Great Dane excavating co.

[bigford]

where's the tire??? you should see half a tire in there

[tc1cat]

Have been thinking about your mold making and tire making project. If memory serves me correctly- don't bet on it!!- you can put your mold in the vacuum chamber as it cures so that it won't distort if you put the completed mold in the vacuum chamber with resin in it to mold the tire. This way all of the trapped air is removed from both the mold and the resin for the tire. I am sure this is what Alumalite recommends. Never purchased a vacuum chamber as I tried to stick to open or 1 sided molds. I do remember them saying that you need to use the vacuum chamber for all phases of the process. Just using the vacumm on the mold silicon and the resin before molding is not enough to get ALL of the air out. The vacuum must be used during the curing time to remove any trapped air accumulated during the pouring process. Modelman's pouring vents also help a lot.

Hope that this might help.

[DieselKid]

I don't know why I don't visit this thread more often, so much new additions since the last time I checked in!

The dozer, excavator.....everything, just awesome! Especially the scratch-built scissorneck I'm digging that short wheel base Aeromax daycab.....looks perfect!

Keep up the awesome work!

-Alex

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by DieselKid

I don't know why I don't visit this thread more often, so much new additions since the last time I checked in!

The dozer, excavator.....everything, just awesome! Especially the scratch-built scissorneck I'm digging that short wheel base Aeromax daycab.....looks perfect!

Keep up the awesome work!

-Alex

Thanks, it's a hobby that is constantly changing from making brass cylinders to programming radios, to now trying to make tires!!! It's a fun ride

[TRUCKMAKER]

Originally Posted by bigford

where's the tire??? you should see half a tire in there

Coop I worked on some of this kind of molding years ago and things have changed big time but I'm with bigford, unless you cut your pattern in half in the tread centerline and its laying cut side face down why aren't we seeing half the tire sticking out of your first mold pour?

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by TRUCKMAKER

Coop I worked on some of this kind of molding years ago and things have changed big time but I'm with bigford, unless you cut your pattern in half in the tread centerline and its laying cut side face down why aren't we seeing half the tire sticking out of your first mold pour?

I guess I was just posting progress pics

This is the first half of mold poured last night. Have to let first half cure before second half gets poured. I should have taken a picture of the clay base. In the first pic the mold box has 3/4" of clay the tire is resting on. Then clay up the sides to centerline of tread pattern. Also why I choose a tread pattern to make mold simpler. The pink is the mold material poured onto half the tire.

In the second pic I removed the mold box, and removed the clay. Some more cleaning and then a release agent, then second half of mold will be poured onto that. Making a complete two part mold. Pour holes and vent holes will be added. And that is the ugly side of tire that will always be facing inward so not as much time spent on smoothing out all the little lines.

I choose to make the mold this way as it seemed more uniform. I guess I could have made the first half with the plugs on bottom and not went the clay rout. Eather way it's the same.