Hello all
I’m new to this Form and in need of some help.
I have been using R&R investment and using their recommended burnout ramp time and temps.
Also have Gessweins curing machine and let my pieces sit in the sun.
Going to try spraying with WD40 dry next.
I can not get this stuff to cast without porosity ( especially White gold)
Is anyone out there getting consistent results using form labs castable resin?
Is there better stuff out there??
Any Help would be Greatly appreciated!
Thanks
-George
follow formlabs burnout schedule not R&R, increase airflow if possible. we drilled a hole in the door of out electric oven. i have been coating resins in lamp oil and that works very well. and we have been casting everything at 900 f and have been getting very consistent high quality castings. Hope this helps,
Hey George…
I’m not at all familiar with Gesswein’s curing unit, but I would be curious if it’s using LEDs or a UV tube? I have found that I need to cure for longer times than recommended. My curing setup is just a UV (not LED) nail curing unit. I sometimes will leave the pieces to cure for a day or more if I’m not in a rush. If the piece is at all sticky, or slightly soft, it will result in a bad casting, at least in my experience.
I’m also using R&R, but not the one with Bandust. I sometimes will let the piece burnout a little longer at the highest temperature on the Formlabs schedule, but I don’t use their final temperature…I think my final temp is 975°F with a KayaCast vacuum setup, but I’m also casting silver. I haven’t cast gold yet. I have also cast in Keri’s SatinCast, and as far as I’ve noticed, there’s no difference.
I have also found that good ventilation is crucial. I have a little Paragon kiln that has a vent on the top, which I leave open during the entire burnout. I also allow the sprue wax to melt, and at some point I’ll flip the flask over so the button/open side is up. I’ve also had better luck with multiple sprues or a larger sprue. Some of the things that seem like porosity to me I think are more likely related to incomplete burnout and ash residue. On one of my last castings I took the flask out, blew in the hole gently, then returned it for the final ramp down to the casting temp.
I have recently tried the PTFE spray, which seems to work well. I’ve also bought the Neutec “thin” version of their sprue system from Rio that has a fairly large main sprue, and that seems to work well. Perhaps it’s getting more airflow to the pieces. I cast those with perforated flasks, although most of my castings are in small flasks (2, 2-1/2, and 3").
What kind of casting setup are you using? What final temp?
Im casting again today and raised my highest temp from 1350 to 1450 to see if I could burn that ash out of there and then I’m going to turn flask upside down on vacuum to try and suck any remaining ash out.
Thanks for the responses
I really appreciate the help!
George
If I’m not mistaken, BlueCast recommends burning out at 1450°F (I’d have to check), so I contacted R&R for technical assistance. Whatever the recommended burnout of BlueCast was, they said it was too high, and that the investment breaks down because the higher temperature causes there to be less oxygen, which they said was critical for a clean burnout. Let me see if I can find my post in the BlueCast part of the FL forum.
I like your idea of using the vacuum upside down, although on one forum I read that a vacuum caster will drop 100°F for each minute the vacuum is applied. I wonder if you can vacuum, then put it back in for 30 minutes, then cast? I had also considered using one of those cans of compressed air for cleaning keyboards.
Just verified…yes, R&R told me that 1450°F was too high and would break down the investment, and recommended 1350°F and holding longer. Another member on the forum said that they used 1400°F successfully.
That other forum is specific to BlueCast, but has a lot of good experimentation.
Hi! We have problem with the casting too. We use Castable Wax, doing everything as in the instructions but it just doesn’t work. Do you know how can I actually get some human help? I don’t get any response after requesting help on the website. What does V1 mean in Castable wax?
I’m so sorry to hear your experience trying to get in touch with our support team has been so frustrating so far!
I just checked out support system and didn’t see any record of new tickets from your email address. Can you tell me what you tried specifically when you say you requested help on our website?
You may have already done this, but the most efficient way to get in touch with us is by using the “Submit a Request” button on the page below. As soon as you do that a member of our support team should be in touch shortly.
Again, I want to sincerely apologize for the trouble so far. That’s absolutely not the experience we want our users to have when they’re looking for help.
If you still don’t hear from us within 1 business day please do not hesitate to let me know here and I can figure something out so we can get you in contact with our support team.
To answer your last question, the V1 in Castable Wax V1 just refers to the fact that it’s our first version of this particular material since it’s a relatively recent release.
Ok After two rather frustrating years of trying to get a decent cast out of Castable resin and castable wax resin I have learnt some tips. Castable resin is better for detail and it is better for delicate patterns because before its cured it has a little give and so its easier to cut off the supports. If you want to get good casts then cure the heck out of it. At least 2 hours in a commercial curing unit or 6 to 8 hours in a home made one or nail bar unit. Castable Wax resin is very brittle and care has to be used when cutting off supports. Sprue so air can get to your items. let the flasks set and stand for at least 24 hours. The plaster will then just about be hard enough to resist thin walled items expanding. Don’t even try casting anything with a section of more than 4mm. It will just bust the mould. Its not wax and not even close in terms of its ability to burn out cleanly or give a good surface. However with practice, experimentation and patience you can just about get an acceptable finish. Best thing to do - use it to make a rubber mould and use injection wax patterns.
I wrote twice to support team…no answer at all just sending me in two days email “as we do not hear from you some days we close the topic”!!! incredible help!!!..the same problem, I spent 1L of castable wax resin already , tried different schedules and at least three investment powder (R&R bandust, gold star Omega+ and Prestige Omega) R&R 50/50 result other two very bad… I am used pond compressor to increase air flow…I am really tired, its stuck, just spending money and time…its my last try and will send FL2 to rubbish bin
I’m so sorry to hear you’re having some trouble getting in touch with our support team! I’ll certainly investigate to see why you’re not getting through as quickly as possible today.
I’m sorry to hear that! And apologies for the delayed response from me! I spoke to our services team and they said replies went out the day your original message came in, so I would check your spam folders in your email.
If that’s still giving you trouble we can absolutely try an alternate email address that I’d be happy to send their way.
