Casting

[Crooked Stic]

Anyone here have experience. I have some crazy grain maple that will first get stabilized and has some voids that will need epoxy. The pieces will be 3.375 x2x18. Not seeing any pressure pots that I could lay it in flat in the mold . Thinking of getting a big piece of black pipe and a couple of caps then threading in for a valve and air coupler.

[Kirkll]

Anyone here have experience. I have some crazy grain maple that will first get stabilized and has some voids that will need epoxy. The pieces will be 3.375 x2x18. Not seeing any pressure pots that I could lay it in flat in the mold . Thinking of getting a big piece of black pipe and a couple of caps then threading in for a valve and air coupler.

If you do this Mike, you’ll need schedule 80 pipe to pull a vacuum without collapsing the pipe… schedule 40 won’t do it…. 

You know something…. I may have what you are looking for already built….. Let me take a look. I think I built one years ago when we all first started playing with this whole stabilization thing…. I gave up on it myself, but I still have a vacuum pot and other goodies I could pass along to you…. I’ll get back to you soon.   

I tried building a vacuum box from 5/16” plexiglass and it imploded. 
Same with my first experiment with pipe…. I did have fun playing mad scientist trying to get something that would work. But…. I never really like the finished product after factoring in the expense and time.

I’ll see if I can get ya fixed up bro….



 Kirk

[Mad Max]

Maybe I don't understand--- can't you make a mold and pour the epoxy in and let it cure after stabilizing??

[Kirkll]

Here ya go Mike... I found the two vacuum pots, but havent located the lid yet. This is 8" schedule 80 pipe with 3/8" side walls mounted on a piece of plywood with a plexi glass base all sealed up.
The pipe is 20" long.

Is this something you would use? If so let me know and i can ship it to you.

In the mean time i'll keep looking for the lid. I know its hiding somewhere in my pig piled shop.

  Kirk

[wood carver 2]

Maybe I don't understand--- can't you make a mold and pour the epoxy in and let it cure after stabilizing??

Epoxy will have bubbles in it, so you can either pull them out with a vacuum, or more commonly, press them in a pressure vessel to make them virtually invisible.
Dave.

[Mad Max]

Maybe I don't understand--- can't you make a mold and pour the epoxy in and let it cure after stabilizing??

Epoxy will have bubbles in it, so you can either pull them out with a vacuum, or more commonly, press them in a pressure vessel to make them virtually invisible.
Dave.

But you can mix the epoxy and vacuum the bubbles out then pour??

[wood carver 2]

You’ll get most of the bubbles out that way, but you’ll almost certainly get more when you pour it.
I’m no expert on the subject as I’m still learning the ropes. What I have learned is that no matter how careful you are, bubbles will still be present.
Dave.

[Crooked Stic]

I been doing  vacuum for a long time  in sch. 40. I am talking pressure.
How is vacuum for getting the bubbles out of epoxy?
Also kinda thought about putting the wood in a mold and laying it flat and levelling it out with the cactus juice before the cure . Could line the mold with foil.

[Kirkll]

if you are just trying to fill cracks and voids, start out with putting thin CA in it first and let it dry... Then just heat up some epoxy and pour it over the voids and let it soak in. I've done this with some pretty checked up walnut in the past and it worked great... for big cracks or voids,  mix in some black tint into the epoxy and it makes it look like part of the wood grain, or a mineral deposit.

Look at this riser... This english walnut had checks and voids in it i couldn't see until i shaped the riser that i filled with warm tinted epoxy...

[Crooked Stic]

Yeah looks like I may need to do some experimenting first.

[Jeff Freeman]

There were voids around this knot. I filled it with powdered turquoise and super glue. I also use a mas epoxy fast set.

[Kirkll]

Powdered turquoise???  What is that, and why use it?

[Jeff Freeman]

It is man made. I just wanted to go for a slight detail. Kinda like miner deposit. JF

[Crooked Stic]

Okay so my research says that mica powder is the color use for epoxy and releases the surface tension thus less bubbles.
Also said you may be able to do the same with  colored baby powder ??

[Kirkll]

I don't understand what all the fuss is about bubbles Mike?...That epoxy liquifies as it heats up before setting, and i've never had issues with bubbles... Seems like you are making this more complex than it needs to be.

[Crooked Stic]

Kirk you need to read some on casting epoxy is what I am talking about. The epoxy is put under pressure room temp until cured when you pour it  it gets bubbles. The mica or air pressure  or vac is how you get them out
When you apply pressure with the hose same thing then it's heated.

[Mad Max]

Stic Post a picture of the maple with voids please.


This Osage had some cracks about 1/8" wide or so, I put some masking tape on the sides to keep in the epoxy
I mixed up some 2 ton epoxy and Acetone and worked it into the cracks



Knot hole on the other side.



Kirk this is real Turquoise chips (sand) , I reduced it down to fine sand.



spot drilled and filled the hole with super glue for a locator for the arrow.
I've used it for knot holes too

[Crooked Stic]

This piece still about 20 percent so it needs more time. Not my finger

[Jeff Freeman]

I've used ground copper powder also for filling voids. There are other options also. It's different and looks cool. JF

[Kirkll]

Kirk you need to read some on casting epoxy is what I am talking about. The epoxy is put under pressure room temp until cured when you pour it  it gets bubbles. The mica or air pressure  or vac is how you get them out
When you apply pressure with the hose same thing then it's heated.

Well your original post was about filling voids, not casting epoxy…

 they actually make epoxy just for bubble free casting…

https://www.amazon.com/Smooth-Smooth-Cast-ColorMatch-Plastic-Compound/dp/B004BNC9R4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?hvadid=177581075942&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9052493&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12054585885789762140&hvtargid=kwd-77556839363&hydadcr=4834_9597224&keywords=smooth+on+casting+resin&qid=1680755766&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A1B7M9EQGNCLQA&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNFdaQ0c2RVhEMVRaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTc0MDc3MkxCWDM0R09BME9FQiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjY4NzQ1M1cwVlFWV042QUNFMSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=