My lens making thread.

Slight problem, can't seem to release Excalibur from the stone. I think 2 or 3 men could, but not my wife with no hand strength. The way the lens is made you need to pull the mold from 3 direction and 2 more hands to pull the lens out.

I slept on it and have decided to go ahead and do the second pour to complete the mold. I know I can make a small cut in the mold to remove it safely, and may need to do this just to remove the reproduced lens.

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That might be a little over kill :) I have a couple ideas hat should save them both.
 
Just a thought... You might have a slight vacuum holding the lens in place. Maybe a little bit of low pressure compressed air shot down the sides of the lens might break the vacuum.

That's what I was thinking. Something like the needle you would use to inflate a basketball. Sneak it in between the mold and the piece and provide a little positive pressure.
 
The mold is honestly the easy part, now will I be able to make a lens by a simply squeeze mold? I kind of doubt it, but it will be my starting point.
 
Way-ta-go! Mike! That mold is just beautiful. Does this mean you finally got the mold to release from that test lens?

That is the one set back, so no. I wanted to talk to the guy who has been so helpful where I buy my supplies. I know 2 of us with stong hands can remove it. Going to ask his opinion first since he has been doing this for years.

Update, from the suggestion here of air pressure, that is their recommendation too. I had my air pressure nozzle ready to go last night but my wife had already gone to bed, I knew best to wait until this evening.
 
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That is the one set back, so no. I wanted to talk to the guy who has been so helpful where I buy my supplies. I know 2 of us with stong hands can remove it. Going to ask his opinion first since he has been doing this for years.

Update, from the suggestion here of air pressure, that is their recommendation too. I had my air pressure nozzle ready to go last night but my wife had already gone to bed, I knew best to wait until this evening.

Yeah. . . You were smart to wait. Once you hit the air, it would probably sound like one long giant fart. . .
 
I think I have my lens color sampler figured out. I used a ruby red on my first run. Didn't start off dark enough and discovered it is just too pink anyway, those are the slides pictured.

I pour a second run tonight using the scarlet red. This time starting with the intensity of the last slide and increasing 2 drops per slide instead of one. This is definitely the color. The residue I had left in my pitcher was a dead on match to the lens.

I kept precise records so I should be able to exactly match any lens.

IMG_20180308_181011209.jpg
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I think I have my lens color sampler figured out. I used a ruby red on my first run. Didn't start off dark enough and discovered it is just too pink anyway, those are the slides pictured.

I pour a second run tonight using the scarlet red. This time starting with the intensity of the last slide and increasing 2 drops per slide instead of one. This is definitely the color. The residue I had left in my pitcher was a dead on match to the lens.

I kept precise records so I should be able to exactly match any lens.

View attachment 172825 View attachment 172826


om a roll.jpg
 
Here is a better sample. The last one looks really good. I will make another copy of my "flat" lens to check against the original.

IMG_20180309_151534993.jpg
 
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