Microballoon Question

[MadisonWI]

Hello,

I'm using alumilite and I think they say that 50% of your casting resin can be microballons does this mean by volume or weight? If by volume for example if I have 50 ml of part A and 50 ml of part B do I put in 50ml of microballoons or 100ml of microballoons?

Thanks for your time,

Jake

[Vodkaman]

definately volume. Micro balloons are extremely light.

If your final volume is 100ml, then 25ml part A plus 25ml part B plus 50ml micro balloons.

This is how I see it anyway. I would hang on a little longer, because if I have it wrong, someone will jump in and rescue us both.

[Coley]

Your best results will come by WEIGHING part A & part B of the resin.

Then add the microballoons by VOLUME.

Add an equal amount to part A and Part B, before mixing A&B together,

or you will not have an equal mix.

I wouldn't add 100% or you may have a soft mixture when cured. Try about 80% balloons.

[RiverMan]

I have been experimenting with smoothcast and it says to measure part a and part b by "volume" not "weight". For a period of time though I was weighing each part out equally and it seemed to work fine too. As for microballons, unless you are really going for something light I would guess that you could do something far less than the max allowable and still get a model that will easily float. If you wanting something to float high then a foam might be a better choice for you.

Jed V.

[MadisonWI]

Hey,

Thanks guys. Good help.

Jed,

Do you have any foam you reccomend? Looking for cheap stuff that will work. Also what type of clear coat are you using for the alumilite? Just getting into mold building.

Thanks again guys for all the help.

[Husky]

Here is where I found the least expensive foam. !6 lb Density is the best.

It comes in a distant second to UR, but it does work well, albeit a tad messy.

[MadisonWI]

Husky,

Thanks for the info. WHat does UR mean? Is it considerably better than the link you posted?

Thanks again

[MadisonWI]

Husky,

Thanks for the info. WHat does UR mean? Is it considerably better than the link you posted?

Thanks again

[Husky]

Husky,

Thanks for the info. WHat does UR mean? Is it considerably better than the link you posted?

Thanks again

Urethane Resin!

http://www.dascarplastics.com/ Give them a call and they'll tell you what's best for your purposes

[rossrods]

Hey guys I am a newbie to this and have some questions.I have read so much in the past 24 hours I am having a brain upload problem(danger,danger,I do not compute)I think I need a brain down load.I have a bench top cnc mill and I have been drawing in 3d cad to design balsa baits.I have came up with about a dozen profiles and have had good success after lots of failure.I use a lamination process with the balsa, the mill cuts the left side of bait and then cuts the right side making a complete 3-dimension shape.I then grind out a cavity for weights which is predetermined for each bait and glue up the pieces,I then sand the saw kerfs the little 1/16" bull nose bit leaves and I have a crankbait ready to go.I am ready to move in to the foammies can I use the balsa sides meaning the left side to make a mold and then make a right side mold and laminate the foam together just like balsa.

[Vodkaman]

Rossrods. That is the perfect situation for creating the moulds. I've been doing something similar with split masters. the problem comes when you are ready to pour the second half. I get a visible split line in the subsequent castings. If you pour the second half with a complete master, this problem will be greatly reduced.

I've just read your post again. It is your intention to cast two separate halves. It will work, but again, the join will need a lot of dressing up.

When I get around to foamies, it is my intention to cast the lead ballast onto the hanger wire. Position the hanger in the mould and pour the foam. This way the labour is cut down and the result will be much tidier.

Pity you didn't start a new thread for this one, it's a big enough subject to justify its own thread.

[MadisonWI]

Ross,

I was wondering the same thing myself.

[rossrods]

Hey guys I am pretty new to your forums didnt know you all exisited hopefully I can tribute some ideas to you all. I have been doing balsa wood baits, cut from a bench top cnc mill. I do my design work in 3d cad then I take my 3d drawing and slice it up into a left piece and and right piece.Convert it to rams language which is then turned into cams and then turned into a G code for the mill to read and do the cutting for me. My baits are similar to the gulps,poes,shadraps,bandits, all bass cranks.You spend alot of time doing the design work then getting the 3d drawing ready to be milled.The mill can cut probally around 24 baits in a 8 hour day which is 48 pieces being a right and a left side.Once it starts you can pretty much walk away from it.Then the fun begins.After completion you have small saw kerfs you have to work out of each side.The sides are carved out into the balsa I flip over and make a cavity for weights and then,slice the bait sides out of the palette.I take a right side and a left side put in my weights and do a balsa lamination construction method.I sand and finish the baits with a clear resin. P.S.fiberglass resin works great for this.Dries quick and you can sand within about an hour or so.I shoot with automobile primer out of a can which dries super fast also.Then sand again and off to my paint shop/top coat finish dept.That would be me again "one man operation". If I have 24 baits cut and ready to go I might can get 6 done by days end, ready for market. If there was one LOL. I need to step up production and was looking into foammie construction methods.Would a lamination construction method work on foammies? Do you think I could use my mill to make palette with multiple right side/left side profiles out of balsa then seal with a resin coat and then pour something into this to create a mold, and from this could I pour in the 16lb urethane foam to have an exact copy of the right side and left side profiles.Then from this point work the pulled out profiles from this casting just like I would the balsa with lamination construction method.Also does foammies have same bouancy as balsa, and can you carve and form the foammie after it sets up?

[rossrods]

Hey guys tried to start a new post and for some reason it dropped it here instead.You can tell Im a newbie, sorry I didnt mean to look like I was hijacking the thread

[Nathan]

Hi Ross,

Welcome too the site..I looked for your seperate thread..it is still there..Nathan

[Vodkaman]

Nathan, sorry to interfere. I PM'd Rossrods and said that this time, it would probably be best to leave it here now to save confusion. It is actually worth a thread of its own. Ironically, another thread has been started on basically the same question.

http://www.tackleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11300

I assumed that this was the new thread, but did not check the author.