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Author Topic: Homemade silicone vax cell mold  (Read 27468 times)

Offline edward

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Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« on: January 24, 2014, 07:33:45 pm »
Homemade silicone vax cell mold   presa pentru faguri artificiali din silicon a unui stupari



mvh Edward  :P
 

Offline marktrl

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2014, 09:15:12 pm »
That is a very neat idea.

Offline capt44

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2014, 03:05:54 pm »
Alright now you've got my curiosity I've got some questions.
1. When you cut out the plywood what is the black backing?
2. What type of Silicone are you using?
3. Does the plastic foundation (Mold) have a wax coating or is it plain?
4. When you put it the oven at what temperature do you set it at and for how long?
5. Will the plastic foundation (Mold) peel right off or will it stick?
Any help and information will be greatly appreciated,I'm going to build one pretty soon.
I like the idea of creating your own foundation.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline edward

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2014, 03:28:16 pm »
1. When you cut out the plywood what is the black backing?
2. What type of Silicone are you using?
3. Does the plastic foundation (Mold) have a wax coating or is it plain?
4. When you put it the oven at what temperature do you set it at and for how long?
5. Will the plastic foundation (Mold) peel right off or will it stick?

The black/brown plywood is marine waterproof plywood
There are some food grade silicone
The mold is a beeswax sheet of Foundation
Probably just over the meting Point of beeswax 62 to 64 °C (144 to 147 °F).
It melts away into the traypan under the mold.


mvh Edward  :-P

Offline capt44

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2014, 01:05:21 am »
Alright I've made a note.
Thanks!
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2014, 06:45:39 am »
Edward,
Looks pretty neat. Thanks for sharing. Let us know how it works out Capt.
I would not want to cook it inside a home. The fumes will be real strong.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline edward

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2014, 11:17:46 am »
I would not want to cook it inside a home. The fumes will be real strong.

?? What fumes ? From the beeswax?



mvh Edward  :-P

Offline flyboy

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2014, 01:25:26 pm »
That's on my todo list. Thanks edward.

Before you poured the silicone on the original plastic foundation, did you put some kind of release agent on it like some kind of release wax used for composite moulds? Here is what I use when making kiteboard moulds http://www.rexco-usa.com/waxes-buffing-compound/

The only problem with that would be the release agent clumping up with all the texture of the original.
Cheers
Al
First packages - 2 queens and bees May 17 2014 - doing well

Offline edward

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2014, 03:10:13 pm »
Before you poured the silicone on the original plastic foundation, did you put some kind of release agent on it like some kind of release wax used for composite moulds?

You've missed one of the great ideas with this mould, the original Foundation is pure bees wax, not plastic.  ;)

That's why they put it in the oven at 70oC so the bees wax from the original Foundation liquefies and you can start using the mold.

When the mould is up and running a mild water solution with a few drops of dish washing liquid will help the new wax Foundation to release.
Others use a blast of pressurize air.


mvh Edward  :-P

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2014, 03:31:39 pm »
I would not want to cook it inside a home. The fumes will be real strong.

?? What fumes ? From the beeswax?



mvh Edward  :-P

Edward.
How did you cure the silicone. I thought it was curing in the oven. Usually silicone needs to air dry. How is it curing once you put the boards together?
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline edward

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2014, 06:44:59 pm »
How did you cure the silicone. I thought it was curing in the oven. Usually silicone needs to air dry. How is it curing once you put the boards together?

As I haven't tried it yet I would assume that they made the mold in more than one stages, first filling the beeswax Foundation and letting it dry then going on to the next stage with time for setting in between.

Putting together thin layer may help i set faster ?

mvh Edward  :-P

Offline capt44

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #11 on: February 02, 2014, 09:00:03 pm »
Alright I have purchased the items I needed to make the wax mold.
I already had the plywood, I'm going to use 3/4 inch Birch sealed in polypropylene.
I sheet of Foundation.
I got one 30 inch piano hinge (Brass)
One 1/8 inch x 2 inch aluminum strip to make the sides.
A box of 1 1/4 inch wood screws, treated.
7 tubes of Premium Waterproof Silicone II -- says it's Permanently waterproof, flexible, Shrink & Crack Proof
Since the weather is bad ( Ice Storm) I will start putting it together tomorrow in stages.
So far I have $75.00 in parts.
I will take pictures as I build it.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline capt44

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2014, 01:05:40 am »
Alright I made the mold.
I tried using Rite-Cell plastic foundation wax coated.
I got it sandwiched between the boards with silicone and installed the piano hinge.
I let it set 24 hours in the house at 71 degrees F.
Being plastic foundation I didn't use the oven method.
I instead used a silicone spray lubricant.
I sprayed the foundation and applied the silicone using a trowel.
It stuck.
I got it to release and found the silicone 2-3 inches from the edges had not cured out.
When I pryed it apart a lot of the silicone had stuck to the bottom of the cells thus pulling the ends off the mold.
I'm going to try and find a wax foundation and go by the original plan.
I will say that the part of the mold that didn't stick to the foundation looked very good.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline flyboy

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2014, 01:57:00 am »
Thanks capt44, that helps a lot to hear exactly what you did.

I'll be trying it also.

Sounds like a very long cure time may be in order.
Cheers
Al
First packages - 2 queens and bees May 17 2014 - doing well

Offline D Semple

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2014, 10:16:47 am »
Following this thread with interest.

Thanks Edward and Richard


Don

Offline rbinhood

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #15 on: February 05, 2014, 04:50:09 pm »
I have just one question....or should I say comment.  If you have a convection oven (has fan inside) you could set it at the lowest setting (just below the melting point of the wax) and leave it overnight and the silicone should cure.
Only God can make these two things.....Blood and Honey!

Offline flyboy

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #16 on: February 05, 2014, 05:00:40 pm »
I have just one question....or should I say comment.  If you have a convection oven (has fan inside) you could set it at the lowest setting (just below the melting point of the wax) and leave it overnight and the silicone should cure.
He has done it correctly. May I suggest watching the vid again....?
Cheers
Al
First packages - 2 queens and bees May 17 2014 - doing well

Offline rbinhood

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #17 on: February 05, 2014, 05:29:42 pm »
He has done it correctly. May I suggest watching the vid again....?

I reviewed the video as you suggested and from what my aged eyes saw was that the silicone was cured (he trimmed the edges and installed the hinge) before he placed everything in the oven, and the oven was only used to melt the wax from the mold. Maybe I should have replaced the batteries in my hearing aids before I replayed the video so I could have heard the commentary.  LOL
Only God can make these two things.....Blood and Honey!

Offline flyboy

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #18 on: February 05, 2014, 05:35:00 pm »
He has done it correctly. May I suggest watching the vid again....?

I reviewed the video as you suggested and from what my aged eyes saw was that the silicone was cured (he trimmed the edges and installed the hinge) before he placed everything in the oven, and the oven was only used to melt the wax from the mold. Maybe I should have replaced the batteries in my hearing aids before I replayed the video so I could have heard the commentary.  LOL
All is good. I missed the part about using a wax foundation as the original. Edward pointed that out and so I got the brilliance of the design and didn't do it the hard way.
Cheers
Al
First packages - 2 queens and bees May 17 2014 - doing well

Offline capt44

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Re: Homemade silicone vax cell mold
« Reply #19 on: February 06, 2014, 11:55:40 am »
Oh I might add that I bought 7 tubes of silicone.
It only took 2 tubes to form the mold on all pieces.
I ordered some Wax foundation from Mann Lake ltd but they won't ship it until the temperatures warm up.
They said sometime in March.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

 

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