I will sacrifice one of my pairs if you want to try...I am not sold on the material of the V3 being the right material for a sock toe though. I have some bubbling of the material along the toe box crease line. It shows how the upper material is separating from the backing. But, it seems too thin. I am game either way.
Nike Mag Replica V3 Modding/Customization/Power Laces
- Thread starter Nzfly
- Start date
I will sacrifice one of my pairs if you want to try...I am not sold on the material of the V3 being the right material for a sock toe though. I have some bubbling of the material along the toe box crease line. It shows how the upper material is separating from the backing. But, it seems too thin. I am game either way.
Pictures please. What materials did you use? What was the likely hangup?
I have another batch of magnets on their way from KJ, and I am reasonably confident they are what I will use. I will attempt to mock up a fully functional one once received. It will be next week before I will have a chance.
cavx
Master Member
3D model as on the computer. I deleted it because it was annoying me so much.
What I was trying to see was how the laces would work in 3D space. I guess it is back to "real world" models.
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I'll wait until I have mine in hand. Not long now (I hope).
cavx
Master Member
I think that would be fine for mock ups.
cavx
Master Member
Yeah wow. Is it me, or does Tinker and Tiff look like a couple now?
I thought that total including the lottery. Reading that again, that NYC pair actually got $200K!
The HK pair went for $104K, the UK pair fetched $56K and then there was the lotto tickets. Not a bad effort.
They didn't have to make 1500 pair this time and people got to win them for as little as $30.
That is an absurd price to pay when ONLY buying shoes. Those prices are more reflective of the contribution to the charity and the shoes were just a bonus.
I had an annual fishing trip and am finally getting back in the rhythm of things. I plan to prototype up the laces later this weekend.
Today at work, I mocked up my first mold ever. Any suggestions/criticisms are absolutely welcome!
I was a bit confused when making the vent. So any thoughts about it would help me settle on a final method.
I had an annual fishing trip and am finally getting back in the rhythm of things. I plan to prototype up the laces later this weekend.
Today at work, I mocked up my first mold ever. Any suggestions/criticisms are absolutely welcome!
I was a bit confused when making the vent. So any thoughts about it would help me settle on a final method.
I was replicating WizardBTTF molds he shared in the V3 thread. I saw your open molds too. Am I wrong to believe the pressure pot needs a two part mold?
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cavx
Master Member
Not really. Pressure pots simply create a stable environment for the resin to cure properly. I recently acquired a very expensive rigid polyurethane and even though it was fully degassed before the pour, created bubbles over night due to a change in atmospheric pressure. It needed a pressure pot to cure bubble free.
Even as a 2 part mold, using the stuff I use, I'd make the mold flat or 45 degrees max. The stuff I have just does not flow well unless you add pigment. Then it pours much better. So I use the same rubber for soles and buckles, but I tint the buckles. The buckles are made in a 2 part mold and no real problems.
thatguyz
Member
This project is very impressive. Did you ever get a chance to prototype the laces? It will be very cool to see.
Hi - In a short answer, no. I had life get in the way while I was busy making plans
. I was only able to fool around with the mold because that stuff was sitting on my desk at work and I could play with it during downtime. I had a fishing trip one week, then roped into a large contract proposal the returning week, and I was just inundated with mandatory family fun time called thanksgiving. I would like to believe I will turn something out this week, life permitting.
cavx
Master Member
My sincerest apologies. I will make it up to you.
Well, I mixed up some silicone and poured the first half of the mold today. I learned quite a bit too!
I used some of the platinum cure Ecoflex 00-30. There is not a colorant in either the A or B, so knowing when it was completely mixed was not very precise. I have a suspicion I did not mix it thoroughly. I used the Smooth-On calculator to estimate the amount of silicone to use. I degassed the mixture, still in the mixing/measuring cup, in the vacuum chamber. That process went amazingly well. The bubbles collapsed, and as one of my employees said, "It is like popping popcorn." The bubbles grow to a crescendo and taper off substantially. Ease Release 200 was applied to the mold box per the directions. I poured the mix into the mold box. At the end of the pour, lots of little bubbles were created. This was despite "bombing" the pour. I suspect it would have been better to have not poured all of the mix and avoided the tiny bubbles. Which brings me to my next moment of stupidity...
I stuck the whole mold box into the vacuum chamber to remove the little bubbles. Yeah, well, huh...There is LOTS of air trapped in Playdoh!!!!!! It was never ending, the bubbles kept boiling over. It is clear the bubbles were not from the pour, and the degassing of the mix vs the volume of bubbles observed requires the bubbles came from the Playdoh or the foam core I used. There was a significant gap of any bubbles immediately above the sole part, and I am inclined to believe it was the Playdoh. I decided to stop the degassing when the bubbles never seemed to subside. The mold was allowed to sit for 5-10 with the vacuum seal intact. Then, I slowly released the seal and allowed the mold to cure. The bubbles are not visible, and time will tell what the surface quality of the mold will be like when I separate everything. I do not have high hopes.
There is a visible discoloration to the silicone as it is curing. It sort of appears milky. Do any of you masters know if this is from not mixing it thoroughly or possibly from crap being released from the Playdoh when degassing the second time through?
I used some of the platinum cure Ecoflex 00-30. There is not a colorant in either the A or B, so knowing when it was completely mixed was not very precise. I have a suspicion I did not mix it thoroughly. I used the Smooth-On calculator to estimate the amount of silicone to use. I degassed the mixture, still in the mixing/measuring cup, in the vacuum chamber. That process went amazingly well. The bubbles collapsed, and as one of my employees said, "It is like popping popcorn." The bubbles grow to a crescendo and taper off substantially. Ease Release 200 was applied to the mold box per the directions. I poured the mix into the mold box. At the end of the pour, lots of little bubbles were created. This was despite "bombing" the pour. I suspect it would have been better to have not poured all of the mix and avoided the tiny bubbles. Which brings me to my next moment of stupidity...
I stuck the whole mold box into the vacuum chamber to remove the little bubbles. Yeah, well, huh...There is LOTS of air trapped in Playdoh!!!!!! It was never ending, the bubbles kept boiling over. It is clear the bubbles were not from the pour, and the degassing of the mix vs the volume of bubbles observed requires the bubbles came from the Playdoh or the foam core I used. There was a significant gap of any bubbles immediately above the sole part, and I am inclined to believe it was the Playdoh. I decided to stop the degassing when the bubbles never seemed to subside. The mold was allowed to sit for 5-10 with the vacuum seal intact. Then, I slowly released the seal and allowed the mold to cure. The bubbles are not visible, and time will tell what the surface quality of the mold will be like when I separate everything. I do not have high hopes.
There is a visible discoloration to the silicone as it is curing. It sort of appears milky. Do any of you masters know if this is from not mixing it thoroughly or possibly from crap being released from the Playdoh when degassing the second time through?
cavx
Master Member
So when you mix your silicone, you by default, mix air into the product.
How long did you degas for? I ask because I have found the product I use rises and falls upto 3 times. If I break the seal after the first time, my silicone will have bubbles still inside and these generally get trapped and do not raise during the cure stage. This is regardless of how I pour.
So as you would know, when you degas, you take it to a full negative atmosphere and hold it there for some time. The product rises right up and depending on the shape of the container, will slump back down. I have this wedge shape (side profile) for small batches and the slump is almost like taking one end of a beach towel that had sand on top and giving it a hard flick. I guess it almost does a Mexican Wave in the container, but I find this shape to work the best to let the expanded air out. Degassing in a bucket or similar vertical walled container takes longer.
You can (I do this all the time) pour a portion, let self level, gently blow or use compressed air, and the pressure change pops many of the tiny bubbles you see still in the silicone after degassing. Then top up the mold. The stuff I use takes up to 6 hours to cure and in most instances, any remaining bubbles will rise to the top. I have had a few mold where the surface is pimpled, but there are no bubbles inside.
I have degassed the master part but the problem is, not only can there be trapped air in the Plasticine, but as the product expands and boils, it sucks product under the master part. Sometimes, there is enough movement to dislodge the master from the base.
How long did you degas for? I ask because I have found the product I use rises and falls upto 3 times. If I break the seal after the first time, my silicone will have bubbles still inside and these generally get trapped and do not raise during the cure stage. This is regardless of how I pour.
So as you would know, when you degas, you take it to a full negative atmosphere and hold it there for some time. The product rises right up and depending on the shape of the container, will slump back down. I have this wedge shape (side profile) for small batches and the slump is almost like taking one end of a beach towel that had sand on top and giving it a hard flick. I guess it almost does a Mexican Wave in the container, but I find this shape to work the best to let the expanded air out. Degassing in a bucket or similar vertical walled container takes longer.
You can (I do this all the time) pour a portion, let self level, gently blow or use compressed air, and the pressure change pops many of the tiny bubbles you see still in the silicone after degassing. Then top up the mold. The stuff I use takes up to 6 hours to cure and in most instances, any remaining bubbles will rise to the top. I have had a few mold where the surface is pimpled, but there are no bubbles inside.
I have degassed the master part but the problem is, not only can there be trapped air in the Plasticine, but as the product expands and boils, it sucks product under the master part. Sometimes, there is enough movement to dislodge the master from the base.
The air introduced when mixing was very apparent. I used a spatula, and I would guess it was a touch big for the job. The mix was 386 grams total. It was in a quart container when being degassed. It was a straight walled plastic cup/container. It only rose once, and it showed little evidence it would again. I could be completely wrong on that appraisal! It degassed for approximately 15-20 minutes.
I took it up to the max the dial would go. I will not be back at my office until tomorrow, so I cannot tell you for certain what that would equal if it is not shown in the other pictures I posted. Is the container you are describing a V shape? I can understand and see the benefit of reducing the volume at the bottom of the mixture and maximizing it at the top.
I will implement this suggestion the next time around. I think I will use a straw to aid the localization of the air pressure to the bubbles. I left the mold sit yesterday despite exceeding the 4 hours on the packaging. Tomorrow, I will de-mold it and see what I came up with.
This is why I do not have high hopes. I fear the air has dislodged the master. I am likely to adopt a strategy of degassing the silicone only for the first side of the two-part mold. Then degass the mix and the pour of the second half of the mold.
Thank you for the tips and insights. These really help to craft my fundamentals.
WizardBTTF
Sr Member
Nzfly You didn't leave your silicone in the vacuum for 15-20minutes did you? Your really only suppose to vacuum silicone until it rises, breaks and 90 seconds after it falls. There is such thing as over degassing where it will actually introduce air, and it can even inhibit cure for when you start using clear flex ect. A few other things, getting mold material UNDER your master park is a problem. I used a hard clay to part my molds, softer materials are more difficult to me, as you don't want your master to move. When using foamboard, you can use clear shipping tape to seal it and it will also keep anything from sticking/absorbed. Also just curious, why did you go with eco-flex silicone? Its really soft, and I think it might not be compatible with clear flex. Clear flex is picky about what silicone you use, they can inhibit the cure.
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