THO Game Calls Forums
The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls => Molding Calls, Guts, Inserts & Other Parts => Topic started by: Michael Ferguson on April 07, 2014, 11:20:03 PM
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I want to try to make a mold out of alumilite to make blanks with a 5/8 hole already in them. Does anybody have a good idea on how I should go about making the mold? It sound like a kind of dumb question. I know I should pour alumilite around A blank that I've already drilled but I don't know what to put the blank in when I pour the alumilite.
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I have done what you are talking about with one difference. I used Alumilite silicone mold making material to make the actual mold. The parts come out really easily doing it that way.
I'd been casting alumilite in 1.5" pvc tubes for the barrel and 1.25" for the tone board. So I just went ahead and cast two blanks, then decided what the shape to turn those too in order to make the silicone mold "positives".
After I cut the blanks to shape (with the hole in the barrel) I found two plastic pipes the right size to fit over those two new shapes that gave me enough wall thickness. I used those for the making of the mold with the silicone resin with the "positive" call part glued down to a piece of Lexan and the pipes glued down over those "positives".
They came out good, I've made a number of calls from them, and they use less then half the resin compared to before. The one thing I would have done differently is to give a little extra height for each mold.
Happy turning
Tom
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make it with a welded rod in the bottom. Use it standing up. It would be a tube with a washer on one end and a rod through center of washer or two washers welded on top and bottom. The is a rough idea.
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Tom thanks that helps a lot. Which kind of alumilite mold making material do you suggest and how many molds do you think I could get out of a bottle.
and thanks for the response TM Game Calls I gave a blank to a fabricator I know recently and he's making one out of metal. Ill have to see which one works best.
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Michael - I used Alumilite's High Strength 2 silicone mold making rubber. I bought the 1lb size.
I could have gotten two sets of molds from that amount. But I didn't think it would be enough for two before I made them so I went ahead and mixed the whole 1lb. If I would have been prepared with two sets of positives I could have cast two sets.
Happy turning
Tom
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For anyone interested, send me a PM with a # and I will text you pics of my simple inexpensive way of casting round blanks with a 5/8 center hole out of Alumilite.