Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

I used to use the band saw for beveled cuts, but got the little chop saw, Kywell has linked, and cut tubing using an abrasive disc. I still use a tubing cutter , the inside diameter of the tube will be crimped a little by this. However I just clean it out with an Xacto, a deburring tool , or a pipe ...

It seems like this link keeps disappearing, but it has been posted here several times... Cobywan used to use a pressure cooker. Please note how the entire locking ring has been sheared away from the lid. The lock may have stayed put, but the lid hit the ceiling. Cobywan was lucky http://home.comcast...

If it isn't too large, or structural you can use electrical solder... I use electrical solder(60/40) all the time for railings... For uptakes and stacks, where I butt joint angled cuts, I use silver solder and a propane torch. Ace Hardware Alpha metals silver solder 56% silver(1205° F melting point)...

Call Smooth on, and see if they can connect you with a local retailer?

http://www.smooth-on.com/

I think he lives in Nevada or Arizona...

Cold call the plastic shops and suppliers in your local yellow pages.
You might find a local distibutor or at least get recommendations toward
finding one...

I like to plan my frames for equipment or hollows, and sometimes I still end up grinding my way back in to get the space I need. It sounds like you are on the right track, and have a good process in mind. let us know how it goes... I hope you are taking pictures as this progresses, I like seeing the...

Unless you have fiberglassed the exterior of the shell, the structure will probably not hold up well with the frames removed. It may collapse. If you begin to remove the interior frames, do not grind them out all the way to the hull. Leave at least 3/16" to 1/4" of the frame against the hu...

I would probably buy two sizes of brass tube.(telescoping brass tubes) The display tube, and then the next size bigger. I would cut a short length of the larger size, to make a socket. And I would solder in a 1/4" piece of the smaller display tube to the inside the top end to make a stop. Then ...

Silicone RTV...

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/locatio ... 1765597758

There is a drop down menu with more locations...

Not my favorite, although I heard they were bringing back the green slow cure.

DasPhule wrote:Just roll an xacto blade on it until it gets a good groove in it, then snap it off like styrene.

Erin
<*>

Ditto

I think the galleries have pictures of one at Wonderfest...

Small powered rotary tool...

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/tools/tool- ... m?H=188091

It works for all the model ship builders...

okay,... Do be aware that you won't have the weight of the earth on the pipe like when it is buried.... :| [edit] Just thought I would add,... the 1/2" thick acrylic worked fine for two years before it imploded and threw sharpnel everywhere. :| Pvc is one of those score and snap type of materia...

I would be very wary(even scared) to use a PVC chamber as a pressure pot.

I shattered a 12" diameter 1/2" thick clear plexiglass piece over my vacuum chamber... Thats 15psi maximum...

... ... I am not sure i want a RESIN jupiter 2 if the material itself will be problematic. :) It really depends on what formula of resin they use... I have seen a solid resin cat, a clear solid resin cat, and a thin shell black poly resin cat all out of the same mold... :wink: The thin shell was an...

These are the ones most people seem to run across, http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=venturi The one you posted looks interesting, like it has a one way valve, or something on it. However, I have never seen one of the harbor freight versions, they may have something sim...

Essentially, I prefer vacuum de-airing the RTV As far as Vacuum and 14psi, it is per square inch... have a read through this thread.... http://www.starshipmodeler.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=54659 Also realize that the calculations there are only for one small side of the fish bowl... You could probabl...

The cup was 1 quart, and I had a spindle end from a roll of blueprint paper that I wrapped door weather strip around. The vacuum hose fit the center of the spindle. This created a lid that when placed in the top of the quart container, would seal the top and allow the vacuum to remove air... When I ...

If the bubbles are near your master or the surface of your piece, the RTV may not be enough to contain the bubble once it is returned to normal pressure. For pin size bubbles not a problem, but larger bubbles may pop, and you would get a small nodule on your casting where this happens.

I did it in a one quart container...
Scared the heck out of me, as the first time I did it, the
RTV expanded to fill the container, and I almost sucked the
entire contents into the shop vac...


So for small volumes it could work...
I am skeptical whether it would work for a larger pot...

I am guessing, but I think your air brush compressor would not move enough air... The venturi piece needs 4.2 CFM to pull the vacuum. Your airbrush compressor would have to have a pretty big tank resevoir. I used to just pour thing layers to start out with, and get the masters coated, then slowly fi...

Did you do a search in the construction section of the forum? I think most of this may be covered in there and that is why no one has noticed, or answered your quieries. Plus, the scratch building forum will automatically dump posts in 30 days... So no records of this will exist later. A vacuum clea...

Unless you are using a 1/8" or 5/32" rod, it shouldn't be so heavy that it would "sag" over that length. The muzzle could be hollow up to a 1/4" or 3/8" deep, behind that would be the rod, and the solid resin. The resin would form the muzzle, to every last detail, and b...

I poured some resin into the bottom of one of my pots and let it self level and cure. Oddessyslipway said he just cut an acrylic circle to place over the bottom of his pot. Cast as many molds as you can squeeze into the pot before the resin kicks. If you can make the shelf easy to drop in and lift o...

The metal reinforcement rod does not have to go from the base, all the way to the muzzle end.. That little bit should be able to support itself.

So the barrel length can be fully reinforced, and the muzzle would be just beyond the end of the wire or rod.

Drill the back of your master, and place a 1/16" or 3/32" wire into the hole, and allow it to stick out about a half inch. When you make your mold, and pull out the master, there will be a nice 1/2" groove at the back to place a 2-1/2" - 3" long wire. It will sit nicely in t...

NOVUS brand plastic polishes and cleaners do a great job.
There are three levels;
The #1 I equit to armor all...
the #2 has a fine grit to polish out fine scrathes.
The #3 can help polish out heavy scratches.

working from 3 to 1 can take a scratched canopy from frosted to clear.

I bought $50 bucks worth of casting stuff at Tap plastics a couple months ago. The RTV that was supposed to set up in an hour became unworkable in 5 minutes. Took it back and they gave me a different lot of similarly defective product. Exasperating as hell. I tried casting with their Crystal Clear ...

Follow up on the pressures exerted by the Vacuum process. Sort of a counter point to Cobywan's pressure pot incident... I think we all learned something from that right? Don't use pressure cookers, the twist on latches shear away . I have always made it a point to stand to one side of my pots when a...