Reworking the Mold PART 2

Side View of reworked mold with old mold cured to it.

 When I first started casting, it was mentioned to me that some people have been experimenting recycling their old molds.  Grinding them up and reworking it in with fresh silicone to help 'a' recycle and 'b' cut down on costs.

This is something I have been wanting to try, but without a method to grind up the silicone I wasn't sure how.

Reworked mold with old mold cured to it.

Then I became concerned chunks of silicone would trap air against the piece being molded.  So I had been toying with the idea of using only a thin layer of fresh silicone followed by a thicker layer of recycled and reworked silicone.  With no effective grinder, there was no way to try...

I JUST LOVE LEGO.   Lego provides a standard.  It gives one a way to remake the mold frame to exactly the same  dimensions EVERY time. 

Picture of reworked mold

The urethane is very hard on this mold.  I am asking a little "tit" less than 1/16" in diameter to resist being pulled out of a small hole.  Well that "tit" ripped out again.  I have 4 chest canopies left to make...then it hit me.  I am almost out of silicone and I didn't have enough to make a nice beefy mold.  But I did have other crapped out molds I wasn't using.  So I poured some fresh silicone to remake the 2nd half of the mold again.  But the layer was thin.  I am almost out.  Then I grabbed an old worn out mold made with a LEGO frame that has the exact same dimensions and seated it on top of the fresh silicone and let the 2 cure to each other.

 This is NOW, the top of the mold.  Not the casting cavity.

It worked.  I have beefed up the mold using one of my old worn out molds.  This is a VERY cool discovery for me.  Very Cool.

Reworking a Mold

Well what I suspected was going to happen...happened.  All of my molds held up and I should be able to make a few more quite easily...except for the Chest Canopy Mold.  Urethane is so hard on the molds.

One of the advantages to using a pressure pot is that the pressure forces the silicone into all the little nooks and crannies.  The back of the chest canopy has a small hole for the screw to tighten it on.  The silicone even gets into this hole and if you can believe it even molds the threads inside the hole.  Well the urethane plays murder on the mold and after 9 Clear chest canopies, the little "tit" that makes the hole, tore off.

I was a little put out and then I thought about it.  Only HALF of the mold is trashed.  Not the entire mold.  So I put the Chest canopy back into the good half of the mold and made sure it was seated properly and firmly.  Then I poured silicone over it.  It worked.  Hmmm...I have a second mold...same problem.  So I tried it again.  And again it worked.  So now I have 2 molds to use and 8 canopies left to make.  So 4 from each mold.  For the second mold however, I didn't put the head or drill back into the mold so the silicone filled up those spaces and took on their form.  It just makes for a more firm mold lock is all.  The molds with the hole in them with the little "tit" inside it are the reworked molds.  The ones on the top are still in good shape, so there was no need to remake the entire mold.  Thankfully...I am almost out of silicone.

I am only making a small amount of resin, but with 1 mold I still had lots of resin left over.  So I didn't want to waste it.  I will be making a separate post for this, but I now have quite a few sets of Clear Pharoid Wings and also some Blue Pharoid wings that will be for sale shortly.

Reworking the mold is only possible if you can reseat the original piece perfectly.  Otherwise the pressure will force the silicone into whatever airspace is there and create an extra thin layer of silicone around your piece you are using to make the mold.  This 'flap' or thin layer of silicone will play havoc on your finished cast.  If the 'flap' comes out, it will make your cast now out of true shape and it will be thicker and bigger.

8 more chest canopies to go...then full bore assembly.  :~)  YEAH!!!!

Clear Chest Canopy

The instructions on this particular urethane resin says demold in 90 minutes.   Maybe on paper that might be true.  After making quite a few figures using this urethane, that it is still too soft.  This chest canopy is really incredibly small.  Yet at 4 1/2 hours it is just acceptable for me to consider demolding it.  Otherwise I will have to hang it.  Because if I put it down anywhere, it will develop a flat spot.  It could also sag if hung.  I find the magic number to safely remove from the mold using this urethane resin is 6 hours.  But 4 and 1/2 hours seems to be okay for these chest canopy's.

I remember the first clear magno heads I made.  I was so impressed with myself because it looked really good.  So I took it out of the mold and put it safely down.  Went to look at it a few hours later and there was a huge flat spot on the back of the head from where it had been resting.

On a side note, I have started trimming up the boots.  Taking off the flash, trimming up the lines and drilling the boots for a 5 mm stand.  Sorry I am not providing a stand, but I am sure most people have at least 1 from the Palisades line.  I should have the boots done by monday.  Then I will do the thighs and torso's.  I could quite possibly have all the legs done and riveted by next weekend.  Then comes drilling out the chest piece.  Head, 2 arms, torso and back.   5 holes have to be drilled in it.  5 MM.  I do these all by hand.  I start with a small drill and work my way up.  It takes longer, but its more accurate.  If I accidentally am off center I have several drill bit sizes I can still go through to bring it back inline.  Oh yeah...several weeks worth of work yet.  Easily.

The MICRONAUT Alphabet and Numerical Designations

I was going through my picture files when I came across this.  I had forgotten I had it.  Now that its dug up, if anyone has any information on its origin I would love to hear from you.

Homeworlds Cover page Features the Micronaut Alphabet and Numbering Designations.  To the best of my knowledge no one has determined any kind of pronunciations for any of the letters or numbers.  I wonder if the CIA has this in their code breaker system? 

At the top of the Chart are some of the written characters which actually does say something.  Unless I am mistaken it says, " In the Name of Enigma-Peace"  or something to that effect.  Its a loose translation.  :~)

This lettering system is the same lettering that adorns the Force Commander head Sculpt and Base that was available almost 15 years ago though a Micronaut chat site called Micro Talk.  It is also on the extremely rare Dark Assassin.

Even though you cant speak it...it's still fun to screw up family members by mailing them letters written in this format.  :~)

Modified Pressure Pot

Its one thing to explain this.  Its another to show you.  1picture = 1000 words.

Metal wear on the lid from lid clamps

The clamps that hold down the lid are made of cheap pot metal.  But they are metal.  And when you tighten the clamps, the metal against metal marks up and damages the lid.  Eventually, you will wear through the lid.  This pressure pot is normally close to $200.  I would hate to have to buy one every couple of years.

New threaded Pin for clamps

This is what I was describing earlier.  The clamps I have on my lid are a 10 mm x 1.5mm thread pitch.  So I took some aluminum bronze and machined it to 10 mm in diameter and then I machined a 1.5 thread pitch on the length of bar I just machined.  This bar will replace the threads on the lid clamps.

The threaded bar that will replace the clamp threads

Here is the length of threaded Aluminum bronze I made that will replace the threads on the lid clamps.

Clamp threads replaced with spring pin installed

First I cut the threads off  of the butterflies. Next I drill a 8.5 mm (tap drill size equals diameter minus the pitch.  It's easier in metric because in Imperial you have to convert the fraction to decimal form and then you are working with 3-4 decimal places instead of whole numbers.).  Then I put some lock tite on the threads and thread it into the butterfly.  Then I drill a 1/8" hole in the butterfly in a position that is right in the middle of both the threaded aluminum bronze bar and the butterfly.  Next I install a 1/8 spring pin.

Finished Clamp with new threads

The aluminum bronze is soft.  Its a cheaper viable option to brass.  The reason I did this is that now, the threaded aluminum bronze will mushroom.  We want this to happen.  Because it is softer it will mushroom and wear instead of the pressure pot lid.  When the threaded aluminum bronze  becomes too mushroomed and no longer works, I will punch out the spring pin and replace the threaded aluminum bronze pins and drill a hole in the same place through the new aluminum bronze threaded pin and reinstall the spring pin.

Close up of finished clamp

Now I realize not everyone has a lathe to machine the 10 mm x 1.5 pitch or whatever thread pitch your lid clamps may be.  You might be able to get some brass  bolts or cap screws.  You can use these just as well.  You just need to cut off the head of the cap screw or bolt. It took me 1 hour to drill and tap the holes, install the new threaded pins and drill and install the spring pins.  All in all a couple of hours and our pressure pot should now live longer than we will.  :~)

And if worst comes to worst, you cant find the parts or you don't feel comfortable doing this...drop me a line at gold_dober@yahoo.com   I'll do it for you for a VERY reasonable price. 

Now the only thing on our pot that will need replacing is the seal every so often.

Washing LEGO

After using the LEGO a few times to make molds, they do get dirty.  Some of the clay sticks.  Some of the silicone gets into the inside.  Plus you have the sealer mold release that leave traces as well.  How do you clean it up?

In regards to the silicone, you basically rub and pick it out.  For the clay, sealer and mold release,  your best bet is to just wash it. 

I have heard stories from others about various methods of washing LEGO.  The one that sticks out the most is when someone put their LEGO through the dishwasher.  Even tho LEGO is injection molded, it is still plastic.  At about 170 F it starts to melt.   212 F is the boiling point of water.  And if steam is achieved, it can get reach even higher temperatures.  If you use boiling hot water, you will warp all your LEGO. 

The best way is to hand wash them in warm soapy water.

Modifying The Pressure Pot

I'm cheap.  I wear a $35 pair of runners till they fall apart.  I got a great deal on the pressure pot.  And I know things don't last.  I guess its a matter of personal position where you stand on this post.

Before you do something, you have to ask...Is it worth it?  Do I spend the time/effort to make something last or do I just go out and buy another one and throw the old one out?  I prefer to milk what I have till it turns to dust.

So I modify my pressure pot.  Not the design, I basically replace certain parts.  If you rub steel on steel, eventually it will wear.  That's why I put coppercote on the threads that lock down the lid.  To keep the threads from binding.  But when you lock down the lid, the lid top gets marked up.  So we replace the thread.  Drill out the handles.  Tap them the same size as the threads that lock down the lid.  We use Aluminum Ready rod.  Cut it to length.  Thread it into the handle.  Then you drill through the handle AND the screwed in Aluminum Ready Rod and in that hole you install a spring pin.  This allows for 2 things.  It secures the Ready Rod from coming out and it also allows for you to be able to simply knock the pin out and install a new Threaded bar when this one gives out.  We use Aluminum because then it wears and doesn't gall the lid.  This helps the lid to last longer.  Coppercote the new threads and you're ready to go.

Now like I said, I paid $ 70 on sale for my pressure pot.  Its regularly closer to about $150-$200.  And in just over a year I have had to do maintenance.  So I figure 2-3 years to the pressure pot without preventative maintenance. 

Some of you might choose to just buy a new one.  I'm cheap.

REIDEEN WARBIRDS

Well I think they are Warbirds.  Its Japanese Anime.  There are 5 different figures that turn into birds similar to the Micronauts Red Falcon.

The Warbirds have a great deal of chrome and are extremely detailed.  They are very nice figures...EXCEPT...

These are not toys.  They are not designed to withstand play.  Like the MP Megatron, they are top heavy and want to lean forward.  If you have new figures this is not a problem.  They are nice and tight.  I would not want to own these figures if they were played with.  Once they loosen up they become like marionettes with cut strings.  No stability. 

They are also not meant to be played with.  They are not as durable as the Micronaut Magnos.  They are sturdy, yet delicate.  They are meant to be posed and displayed.

They are roughly the same size as magno figures.  I'll take some pictures tomorrow.  I need more natural light.  With all the chrome, they reflect the flash and show up either in a different color or very dark.

All in all, I like these figures very much.  Im very glad I bought them and glad they are nice and tight.  The boxes come with display windows in them.  I may just display them like that.  You dont get to see the whole figure, but it sure looks cool.