What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

I'm thinking for casting track links. I knoe that it will not last forever, but just be strong enough to work without breaking apart. The track on a Char B1 bis is what I have in mind.

RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

rex have you considered low melt metals. you can get some from micro-mart. i used them for a panzer IV track project years ago. pain in the butt however they are stronger then cast plastics and you can use the micro-mart mold materials. Another though is that Tamiya makes a set of tracks for bull dozer and robotic projects. they come in a package of various lengths and can be lengthened using another set. http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXGZ87&P=FR or http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/106

not very expensive, Just a thought.

RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

Gonna have to go with Kclank for therecommendation.<div>Very easy to cast, but dangerous and messy (need to use graphite powder for best results) so keep this in mind. You can melt the alloy in an ironladleor cast iron skillet using a propane torch or even over the stove (use a portable stove or grill)</div><div></div><div>Best deals on the low melt metal is from Rotometal. Irecommendthe nickel-babbit. A lot stronger than standard pewter due to added nickel and doesn't dent or scratch easy.http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/...el_babbitt.htm</div><div></div><div>You have two options for casting in a mold. Well, three but screw the soapstone method. Either an RTV silicone rated for low melt metals (not rubber) or plaster. For the purposes of tracks, it would be best to use the RTV silicone because your casting many, has deep under cuts, and hollow sections. Anything else that doesn't require more than one or two casts, use a plaster mold.</div><div></div>

RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

You got any pictures of examples or projects you have done using this procedure?


- Jeff

RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

No, I haven't taken any pics of any of the procedures. I typically use the pieces to addaccessories tomy sculptures, like bracelets, necklaces or add a metalskeletal structure to the sculpture. Only things I've casted for my tanks are shackles, pistol port and mud flaps (and the unused stowage bins for my initial Tiger!) After realizing that it was pointless to re-cast metal parts for my tank, especially when the stowage bins weighed more than the Tiger turret itself, I haven't used this application for the tanks again,.......yet. I specifically got the 5 lbs of nickel-babbit for tracks when I decide to scratch build a tank.

But, desired, I can make a quick tutorial for those interested.

Here's blurry pics of the items when I had questions long ago! The mud flaps were done away with and re-melted, because the initial Tiger 100 didn't have the mud-flaps.
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/y...1/100_3012.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/y...ensioners4.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/y...tiolport-1.jpg

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RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

Which alloy would be best? Ingot grade #4 and #7 are the cheapest. That is a factor with me. What's your recommendation? Also, I have no idea how much I would need. there are 106 track links on the drawing I have and I guess I can figure out the volume somehow and ask rotometals for a conversion to weight for the correct number of ingots. I tried the low temp metal once (from Micro Mark) and it was ok, but I wasn't real thrilled with doing it on anything again. Making a master and many molds (for 106 pieces) is not a problem. But any way you look at it, this is gonna be a time consuming, labor intensive project. I hope I live long enough to do this and see the paint dry. And then.........achtung Panzers.........be afraid, be very afraid. (I'm going to rewrite the invasion of France).

RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

Your stepping into the realm of lead. I don't and won't even go there. So, I wouldn't recommend that, especially if your new into metal casting.
If I were you, they are cheap enough to purchase in smallincrements. This is fairly new grounds for you, so I wouldn't make a large investment into it until you know for a fact that you will succeed in the achieved results. 3-4 pounds of the metal will surely get you a complete set of tracks and room to play with. The metal goes a long way.......if your working in 1/16 scale or less. If you can do a master mold of multiple pieces, you can get a lot of this done in one or two sittings.

The big key is graphite powder. This is a must. You will not succeed with out it. You'll have bubbles or un-finished pieces.
Then you must also find the right casting temp. Too hot, it will screw up the mold. Too cool, and the metal will cool further before even getting to every crevice.

Back to the master mold. I've tested this already, so I know it would work. If you can create a mold of the track with a pin already inserted and protruding a good length out of both sides. When casting, you can insert graphite covered steel pins in the mold and cast the tracks with the pins already inserted. Then with some effort, the pins will pull outeliminatingthe need for drilling holes.
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RE: What's the strongest resin for casting parts?
 

If you weren't casting tracks and let's say you were going to cast something like......a new hatch or panel that didn't have hollow points or deep hidden crevices. You can cast things in low melt metals real cheaply using plaster.....but you have 106 tracks. If you were just doing 1 or 10 you could cast them in a plaster mold and grind out hollow parts sections with a dremel. Doubt you'd want to do that with 106 pieces and remake a mold every 5 or so casts.<div></div><div>Panzerpaul used resin with metal powders. I've never used resin with theseadditives, although it was stated to add more strength, it has always been my understanding that the metal powders were foraestheticpurposes and maybe a slight degree of strengthening, but I guess that depends on how much is used. I've never bothered using them. You may want to contact him if you want to continue with the resin route. He could surely give you more info on it.

edit:
Dude! I just looked up the Char B1 Bis.....that's so a plaster mold track. I didn't realize what kind of tank that was. You don't have deep undercuts that I can see that requires an RTV silicone mold. Not sure what the underside looks like but, I'm assuming under the plate, there are links that it mounts on. (in that case the track will need to be made in parts I'm sure) But the plates for sure can easily be made to cast from a plaster mold. This is a really good plaster. It's not plaster of paris, (which would work but the life is real short) it's a ceramic plaster. It has a chemicalcompositionthat heats it up as it cures. Really, any gypsum plaster will work well. But this is the cheapest method and one jug should last you for your track project.</div>