12-20-2012, 10:12 PM
Tee Jay,
Casting and molding is a hobby in its self, the one major rule of thumb is if you need just a few parts it may not be economical to go that route but if you want to make a lot of something or are just technologicaly curious then it may be worth the cost of materials.
I have used the alumilite and it set up as I was pouring the resin in to the mold, micro mark has a starter kit that is good for starting out. Also look at art stores like AB-Blick art supplies they carry Smooth on and a few other brands of resin and silicon RTV mold supplies, I highly recomend a DVD sold by micro mark on how to cast stuff the title exscapes my memory but it had Hal Reynolds and Dave Furay may have miss-spelled the names.
As for 3D printing goes makerbot has a new printer called replicator 2 comes built and tested ready to print with a bigger build platform and uses PLA plastic not the styrene used by the other printers they made in the past. At $2199.00 for one of these it is a bit steep but it is a hobbyists version of a rapid prorotyper which are astronomicaly more expensive.
Casting and molding is a hobby in its self, the one major rule of thumb is if you need just a few parts it may not be economical to go that route but if you want to make a lot of something or are just technologicaly curious then it may be worth the cost of materials.
I have used the alumilite and it set up as I was pouring the resin in to the mold, micro mark has a starter kit that is good for starting out. Also look at art stores like AB-Blick art supplies they carry Smooth on and a few other brands of resin and silicon RTV mold supplies, I highly recomend a DVD sold by micro mark on how to cast stuff the title exscapes my memory but it had Hal Reynolds and Dave Furay may have miss-spelled the names.
As for 3D printing goes makerbot has a new printer called replicator 2 comes built and tested ready to print with a bigger build platform and uses PLA plastic not the styrene used by the other printers they made in the past. At $2199.00 for one of these it is a bit steep but it is a hobbyists version of a rapid prorotyper which are astronomicaly more expensive.