06/03/2018 -Mold Making & Cutting
An exciting field trip today, down into the mysterious world of the casting room in the basement.
Although we're going to outsource the mold making & cutting as well as the casting, we would see the process here on a few people's master patterns just so we knew what was involved.
I volunteered my piece for Jo to demonstrate mold making with.
Although we're going to outsource the mold making & cutting as well as the casting, we would see the process here on a few people's master patterns just so we knew what was involved.
I volunteered my piece for Jo to demonstrate mold making with.
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Sheets of rubber are cut to encase the master pattern (and sprue cone) in 7 layers which is enough to be just taller than the standard frame that we are using.
The rubber doesn't need to fit exactly, but there does need to be enough to "melt" into all the nooks & crannies. A vulcanising press is used to simultaneously heat and compress the rubber resulting (hopefully) in a perfectly formed mold. |
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After the molds had been vulcanised, Jo cut one open.
I'm normally very confident in my abilities, but this is something I don't think I'd be very good at. It looks like quite a bit of strength is needed to really open up the rubber to cut round the master pattern (plus it really stinks!).
Locating "pins" are cut in each corner and the rest of the rubber is cut in a zigzag pattern.
I'm normally very confident in my abilities, but this is something I don't think I'd be very good at. It looks like quite a bit of strength is needed to really open up the rubber to cut round the master pattern (plus it really stinks!).
Locating "pins" are cut in each corner and the rest of the rubber is cut in a zigzag pattern.
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