Cast Aluminum Handle?

I'd like to know about the RTV Doc. I've made the molds from liquid Latex before but not RTV.
 
basically the same thing. The stuff I use may be latex, I can't recall. I haven't played with the lost wax stuff in a few months, but will happily look through the supplies I have and get the name of the stuff I use.

Small bottle of activator, and a bucket of powder stuff mixed in a 10 to 1 ratio, mixed, poured, and vacuumed to remove the air pockets. Fairly simple to use, and it hold up to the heat from the wax fairly well. Fortunately for me I have a neighbor in the A/C business so I can get a vacuum pulled to a larger degree than I can muster with my brake bleeder.

Doc
 
If you go to www.livelyknives.com and get Tim Lively's knifemaking video, there's a section where his wife Marian takes you through casting with sand molds step by step. The difference is that she casts an ingot of silver, which she then cuts into pieces and hammers/cold forges to shape for the pommel she's making. However, the dangerous part of the process is putting the metal in the mold, and she shows that in good detail.

I highly recommend the video whether you need the casting info or not, but it's in there.
 
Doc,

I used to use a 2-part RTV in the military for potting wires in Cannon (multi-wire) connectors. It was a 2-1 mix of goop that outgassed acetic acid (vinegar) that would etch steel (just as 1 part RTV will), so I'm not sure RTV would be usable directly on steels in making a mold...
I've seen the latex mold making stuff at TAP Plastics (a local retail plastics supplier), but don't know if it produces acetic acid, but I think it doesn't.

Howie
 
RTV is silicone. There are many types of silicone some have acetic acid, or ammonia.There are other silicones designed for electronics which will not damage those electronics.
 
Mete,
Yes, I know there are some Room Temperature Vulcanizing silicone rubber compounds that will not etch, but the stuff we used in the USAF did outgas acetic acid. It was nice stuff to use, as the full cure time was less than 30 minutes. I don't know where to get it these days, if at all.

Howie
 
RTV or latex is used with the wood or whatever model to create the wax model the final mold will be made from for lost wax casting.

Check out ray-vin.com . This guy has a good show of stuff he uses, and I have taken alot of information from him for some of the stuff I do.

Doc
 
Doc flipping through the channels last night I saw a movie title, "Doc Hollywood" with Michael J. Fox. I had to slap myself not to watch it. :D

I'll try to get a decent shot of the Gerber and post it tonight. Lighting around here sucks though.

More soon.
 
When I signed up I tried Doc, but for whatever reason the system would not let me have it. I used what I have and took it from that movie since it wa the first thing I could think of at the time.

Very good movie.....very funny stuff, but the best reasons to watch it are Julie Warner, and Bridget Fonda.

Doc
 
Doc, here's the knife; like I said, lighting sucks. I did score a nice light tent on eBay the other day though so there is hope... :D I'm planning to cast the handle directly onto the finished blade.

BFGerber.jpg


Funny how memory works. Since the customer insisted he wants the "cat's tongue" handle like the originals, I had it in my mind this one had it. Not. So I think I'm going to end up doing something like mete suggested, and epoxy some fine sand onto the casting. That will actually make things much simpler. But I need to think how to seal that, so here's a call for more of y'all's excellent ideas. I wonder if powder coating would work?
 
Doc Hollywood said:
... the best reasons to watch it are Julie Warner, and Bridget Fonda.

Doc
Click to expand...
Yeah!!! :D

While we're on the subject my son brought over a movie the other night, "Near Dark." A vampire movie including a real sweetie named Jenny Wright. Since none of us could remember having seen her before or since I did a quick IMDB and found out she's been in a lot of movies...but not since 1998. Must've married some rich SOB. :D Lucky stiff. :D
 
ddavelarsen said:
Doc, here's the knife; like I said, lighting sucks. I did score a nice light tent on eBay the other day though so there is hope... :D I'm planning to cast the handle directly onto the finished blade.

BFGerber.jpg


Funny how memory works. Since the customer insisted he wants the "cat's tongue" handle like the originals, I had it in my mind this one had it. Not. So I think I'm going to end up doing something like mete suggested, and epoxy some fine sand onto the casting. That will actually make things much simpler. But I need to think how to seal that, so here's a call for more of y'all's excellent ideas. I wonder if powder coating would work?
Click to expand...

That is a sand blasted anodized finish, and not hard to duplicate. You can cast that grip right on the blade witht he blade pointed down or layed across the sand, and fine grit sand (220 grit equivalent) loose sand will give that texture naturally. I believe the anodizing kits involve something like boiled water, and rit dye (or similar).

Once you have the texture you want on the grip you can anodize it black and have what your customer wants easily. heat treating that blade may prove to be a chore, but not a huge one depending on what steel you are using.

Simple enough to get the sand you need as well. mortuary grinders use sandblasting sand in a 40 grit or so I believe fairly common. Used in a sand blaster it will provide all the texture you need if the grip is shaped and finished up to that point. It could be cast on, but again.....this may be a problem with heat treat. Youc an't rush nonferrous metals to cool or they will soften.

Let me know if I can be of service and I will advise the best way I know how.

Doc
 
Dave you can look into making porcelain
molds too that's the way David Boye
has his blade castings done .
porcelain is cheap too.. :) I think your mind will be busy for a while.. :)
 
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