Reproduction badges from silicone moulds

[Ratwagon1600]

Half an hour on Google and I think I've got it! (got to love being able to "borrow" other people's ideas).

 

PVC plumbing pipe with some screw on end caps and a Perspex viewing window.

 

If I lay the pipe on its side I should be able to get the largest mould I want to into the pipe.

 

Being cylindrical the pipe should withstand a fair bit of pressure ala Submarine pressure hull.

 

Worst thing that can happen is that it won't work and I'll waste $20 worth of materials.

 

 

[the nice machine]

ya know i used a big pickle jar sat on it's side and filled level with sand, then eyeballed it level. however you get it done, sounds like you are having a good time! party on.

[the nice machine]

haha i had to go find this and take a picture... this is the first vacuum pot i made a looooong time ago. I used a cook pot with a clear glass lid and some bicycle innertube and RTV of some sort. I had hooks on my work table and i would ratchet the lid down tight. It doesn't look so good but it worked.

i was using it to make stabilized wood for shaping and polishing.

[Ratwagon1600]

 

 

This I like!

 

The wife has a pot just like this :) (a bit newer though).

 

She's already worked out where the digital kitchen scales are so I better not relocate her biggest cooking pot.

 

About to head off to the hardware store now to get the necessary pipe bits.

 

I also have a small ultrasonic cleaner which I've been thinking of trying. My idea here is to put the silicone mix in a cup and the place it in the cleaner. Don't know if this will work, but will give it a try anyway.

 

Should have prototype(s) ready in a couple of hours and will post pics then.

 

Cheers

 

[Ratwagon1600]

Ok, bit of a slow day.

 

First mould is done.

 

 

 

Slightly stuffed up when I cast it as I didn't leave it flush with the bottom. Shouldn't matter too much as this gives me a tiny bit of leeway to make the base just that little bit thicker. Mould actually looks better in real life than my crappy photos.

 

Going to mix up some resin shortly and try for my first repro badge (woohoo).

 

Found a length of PVC pipe I forgot I had.

 

 

And picked up these bits from the hardware store this morning for the proposed vacuum chamber.

 

 

The other idea I had was using the ultrasonic cleaner to degas the silicone mix.

 

 

Resin mixing time and vacuum chamber build time now !

[bonvo]

if you do the bluebird u ones i would want a set

[Ratwagon1600]

if you do the bluebird u ones i would want a set

 

Mate, I would love! To do as many badges as possible.

 

Amongst the many things limiting me doing this are, time, badge availability (we didn't get these badges in Australia), materials cost, my bucketload of other projects, beer drinking, etc etc.

 

I'm going to struggle to get the badges I want (primarily SSS badges).

 

Having said that, if someone wants a set like the bluebird ones above, are prepared to post me one and wait till I make the mould and then cast them (unpainted only), have their original returned by post, copies at a "very" nominal fee, I'm always interested in helping Datsun owners.

 

Regards

 

Jason

[Pedro]

Jason where did you buy the silicone stuff to make the moulds? Keen to give this a hack.

 

Downloaded a cool torrent a while ago which appeared to be fromthe 80's, very informative.

 

Would your end mould support a high temp zinc mix?

[FoxyRoadster]

Man I am weird only thing I could think of through this whole thread was "Man it would be awesome to make datto logo cookies."

[Ratwagon1600]

Jason where did you buy the silicone stuff to make the moulds? Keen to give this a hack.

 

Downloaded a cool torrent a while ago which appeared to be fromthe 80's, very informative.

 

Would your end mould support a high temp zinc mix?

 

Pedro, bought the supplies from a fibreglass supply shop in Canberra. Not sure where you are from?, big island could be Australia, but, don't want to make any assumptions.

 

The supplier details follow:

 

Supplier : Wacker Silicones ( yep, unusual name)

 

Product name : elastosil m4503

 

Supplier address : Wacker chemicals Australia pty ltd, Unit 1/35 Dunlop road Mulgrave Vic 3170. Tel +61 3 9541 8900

 

The casting medium is, what appears to me to be, a standard castin resin which you could buy from most hardware stores.

 

P.s. Disclaimer here! Up to this stage, I know fuck all about this process, and it's only due to the magic of Google, YouTube, Ratsun, my own curiosity, and the Internet In general that I've decided to try this.

 

Hopefully, through trial and error I'll make something which might be passable :)

 

P.p.s would it support a high temp zinc mix?

 

No idea at this stage, but, happy to experiment down the track when I get the basic stuff sorted.

 

Cheers

[Pedro]

I'm in sydney mate :) Cheers for the info, I've got plenty of glass and resin gear, so might start searching around for the other stuff.

[Ratwagon1600]

I'm in sydney mate :) Cheers for the info, I've got plenty of glass and resin gear, so might start searching around for the other stuff.

 

Great, pm me if you need more info.

 

Cheers!

[Dguy210]

if you do the bluebird u ones i would want a set

 

I'll make sure you get hooked up one way or the other :thumbup:

[the nice machine]

you've inspired me to get the old stuff out. I just started on some gear shift knob experiments i've been meaning to do for a while. eggs and light bulbs! oh shit.

[Ratwagon1600]

eggs and light bulbs! oh shit.

 

This had me thinking all sorts of wrong and wondering where you were going with this thread, then it clicked!

 

Casting vessels/moulds for gear knobs.

 

2.30 am Saturday morning here, can't sleep so have been doing more "research" on removing air bubbles from the moulds. Kind of convinced my cheapo PVC pipe vacuum chamber will be the way to go.

 

Didn't get any further on it yesterday, looking after the kids and then a few beers got in the way of further progress.

 

First badge should be well and truly set by now. Resisting the temptation to drag my arse out to the garage to have a look as its too damm cold here and I should try and get some sleep.

 

Roughly six hours from now I'll hopefully have a picture of the first (of many) repro badges I'm going to do.

 

Today's must do's are:

 

1. Sleep

 

2. Make vacumn chamber

 

3. Pour silicone for front guard badge

 

4. Continue on Dellorto linkages (I've gotten a bit sidetracked)

 

5. Drink beer

 

6. Repeat step Five :)

[Dguy210]

Picked up a different resin today, about twice the price as the polyester resin. Supposedly sets faster and is much stronger. I'll run some castings tonight.

 

I will still need to go get some more silicone though.

 

Also picked up another badge to repo:

 

[Dguy210]

This had me thinking all sorts of wrong and wondering where you were going with this thread, then it clicked!

 

Casting vessels/moulds for gear knobs.

 

2.30 am Saturday morning here, can't sleep so have been doing more "research" on removing air bubbles from the moulds. Kind of convinced my cheapo PVC pipe vacuum chamber will be the way to go.

 

Didn't get any further on it yesterday, looking after the kids and then a few beers got in the way of further progress.

 

First badge should be well and truly set by now. Resisting the temptation to drag my arse out to the garage to have a look as its too damm cold here and I should try and get some sleep.

 

Roughly six hours from now I'll hopefully have a picture of the first (of many) repro badges I'm going to do.

 

Today's must do's are:

 

1. Sleep

 

2. Make vacumn chamber

 

3. Pour silicone for front guard badge

 

4. Continue on Dellorto linkages (I've gotten a bit sidetracked)

 

5. Drink beer

 

6. Repeat step Five :)

 

Good work! Keep us updated :thumbup:

 

I'm going to go investigate step five myself right now :rofl:

[Dguy210]

Picked up a different resin today, about twice the price as the polyester resin. Supposedly sets faster and is much stronger. I'll run some castings tonight.

 

I will still need to go get some more silicone though.

 

Also picked up another badge to repo:

 

 

Wow, the polyurethane is much much better. Sets much quicker, better mechanical properties, no obvious odor, and much less viscous so easier to poor.

 

Note: I ended up overflowing the 510 badge mold a bit and had to trim it. Trims nicely when still fresh even.

 

[xxmass]

Ok.

 

 

This is going to be the next badge I'm going to do.

 

 

 

Are the repro badges getting the mounting pegs on the back side?

 

 

[Ratwagon1600]

 

 

Are the repro badges getting the mounting pegs on the back side?

 

Not at this stage.

 

I'm going to have to experiment with them as to how to do this.

[Ratwagon1600]

 

 

Wow, the polyurethane is much much better. Sets much quicker, better mechanical properties, no obvious odor, and much less viscous so easier to poor.

 

Note: I ended up overflowing the 510 badge mold a bit and had to trim it. Trims nicely when still fresh even.

 

 

Looks good!

 

First casting came out ok though I wasn't 100% happy with it so it's been scrapped and repoured.

 

Going to the fibreglass shop today to look at carbon fibre matting.

 

Slightly off topic but going to play with some wet layup carbon fibre bits as well.

 

I'll start a separate thread when I do.

 

 

[Pedro]

I was watching a youtube video where they pour the silicone from a cup that is on the edge of a table with the mold on the floor. Sounds primitive but seemed to work pretty well.

[Dguy210]

I was watching a youtube video where they pour the silicone from a cup that is on the edge of a table with the mold on the floor. Sounds primitive but seemed to work pretty well.

 

I mix in a plastic ziplock style bag, sealed with the two part components and minimal air. I then knead the mix well with my fingers without introducing more bubbles. When the silicone color is even and mixed completely I then cut a very tiny part of the corner of the bag off and pour a very thin stream from a good height onto the part working from the corner of the mold box out trying to chase any potential air bubbles.

[Ratwagon1600]

I was watching a youtube video where they pour the silicone from a cup that is on the edge of a table with the mold on the floor. Sounds primitive but seemed to work pretty well.

 

Thanks Pedro, I think we've watched a similar video ( tap plastics) where they pour the mix into a cup with a small hole drilled into it, and using masking tape as a plug, hold the cup from a reasonable height, peel pff the masking tape from over the hole, and then pour the silicone mix in (per dguys explanation). I used this method for my first, and subsequent pour as per pics below.

 

The hassle I had with my first pour was basically a stuff up on my behalf, being not enough catalyst for the resin.

 

The whole thing for me has been a learning experience, despite having done a fair bit of fibreglass work through the years.

 

Repoured another badge two days ago.

 

 

Crappy pic, but, much better finish quality (and it's hardened ok this time).

 

Vacumn chamber has been a bit of a "work in progress"!

 

I've made the viewing hole probably a tad too large. Tried moulding a viewing window using 5mm Perspex (sorry USA members, do the conversion) and bought a piece 2mm thick today.

 

Hopefully this should do the job!

 

Vacumn chamber and next silicone badge mould follows.

 

As always, more soon.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

[Creepy Cruiser]

Very cool stuff.