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stator mold


By oregon wind, Section Mechanical
Posted on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 02:24:46 AM MST
stator mold

The Dan's use a plastic of some sort for their molds.  Could the Dan's or someone tell me what material that is?

Thanks
stator mold | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by DanB (danb@*no spam*otherpower.com) on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 06:40:03 AM MST
(User Info) http://www.otherpower.com/

Hi!  Plywood works well but the plastic does make a nice mold.  Ours is from HDPE (high density polyethylene) - it's basically 'cheap common plastic'.  Be careful because the resin will melt/adhere to some plastic, we've not had very good luck with plexiglass...


Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by oregon wind on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 09:32:27 AM MST
(User Info)

Hi Dan, thanks for your response.

I have made a few stators using plywood.  Works well, but I would like something more durable.

At the Guemes Island workshop last year I liked your HDPE molds.

I called the local plastic company, and they want $330 a sheet for 1/2" HDPE.

I was thinking of maybe making the mold from steel instead.  I have some here.

Do you see any problems with this idea?

Thanks

[ Parent ]



Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by DanB (danb@*no spam*otherpower.com) on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 03:53:06 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.otherpower.com/

you shouldn't need a full sheet really.  Even a bit of thin stuff to line a plywood mold on the bottom and top would be good, and ifyou're really picky then get some half inch stuff for the sides.
If you make the mold out of HDPE only - it will warp over time.  We've wound up bolting ours to some very thick partical board (from a solid door) to keep it flat.

[ Parent ]


Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by Flux on Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 at 01:21:31 AM MST
(User Info)

Steel can be used for moulds but the surface finish would need to be good and you would need to include a reasonable "draw" angle. A flash of nickel or chrome plate would help considerably.

Unless you are going into large scale production I can't see it being worthwhile.

Polyester virtually sticks to nothing and will be easy. I have no experience of vinyl ester but it shares many properties with epoxy. From experiences at work years ago, epoxy released well from cold moulds as long as the surface finish was near perfect. WE had need to hot mould some epoxy items and these were a real pain to release especially on new moulds. In desperation we heated some of the moulds to blueing temperature and the oxide formed helped considerably.

Flux

[ Parent ]



Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by oregon wind on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 07:15:00 PM MST
(User Info)

Thanks for the info!

Any thoughts on using steel with a good mold release instead of hdpe?

[ Parent ]



Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by bsafe on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 01:56:23 PM MST
(User Info)

Try the hdpe cuttingboards you might find at a second hand store or big box retailers in the kitchen section, it may be more cost effective than a full sheet. I can't speak to the adhesion issue.


Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by bzrqmy (bzrqmy@yahoo.com) on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 04:11:40 PM MST
(User Info)

Try http://www.mcmaster.com/

Search for UHMW or HDPE

Where can I find pictures of one of these?  I have a machinist that has volunteered to do my millwork, I just need to figure out what I really want.

[ Parent ]



Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by Spdlmt150 (name@earthlink.net) on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 04:20:52 PM MST
(User Info)

Cheap plywood painted with a thick layer of high temp engine enamel & waxed when used will be pretty darn durable.


Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by electronbaby (roy<at>windsine.org) on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 05:48:12 PM MST
(User Info) http://www.windsine.org

I just had a plywood mold I have used many times before, fail due to casting in high ambient temps. I thought I decreased the hardener enough, but the heat broke down the grease I normally use. Ive been casting stators for a while, and never had a failure. This one I just tried to get out of the mold is completely shot. I took some pics. Ill post them soon if I get a chance. I am also looking at the HDPE stuff. It might save a headache, and the next $100 of copper  :-/
Have Fun!! RoyR KB2UHF


Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by wdyasq on Mon Jul 21st, 2008 at 08:31:32 PM MST
(User Info)

I've bought a lot of plastic on eBay for reasonable money.

Ron
Adventure is just bad planning." -- Roald Amundsen



Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by SparWeb (sparweb at ANTISPAM_hotmail_com) on Wed Jul 23rd, 2008 at 12:02:36 AM MST
(User Info)

You can ask for "puck board" in any plastic supplier's shop and he should know what that is.  Puck board is cheap, easy to cut, you can get it in 1/16" and 1/8" sheets, and epoxy peels off of it.

The "puck board" name may not be as common in the US as it is here.  Up here, in the bleak frozen wilderness of Canada, we have lots of hockey arenas.  All of them are lined with this cheap plastic sheet.

Steven Fahey



Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by finetune on Sat Aug 9th, 2008 at 08:17:21 PM MST
(User Info)

Also the best thing to use to stop resin from sticking is a cheap towlet boll donut wax it works excelant. one dollar at Home Depo.


Re: stator mold (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by oregon wind on Sat Aug 9th, 2008 at 11:47:04 PM MST
(User Info)

Good suggestion.

Thanks!

[ Parent ]



stator mold | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial)
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