cavx
Master Member
I am posting this here as I figured it might be better here than in the prop section I normally hang out in.
Anyway long story short, I have been experimenting with epoxy and different ways to make stuff using it that is not the usual casting from a mold.
So what I have discovered over the past few weeks is that this epoxy is quite a versatile product. Most people just cast with the stuff and most don't like it as it can get really hot and can shorten the life of a silicone mold.
That aside, here is my share.
1. Casting flat sheets up to 4mm thick and you have a short window of time where you can then cold form these into a jig and this will actually hold it's shape until it hardens up. If you bake to post cure, then it gets baked into that new shape. A cast/formed part is about 0.6 of the weight of the same part made from Perspex. I can't help but think about hard amour here.
2. A great alternative to polyester resin for fibre glass. Not only do get an extended work time, you don't get the nasty fumes and this works a treat with both chopped strand mat and woven cloth.
3. Today I mixed it with sand. Weight is not an issue with what I want to do here, but the volume is so I wanted a filler so I can get more out of the resin kit. It seems that I can mix this at about 20:1 sand to resin and it came out like a dry concrete mix that seems to cling to vertical surfaces without slumping. I was able to press it into a silicone mold and it took the shape well. And because it is clear it could be pigmented as well as I actually want my parts black.
When I made my Fifth Element stones, I added texture, but how cool would packed sand look? I don't see why a surface can't be coated in epoxy and the sand applied and then let the epoxy cure. The sand would be glued to the surface and retain the natural look with out the wet look epoxy gives it.
Image 1 sand mix in a silicone mold
Image 2 demolded sand mix
Image 3 fibre glass over EVA Foam
Image 4 both cast and cold formed parts
Image 5 epoxy over foam as a sealer
Sent from my CPH1701 using Tapatalk
Anyway long story short, I have been experimenting with epoxy and different ways to make stuff using it that is not the usual casting from a mold.
So what I have discovered over the past few weeks is that this epoxy is quite a versatile product. Most people just cast with the stuff and most don't like it as it can get really hot and can shorten the life of a silicone mold.
That aside, here is my share.
1. Casting flat sheets up to 4mm thick and you have a short window of time where you can then cold form these into a jig and this will actually hold it's shape until it hardens up. If you bake to post cure, then it gets baked into that new shape. A cast/formed part is about 0.6 of the weight of the same part made from Perspex. I can't help but think about hard amour here.
2. A great alternative to polyester resin for fibre glass. Not only do get an extended work time, you don't get the nasty fumes and this works a treat with both chopped strand mat and woven cloth.
3. Today I mixed it with sand. Weight is not an issue with what I want to do here, but the volume is so I wanted a filler so I can get more out of the resin kit. It seems that I can mix this at about 20:1 sand to resin and it came out like a dry concrete mix that seems to cling to vertical surfaces without slumping. I was able to press it into a silicone mold and it took the shape well. And because it is clear it could be pigmented as well as I actually want my parts black.
When I made my Fifth Element stones, I added texture, but how cool would packed sand look? I don't see why a surface can't be coated in epoxy and the sand applied and then let the epoxy cure. The sand would be glued to the surface and retain the natural look with out the wet look epoxy gives it.
Image 1 sand mix in a silicone mold
Image 2 demolded sand mix
Image 3 fibre glass over EVA Foam
Image 4 both cast and cold formed parts
Image 5 epoxy over foam as a sealer
Sent from my CPH1701 using Tapatalk