My lens making thread.

Maybe you could consider doing steering wheels too.



I watched that one last weekend, it was very cool. I also wanted to see the old school way some of these guys did casting. It seems like a lot of the guys including this steering wheel guy use a squeeze method as opposed to a gravity with vents. There is waste with this method but I can see the advantage.

I have every thing I need to make my first mold. I was going to do it today but got watching football. I brought everything to my house it will take about 4 hours a side and needs to be in a warm environment. Planning at least to make 1/2 the mold tomorrow.
 
Maybe you could consider doing steering wheels too.


I'm getting interested in this more and more for the 1974 and older rim blow wheels... the part that intimidates me the most is the bright band around the wheel. Any idea how that is cast in?
 
I haven't put much thought in the later wheels seems like a difficult task to replicate. In my '66 the wheel is semi-iridescence and with the pigments out there, I can see how it can be replicated. That was really cool for me, because I have one thin line in my wheel and knew a repair would result in an opaque color.
 
I have also wonder about reproduction the resin parts of wheel cover or different badging encased in resin. An example is my original 300 14" wheels covers. I could remove all the paint from the back side of the hub center, but the resin would have been a checked, cracked and yellowed. It seems like a pretty straight forward cast, but at this point the 14" wheels wouldn't fit on my disc brake converted car.

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Waiting with much anticipation.
Me too, wasting my Sunday afternoon trying to get my work van fixed after I accidentally signed off on a recall I had performed at the end of November, when my glow plugs we're being replaced.

After much complaining and research on my part I am hoping a new ECU will resolve my problems. They are diagnosing the problem now, as I wait in there lobby.

Hopefully I get home early enough to pour the first half of my mold.
 
Yes it is a huge Freightliner dealership open 24-7. I have a Sprinter van and one of the technicians works the weekends including Sunday. They are the only ones that have a clue on how to work on these vans.
 
The first official mold in the books. I am certain I did a few things wrong but I don't believe any of them would keep it from setting up.

I was doing this in my kitchen but I don't know if I took full advantage of the vacuum chamber. I think my cheap vacuum gauge was off. I shut off the vacuum when I thought the pressure was too high, but I got no bubbling from the product. I then let it top out and got bubbling. I am certain I poured it too fast too.

I won't worry too much about it now and see what's up in 4 hours.
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Now I feel a little stupid, on my vacuum chamber. I put my glasses on and realized I was reading the wrong numbers. My pump is rated at 29.9 Hg the pump needs to reach 29 Hg to remove the air bubbles. It reached just below 30 so pump and gauge work fine.

There could be some air bubbles in the mold
but not likely against the lens.
 
Wow I couldn't be happier. It pull out all the details down to the checker board background, and all the details in the reflective wedge.

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