Switch Handle Pictures

vrs vrs at msn.com
Fri Apr 8 14:17:20 CDT 2005


From: "Dwight K. Elvey" <dwight.elvey at amd.com>
>  This is great. What are you using to make the molds?

Well, I went into the local TAP Plastics, described what I wanted to do to
the nice saleslady, and ended up with these products:

**Mold Making**
TAP Silicone RTV System, Side A and Side B.  Side B comes in a couple of
color coded versions.  I chose "TAP Silicone RTV Catalyst GREEN", which has
a 1 hour working time, and a 24 hour cure.  This stuff is easy to work with,
and hardens to a rubbery consistency, very much what you want for
mold-making.  It is white until you mix in the catalyst, which dyes it
green.

**Casting**
Quick Cast TAP Casting Resin, Side A and Side B.  This stuff hardens into a
stiff plastic, perfect for switch handles :-).  Side A and Side B are clear,
but the result will be white after it cures.  This color change makes it
more difficult to predict the effect of the colorants.  This stuff has a
very short working time -- a few minutes.  It is recommended to remove the
parts from the mold in an hour (don't know why; some kind of chemical
reaction with the mold is predicted, but I've never seen it).

**Colorant**
TAP Premium Pigment, in yellow, brown, red, and blue.  These are added in
small quantities to Side B of the resin, before side A is added.  Only a
very small amount of the pigment will actually stir into side B (most of the
pigment just lays there, no matter how much you stir.)

Hope that helps :-).  More later...

    Vince



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