traintech55
Senior Member
Really nice.
My lens making thread.
- Thread starter Zymurgy
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commando1
Old Man with a Hat
The detail is unbelievable.
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Guess what Mike...my hat is off to you!
The guy where I bought the product gave me some really good tips. He said to clean the lens with alcohol as the last step. He said he cast a finger print once, that is the detail the product will pull out.
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Great you made the first step in this direction, Mike! Looks really nice so far! I'm also planing to do this for a long time but I'm still collecting parts for my vacuum chamber...
Here is another great video about the vacuuming that might help you understanding this process!
And some other Videos from this guy that I found very helpfull!
A nice Video how to make a Vacuum chamber:
Making "Proto-Putty" for the seal:
Here is another great video about the vacuuming that might help you understanding this process!
And some other Videos from this guy that I found very helpfull!
A nice Video how to make a Vacuum chamber:
Making "Proto-Putty" for the seal:
This is the YouTube video I based my vacuum chamber. The bleed off valve is crap I will replace that with something better. I read somewhere you only need a 1/2 inch of plexiglass. I had an old 2 1/2 gallon pressure pot. The guage from harbor freight it good. I found the vacuum pump and plexiglass on Amazon cheaper. Everything else I bought at my hardware store.
65Fury440
Senior Member
Wow that is incredible!!!
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Hmmmm...
Toy grenades now I know what to make my liberal cousin's boys for their birthday, she clearly said no guns. 
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live4theking
Old Man with a Hat
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Looks great.
Do you ever have one of those days when nothing goes right? I had one of those yesterday. The good part I feel good that I can correct my problems.
First I was pouring my second half of my mold I should have place the first mold on an oversized board. A rather large portion of the mold ended up pouring past the plexi wall.
Second when I was mixing my resin I realized my vacuum chamber isn't producing enough vacuum. I ended up with lots of little bubbles so I already knew this was going to be bad cast. I believe I can get the vacuum numbers I need by simply using a better seal around my pressure pot.
Lastly on pouring the mold I had areas that projected out, that should have been my bottom mold instead of my top. I had an air bubble and it never finished the mold in 2 areas.
The good from this. I really like the feel of the lens, today's plastics have such a low resin and feel very brittle and sharp. I can just tell its a high quality. Secondly I did get two good halves for my mold. I will probably end up adding more to my second pour, so it can be now the bottom mold. Lastly the lens is the correct dimensions and thickness, and hopefully this will be the ugliest lens I make.
First I was pouring my second half of my mold I should have place the first mold on an oversized board. A rather large portion of the mold ended up pouring past the plexi wall.
Second when I was mixing my resin I realized my vacuum chamber isn't producing enough vacuum. I ended up with lots of little bubbles so I already knew this was going to be bad cast. I believe I can get the vacuum numbers I need by simply using a better seal around my pressure pot.
Lastly on pouring the mold I had areas that projected out, that should have been my bottom mold instead of my top. I had an air bubble and it never finished the mold in 2 areas.
The good from this. I really like the feel of the lens, today's plastics have such a low resin and feel very brittle and sharp. I can just tell its a high quality. Secondly I did get two good halves for my mold. I will probably end up adding more to my second pour, so it can be now the bottom mold. Lastly the lens is the correct dimensions and thickness, and hopefully this will be the ugliest lens I make.
traintech55
Senior Member
WOW. Again thank you for all your hard work on this. Every inventor has had to, "Try, try, and try again". The good thing is when you get it right you will be at the TOP of the 1966 300 list.
live4theking
Old Man with a Hat
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He'll go straight from the "You Suck" list to the "Your Great" list.
Ripinator
Old Man with a Hat
I think that would be the "You Really Suck List."
I can hear Bill already, "my hero".
Failure leads to success, a lesson I've been preaching the last couple of weeks. Probably just building myself up for this spring! Keep it up, you'll have this mold making thing down pat. Do I see a cottage industry in your near future?
Failure leads to success, a lesson I've been preaching the last couple of weeks. Probably just building myself up for this spring! Keep it up, you'll have this mold making thing down pat. Do I see a cottage industry in your near future?
It's a possibility I like the challenge, I'm already self-employed so it wouldn't be anything to add this to my business. Right now I see it no more than word-of-mouth business. The nice part about this is I can set this up in my house. My shops a 15 minute drive so I end up not doing anything there during the week. My wife says it needs to be moved out of the kitchen, however.
traintech55
Senior Member
If she has let you go this far in her kitchen, she is definitely a KEEPER.It's a possibility I like the challenge, I'm already self-employed so it wouldn't be anything to add this to my business. Right now I see it no more than word-of-mouth business. The nice part about this is I can set this up in my house. My shops a 15 minute drive so I end up not doing anything there during the week. My wife says it needs to be moved out of the kitchen, however.
Well, you have what, 26 customers already?
I think it's great that you are making your own parts, AND you are sharing the whole process with us. Too often we only see an end result of someone's work, and don't know how to replicate it. So thank you, again!
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Next, Mike will invest in a 3D printer.
They're getting cheaper!
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