainless steel half sphere cake molds and drilled a one inch hole in one. I pack each one with the glass rock and then flip one over on the other with a glass mirror holding the rocks in place while I position the one half on top of the other. I then slowly pull the mirror out and duct tape the two halves together to prevent leakage as they don't fit super snuggly. The resin is then poured through the top hole. I don't have any pics of this yet. The cake molds are the 6 inch size. My culinary silicon rubber mold is a 4 inch model that cost me a whopping $98! A 5.75 inch silicon mold would cost $275, so I went with the $12 cake mold solution instead. Best tip I can give is to make sure the resin is mixed properly! The box mold worked nice, but I don't have a big enough saw to make the extra cuts needed. I had to hack the hell out of it to get the pre-form to tumble right in my sphere machine. www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.473556582693847.111073.275374052512102&type=1
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Post by NatureNut on Mar 10, 2013 8:29:59 GMT -5
Wow, how stinkin' cool! Worth the effort I'd say. Jo
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Post by Jugglerguy on Mar 10, 2013 8:48:24 GMT -5
Nice pictures of your process, Rattlehead. I checked out the other pictures of your spheres while I was on your Facebook page. I love that display case full of spheres.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2013 15:22:11 GMT -5
coooolio concepts. Good for you!
If you really worry about air bubbles you can get a paint pressure tank and a vacuum pump. Put the still wet mold into the chamber and pull vacuum, the bubbles will grow and come out of the plastic. One cycle is all you will need. Viola... bubble free casts!
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usaret
having dreams about rocks
Member since October 2012
Posts: 52
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Post by usaret on Mar 14, 2013 0:29:49 GMT -5
Wow,those are really nice.
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Post by Noosh9057 on Mar 14, 2013 5:57:34 GMT -5
Very nice. They look very cool.
Roger
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 15, 2013 11:08:09 GMT -5
Gorgeous!!! Wow! The pictures are fabulous, too. You have a talent for taking pictures. The red sphere picture is coffee table book worthy.
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