Great video. It is why I look for people like you so that I can just purchase the finished part. The amount of time to produce the mold and the cost of the equipment and supplies you have in your lab easily exceeds $ 10-12 K USD. You will need to sell a lot of these lenses to bring the per part cost down to an affordable retail price. Thanks for showing us the process as I think many people don’t understand the amount of time and energy required to procure the molding equipment. cheers
3200 dollars nets you the equipment. 1.2k 3d printer, 1k pressure tank, 200 drill press, 200 vacuum tank and pump, 100 circular saw, 100 warming box, 100 PPE, 100 scanner, 75 resin, 75 resin for mold, 20 wood framing, 15 filament. Getting a perfectly clear part like his will take some trial and error on timings, but his video goes a long way in helping get past the headaches. Amazing job on his part, but equipment costs you state are to high.
Casting optically clear parts definitely is challenging. Really like your walk through of the process and your intelligent use of 3D printing to support this project. Excellent finished product. Always interesting content, Eric. Thanks for sharing!
A 4 part mold could give you both colors. Use a blocking plate for the red, and then when it sets but before it cures remove the plate, bolt the 2nd cavity set up and pour the amber.
Absolutely fantastic. I had no idea you could do this 'at home'. Simply remarkable outcome, and I am glad you portrayed the cost as it is, so I would have no illusions to DIY any time soon; but I am storing it away in my mental archive. Thank you.
I have played at this in a DIY capacity. Vacuum chamber essential in my opinion, a few hundred GBPs from Easy Composites. Don't have a pressure chamber but have got away with it so far (with smaller parts)
Make more of these for plastic or rubber parts, It would be awesome, there is so many people (including myself) that don't find spare parts anymore. 3D printing will revolutionize this market
Fantastic work. I have never casted clear parts. The difference between small bubbles in an opaque part and Zero bubbles in a good quality transparent part is enormous. A pressure can is on my ToGet list.
The most readily available pressure tank is the 2.5 gallon one from Harbor Freight. There are some videos out there on setting it up for pressure casting.
I’m pretty sure that somewhere in the comments somebody had said this before. Making a slight modification in your mold where the air vent is at the very top of the tail light mold, you can use two large syringes for two tone lenses. Red one at the bottom and the orange one at the top. You will inject the red fluid and then vacuum process the mold with the red fluid being up to the level of the adjoining orange fluid. The red fluid has hardened enough in the mold before adding the orange fluid with the vent all the way at the top. Now inject the orange fluid until the orange fluid comes out the top vent. Vacuum chamber process the whole thing a second time. Remove both syringes from the mold, and then crack open the mold. You might have to saw off the syringes first. Then grind any remaining material at the very top of the lens. Red gets injected from the bottom of the red region. Orange gets injected from the bottom of the orange region. The vent is at the top. The mold is oriented vertically. This is a two-step vacuum chamber process. I am sure that you can do this a third time with a Clear lens in the middle of one or both of the colors. You would just have to use a modified mold To inject in the clear fluid and vacuum chamber that new material. So for three colors, you will use two different molds and three vacuum stages. You will corner the market in MG, Mercedes, and other exotic classic parts that are impossible to find for hobbyists and college students alike. Give it a whirl. Get rich? Send me some. Make three color lenses in any shape. Guess how much a Mercedes 190B tail light costs. You probably already figured this out. Gravity and orientation during degassing is the challenge.
@@Lennart1995 the techniques are great. I just think that if help was hired in a vacant warehouse, this artist could corner the market on remanufactured parts. People will be able to love their old cars again. Just keep making copies until they stop selling. Then move onto British cars and classic motorbikes. The dream lives on!!
Awesome video, Really love the use of 3dprinting to simplify the mold making process. Awesome results too, I couldn't find a flaw if I tried. Its so fortunate your customer was able to provide such nice examples to replicate.
Eric. This was awesome. For many years I've pondered on how to do this. Excellent job. I appreciate your transparency related to cost and sharing your technique. Next level challenge. Custom lenses.
I had a pair of Hillman Minx Lenses cast in two colours Red and Amber. They came out perfect like these . Only cost me $250.00 "Classic Plastic" was the man. Sadly he's retired now.
I can't believe how much messing about you had to do just for two small parts which most people would see as OEM. Fantastic job, incredible detail you should be well pleased with them and yourself. 👍🏼 I'm now Subscribed to see what other amazing thins you can magic up.
This is my first time watching one of you videos. I don't know what to make of it. The explanation and walk through of your process was great. $2000 for taillights that's insane. I've done rear taillights for my Volvo. The finished product was great but i did mine without a pressure tank. I had to do some extra post work but my cost for materials was only $143. The taillights were gorgeous and i had them on the car till i got rid of it. I'm glad you can make such a substantial profit. Maybe I'm in the wrong business. 😂 Be blessed.
You talk about the cost of materials, he talks about all the cost including his time. And someone has to pay for the pressure chambers and all that. I have no idea if that price is reasonable. But I think it is good that he mentions it. Some companies or enthusiast will pay that money. Lots of private person won't pay it so there is no point in contacting him. Win/win.
The end product looks fantastic, the gloss level is amazing. It does look good all red but I live in the UK and we have to have Amber indicators/Turn signals on vehicle past 1965.
Fasinating! I think the video was recommended to me as I do watch a lot of “Jag” videos. those parts looked amazing really great work, i never knew that that was even possible!!
I've done some similar casting of mid-50's Ford transmission shifter position lenses and other plastic parts that are not reproduced. I appreciate your posting of the costs involved! Too many people think this type of project shouldn't be expensive or time consuming. I do what I want for myself, knowing that no one wants to pay what it's worth to make parts that are no longer available. Sad too. I am wondering about your "10-gallon pressure pot" though. I'm guessing you've had that for a long time or found it used. A quick search found nothing that large available, assuming I used the right search words! As many others here have already stated, GREAT VIDEO! 😍😍😎
You are correct, people have no concept how much it really costs to get parts reproduced, especially to the very high standard shown here. Just the silicone and resin are an arm and a leg! Search “10 gallon pressure tank for casting” $500-1200. C.A. Technologies makes a nice unit. I think Eric did find his used.
Thanks for your reply! So many times, on some of the FACEBOOK forums I'm on, I read people complaining about price. It's hard to give them a reality check, and not be a bit sarcastic! 😔 @@getdirecti0ns
I would (in my limited knowledge) assume you would have to break the original down into two parts mould and cast each then attach the separate cast together
@rogierius epoxy resin glue should do, if you look carefully at the original between the two colours their seams to be an overlap to increase the surface area for glueing
Wow, this guy does such excellent work. These old plastic parts are impossible to get now, and for collector cars is worth it. I could use some new speaker grilles for my 1998 Mercedes, however, $1000 is about half of what the car is worth.
Wow, they came out beautiful. Great info. I was thinking of maybe having a block off for the orange/amber & poor the two colors separately but you may have bleed through or no structural locking between the two parts. Thanks for sharing.
Really great video showcasing your replication skillset, and some cool materials in action. To note, the first silicone used is TC-5150 as the video noted, Eric was saying 5051. But Eric using many methods of additive manufacturing here is pretty great.
Came across your channel by chance, and I must say, your content is exceptional! I thoroughly enjoyed the video, especially your comprehensive documentation and explanations throughout the entire process. While I may not have the skills or equipment to attempt this myself, it's always a delight to witness someone else masterfully undertake such a fascinating process and gain insights into its mechanics. Thank you! Subbed!
If you want a two-tone replica like the original, try casting in the orange color, then mask and coat the red portion with Tamiya Clear Red (or similar). I'd try hitting just the interior first-- sometimes you get really good color refraction (?) that way. Just a thought, anyway. Great video Eric, and as always, I enjoy seeing your process! You truly engineer your molds with precision! ;)
I'm sure there is a great way to cut it into parts. One way, Eric, is to take a table saw or similar, and cut 2 of your castings in half. The reason why I suggest doing 2 castings, is because the width of the blade takes away some material. So you could cut off a little less than you need from each half, and shave them down with a sanding machine (one that is stationary), until it is exact. But you did a really great job! Looks nice! :)
There is a way you could do it two tone but you have to make two at the same time. Cast them in that orange color and then dipp them in red dye for synthetic clothing. I did that with acrylic glass by accident when coloring nylon SLS prints. Its permanent and grips the plastic really good!
That's a really nice pressure tank. I have three of them, in different lengths. Made by the Pressed Steel Tank Company in the USA at a plant that's been closed and empty (if not completely demolished by now) for a long time. The company still exists but does not make such tanks anymore. A new tank with a removable lid like that would cost at least $2,000. (I got a quote on one a few years ago.) So if you're looking for such a tank, used is the way to go. Using them for pressure casting resin, there's zero chance they'll rupture or break a lid clamp or fail in any way. One of mine has a tag with crazy high specifications. IIRC 150 PSI at 650F. 50 to 60 PSI at room temperature is like nothing to these tanks. I like the 3D printed knobs you put on the bolt heads. I just use a Crescent wrench on mine. Another possibility for surplus, used, or scrap source for a tank for resin casting is a high pressure autoclave. There are low pressure ones that are used up to 20 PSI or so. If they're not rated for a much higher maximum, I wouldn't try it. High pressure ones can go up to 200 PSI or more, while being full of superheated steam. So a used one picked up for scrap value is going to be fine at sub 100 PSI at room temperature. Strip it down to the bare tank and lid, install plugs in all the holes except for one for the regulated air inlet, one for a safety popoff valve, and one for a pressure gauge on the lid or tank wall. All my pressure tanks, the three big ones and eight 2 to 2.5 gallon ones, have a gauge mounted on the lid to directly read the tank pressure. I set the pressure by the gauge on the regulator but I rely on the gauge on the lid to know for certain the pressure in the tank.
Excellent work. I watch your videos all the time. Thank you for explaining each step you take. Please.. I would really love to see you do this again and how you would go about getting the two-tone orange/red color like the original. Please keep the videos coming. :)
When you split the mold you should blow compressed air into the bleed holes to reduce wear on the mold. It will pop open on its own if you blow it out.
someone told me if you do manage to create a glossy rubber mold, if you are casting many parts the glossy surface of the mold will eventually dull. not sure if you have had this experience? and if you know roughly how many copies one can expect before this happens? thank you
@@EricStrebelcrap. that's not very many parts. total bummer. but thanks. doesn't sound like rubber molds can be used for production, if your part needs to be glossy to achieve transparent parts. sounds like i might have to move on to injection molding.
Why pressure instead of vacuum for the final curing; does the resin keep producing bubbles even though being fully degassed by the first vacuum treatment? Can you use vacuum in the final cure, or does it have to be pressure? Stunningly beautiful parts! 😊
@@EricStrebel Well thank you, I'd never guessed it would be the moisture. Once again, absolute beautiful castings. I bet there is a pretty good market to where maybe you could sell additional ones; have not idea how many times you can use the mold though...
Another fantastic work. Something makes me think that this wouldn't be quite possible anywhere else than the US. I mean to have your home workshop and all the needed tools and material to produce this kind of result. Finding even the most non-ubiquitous materials and tools I think is only possible in the US.
stunning job!! However, you say that natural wood is stronger than let's say MDF? I learned that MDF is almost entirely of glue and glue is stronger than wood so wouldn't be the other way round correct? Thanks
Great results. But could result in trouble for forgery of documents with that copied certification mark of the original parts?! Or whats your opinon on that topic? In Germany its taken very serious with stuff like that.
Hi i don't mean to offend, wile your tooling making skills are impressive and will give recognition, for this particular tool to mold is was way over the top, perfect job , just that was over kill, specialty if you are not making 100`s of sets. There are people in Pakistan, India and Latin America that will make a few of this by hand whit whit better quality than factory made, for less than a hundred dollars a pair.
Does the customer keep the mold for next time? If not, how do you structure the pricing to account for later small batch or on-demand production runs for other owners of the same vehicle? And how many reuses do you get before the silicon mold wears out? It'd be pretty easy to run out of storage space for all the molds for all the different parts made. Balancing the cost to reflect the limitations of mold life and the costs of storage must be a challenge. Can the same technique be used for Bakelite parts?
You can make about 20-30 parts, sometimes they want the mold but usually they stays here. Sometimes they want more down the line, but it it is rare, just depends on the project, most of the time I am just making one off prototypes.
try with varnish? idk if its the correct word for this in germany its "lasur" a tint for taillights and if you buy orange and red you can do it 2 tone and polish it afterwards and dont forget to 2k clearcoat it so its not getting dull but yours looks really good thumbs up
How many castings can such a mold make? If that customer returned again, would it be cheaper for them since you already have a mold and it's just the materials + time to mix/occupy the pressure drum?
Cut a duplicate in half at the right spot and mill a ledge on the edge. Then cut another in half and make a mating ledge. Then make molds for both. Then you can epoxy them together.
Hello, great job! I wonder if it is possible to cast these parts in orange resin and then apply a red dye on the inside to the middle of the part that has to turn red. Do you think it would last?Regards
what about the shrink effect on cured silicone and resin? last year I made bmw 2002 taillights with this method, but it turned out smaller than the original parts🙄
@@EricStrebel Thanks for the reply. Have you tried 3D printing a mold out of the material that you use for the seal? I imagine it wouldn't need to be as think as what you pour for the silicone. Probably not as good for the mirror finish that you need for the brake lens but maybe good for other applications. I was wondering how to make hard to get, or custom made, plastic parts for my project vehicles. Hiring someone like you could work but the bouncing around or ideas to get it right would be frustrating. I'm pretty sure that I would annoy myself so why subject you to it?! And, I enjoy the creative process taking place in-between the swear words! I like the idea of making what I want and then some spares to sell to help absorb the cost of the big items needed to get it done. Again, thanks.
I would love to learn to do molds of my own. the boss wants clear, color forms for some of our projects, and the 3D printer in SLA is okay, but it's not CLEAR. it's translucent. I think the only way we could do this would be to make a polished part, and then create a mold of it. Thanks for showing the steps. It's so hard to design a negative space or imagine it.
Could you put a dam in across the raised bit of red cast the amber, remove the dam and cast in the red? Not sure if it would join up OK? Wonder how they did it originally.
I want to do something like this with my headlight assembly in general (housing and lens) since they are hard to find. Think it would be cool to make more lenses, and even a clear one (without reflector moldings) so I can have a go at making a projector lens retrofit. (I say they're hard to find, because I can find the one side that is good, but my driver side is just in need of repair; but it never hurts to have extra lenses and housing in the event of lets say hitting a deer at night) - It's a Mazda Navajo , so I know I can just put an Explorer front end on, but that's not fun to me!
You should have used a clear silicone and designed it for a vertical injection for the red and pour for the orange. You could have used displacement measurements to find the amount in red you would have needed. Then you could inject fill the bottom in red then pour the top in yellow. This allows you to retain factory or do red.
Excellent work: would be interesting to see the part moulded as original with both the amber and red sections.
Definitely more harder
Definitely
@@EricStrebel maybe you can trim off the amber part, put the remaining red in mold again and pour an amber batch of resin?
@@stezz90 yes, in theory that's how something like that would go
@@stezz90 Or try to put a 'barrier' in between the red & amber sections.
Great video. It is why I look for people like you so that I can just purchase the finished part. The amount of time to produce the mold and the cost of the equipment and supplies you have in your lab easily exceeds $ 10-12 K USD. You will need to sell a lot of these lenses to bring the per part cost down to an affordable retail price. Thanks for showing us the process as I think many people don’t understand the amount of time and energy required to procure the molding equipment. cheers
But how many people out there need taillights for a old Jag?
Who knows!
@@davem5333 Those of us who own old Jags. Cheers
Plenty apparently! 😀
3200 dollars nets you the equipment. 1.2k 3d printer, 1k pressure tank, 200 drill press, 200 vacuum tank and pump, 100 circular saw, 100 warming box, 100 PPE, 100 scanner, 75 resin, 75 resin for mold, 20 wood framing, 15 filament. Getting a perfectly clear part like his will take some trial and error on timings, but his video goes a long way in helping get past the headaches.
Amazing job on his part, but equipment costs you state are to high.
I'm and Industrial designer as well and this video just captivated me, I can feel the passion you have for the trade. Subscribing!
Casting optically clear parts definitely is challenging. Really like your walk through of the process and your intelligent use of 3D printing to support this project. Excellent finished product. Always interesting content, Eric. Thanks for sharing!
A 4 part mold could give you both colors. Use a blocking plate for the red, and then when it sets but before it cures remove the plate, bolt the 2nd cavity set up and pour the amber.
Absolutely fantastic. I had no idea you could do this 'at home'. Simply remarkable outcome, and I am glad you portrayed the cost as it is, so I would have no illusions to DIY any time soon; but I am storing it away in my mental archive. Thank you.
Well kinda.. it takes a lot of equipment. He mentioned the cost of $2k
You probably could do it with less equipment. But don't expect same result.
I have played at this in a DIY capacity. Vacuum chamber essential in my opinion, a few hundred GBPs from Easy Composites. Don't have a pressure chamber but have got away with it so far (with smaller parts)
This is definitely not a 'do this at home' execution!
Make more of these for plastic or rubber parts, It would be awesome, there is so many people (including myself) that don't find spare parts anymore.
3D printing will revolutionize this market
As a junior industrial designer, this was MARVELOUS! Thank you, Sr.
With skills like that, you can say Jag however you wish. Absolutely amazing work.
Thanks
This is sorcery level of craftmanship ! love your work!
Impressive from the first 30 seconds of this video!!
You raised the bar quite a bit, one of the best videos so far, in my opinion.
Thanks
Fantastic work. I have never casted clear parts. The difference between small bubbles in an opaque part and Zero bubbles in a good quality transparent part is enormous. A pressure can is on my ToGet list.
It's a must, the right resin helps of course as well
The most readily available pressure tank is the 2.5 gallon one from Harbor Freight. There are some videos out there on setting it up for pressure casting.
I’m pretty sure that somewhere in the comments somebody had said this before. Making a slight modification in your mold where the air vent is at the very top of the tail light mold, you can use two large syringes for two tone lenses. Red one at the bottom and the orange one at the top. You will inject the red fluid and then vacuum process the mold with the red fluid being up to the level of the adjoining orange fluid. The red fluid has hardened enough in the mold before adding the orange fluid with the vent all the way at the top. Now inject the orange fluid until the orange fluid comes out the top vent. Vacuum chamber process the whole thing a second time. Remove both syringes from the mold, and then crack open the mold. You might have to saw off the syringes first. Then grind any remaining material at the very top of the lens. Red gets injected from the bottom of the red region. Orange gets injected from the bottom of the orange region. The vent is at the top. The mold is oriented vertically. This is a two-step vacuum chamber process. I am sure that you can do this a third time with a Clear lens in the middle of one or both of the colors. You would just have to use a modified mold To inject in the clear fluid and vacuum chamber that new material. So for three colors, you will use two different molds and three vacuum stages. You will corner the market in MG, Mercedes, and other exotic classic parts that are impossible to find for hobbyists and college students alike. Give it a whirl. Get rich? Send me some. Make three color lenses in any shape. Guess how much a Mercedes 190B tail light costs. You probably already figured this out. Gravity and orientation during degassing is the challenge.
The solid red was per the client's request, though
@@Lennart1995 the techniques are great. I just think that if help was hired in a vacant warehouse, this artist could corner the market on remanufactured parts. People will be able to love their old cars again. Just keep making copies until they stop selling. Then move onto British cars and classic motorbikes. The dream lives on!!
Awesome video, Really love the use of 3dprinting to simplify the mold making process. Awesome results too, I couldn't find a flaw if I tried. Its so fortunate your customer was able to provide such nice examples to replicate.
Eric. This was awesome. For many years I've pondered on how to do this. Excellent job. I appreciate your transparency related to cost and sharing your technique.
Next level challenge. Custom lenses.
Please, Please, Please, MORE videos like this!! I've been following you for a long time now, but this was the video that made me extremely excited.!!
Really well done. I know not exactly cost effective for some parts. But I like that parts can be recreated without buying from the manufacturer
I had a pair of Hillman Minx Lenses cast in two colours Red and Amber. They came out perfect like these . Only cost me $250.00 "Classic Plastic" was the man. Sadly he's retired now.
That's a more realistic price, I went solid Amber for mine
I can't believe how much messing about you had to do just for two small parts which most people would see as OEM. Fantastic job, incredible detail you should be well pleased with them and yourself. 👍🏼 I'm now Subscribed to see what other amazing thins you can magic up.
Man that is so impressive and incredible workmanship..
This is my first time watching one of you videos. I don't know what to make of it. The explanation and walk through of your process was great. $2000 for taillights that's insane. I've done rear taillights for my Volvo. The finished product was great but i did mine without a pressure tank. I had to do some extra post work but my cost for materials was only $143. The taillights were gorgeous and i had them on the car till i got rid of it. I'm glad you can make such a substantial profit. Maybe I'm in the wrong business. 😂 Be blessed.
Fred do you have any info you can provide me on your process?
Oh? How much would you charge me to make me a set of tail lights for my car? $150 ish then?
You talk about the cost of materials, he talks about all the cost including his time. And someone has to pay for the pressure chambers and all that. I have no idea if that price is reasonable. But I think it is good that he mentions it. Some companies or enthusiast will pay that money. Lots of private person won't pay it so there is no point in contacting him. Win/win.
Great work. All red looks much better than the original two colors
Not sure how I got here, But I'm glad I Stayed Fantastic work from a fellow maker. I now realise I should have studied Industrial design.
Is so thrilling to see this level of attention to detail being documented
It is fascinating to watch this process with a detailed explanation. The end result is absolutely stunning.
The end product looks fantastic, the gloss level is amazing. It does look good all red but I live in the UK and we have to have Amber indicators/Turn signals on vehicle past 1965.
Thanks. Correct!
This is what I have been dreaming about since I was a child & now its here....Liked:)
Wow! Great detail for incredible results! Glad to have found super talented, intelligence and knowledgeable producer of valuable videos.
Thanks
Fasinating! I think the video was recommended to me as I do watch a lot of “Jag” videos. those parts looked amazing really great work, i never knew that that was even possible!!
I've done some similar casting of mid-50's Ford transmission shifter position lenses and other plastic parts that are not reproduced. I appreciate your posting of the costs involved! Too many people think this type of project shouldn't be expensive or time consuming. I do what I want for myself, knowing that no one wants to pay what it's worth to make parts that are no longer available. Sad too. I am wondering about your "10-gallon pressure pot" though. I'm guessing you've had that for a long time or found it used. A quick search found nothing that large available, assuming I used the right search words! As many others here have already stated, GREAT VIDEO! 😍😍😎
You are correct, people have no concept how much it really costs to get parts reproduced, especially to the very high standard shown here. Just the silicone and resin are an arm and a leg! Search “10 gallon pressure tank for casting” $500-1200. C.A. Technologies makes a nice unit. I think Eric did find his used.
Thanks for your reply! So many times, on some of the FACEBOOK forums I'm on, I read people complaining about price. It's hard to give them a reality check, and not be a bit sarcastic! 😔 @@getdirecti0ns
Takes time and resources to make something quality
i'm curious how you could make it two-toned like the original
I would (in my limited knowledge) assume you would have to break the original down into two parts mould and cast each then attach the separate cast together
Correct
@@beni446 I wonder how you would take in the account structural integrity when joining these two. I assume glueing will not do the trick,
@rogierius epoxy resin glue should do, if you look carefully at the original between the two colours their seams to be an overlap to increase the surface area for glueing
@@beni446Perhaps you can break the reproduction, now that you have it :) And then recast the whole thing one over preserving the originals.
Wow, this guy does such excellent work. These old plastic parts are impossible to get now, and for collector cars is worth it. I could use some new speaker grilles for my 1998 Mercedes, however, $1000 is about half of what the car is worth.
$1000 to $2000 Yikes
easier to find a replacement part in Europe
Search internationally you may get it cheaper in another country...maybe with shipping too
those are also 1 colored and made out of resin which is worse then pressure casted plastic. $1000 is insane price even for 2 days of work.
Wow, they came out beautiful. Great info. I was thinking of maybe having a block off for the orange/amber & poor the two colors separately but you may have bleed through or no structural locking between the two parts. Thanks for sharing.
Really great video showcasing your replication skillset, and some cool materials in action. To note, the first silicone used is TC-5150 as the video noted, Eric was saying 5051. But Eric using many methods of additive manufacturing here is pretty great.
Apologies about misspeaking, but the text is correct in the video when the product is used. Very nice materials that I liked using.
1:36 the scanned photo is actually really nice
Came across your channel by chance, and I must say, your content is exceptional! I thoroughly enjoyed the video, especially your comprehensive documentation and explanations throughout the entire process. While I may not have the skills or equipment to attempt this myself, it's always a delight to witness someone else masterfully undertake such a fascinating process and gain insights into its mechanics. Thank you! Subbed!
This is more than molding. This is art!
The RUclips algorithm brought me here, wen5 down the rabbit hole. Glad I did. Really nice video
If you want a two-tone replica like the original, try casting in the orange color, then mask and coat the red portion with Tamiya Clear Red (or similar). I'd try hitting just the interior first-- sometimes you get really good color refraction (?) that way. Just a thought, anyway. Great video Eric, and as always, I enjoy seeing your process! You truly engineer your molds with precision! ;)
Absolutely Stunning Results - 👍👍😎👍👍 Thanks Eric for the glimpse of what is possible.
I'm sure there is a great way to cut it into parts.
One way, Eric, is to take a table saw or similar, and cut 2 of your castings in half.
The reason why I suggest doing 2 castings, is because the width of the blade takes away some material.
So you could cut off a little less than you need from each half, and shave them down with a sanding machine (one that is stationary), until it is exact.
But you did a really great job!
Looks nice!
:)
There is a way you could do it two tone but you have to make two at the same time. Cast them in that orange color and then dipp them in red dye for synthetic clothing. I did that with acrylic glass by accident when coloring nylon SLS prints. Its permanent and grips the plastic really good!
For straightening copper wire put it in a drill no joke spinning it up while pulling the single strand it will strengthen up perfectly
That's a really nice pressure tank. I have three of them, in different lengths. Made by the Pressed Steel Tank Company in the USA at a plant that's been closed and empty (if not completely demolished by now) for a long time. The company still exists but does not make such tanks anymore. A new tank with a removable lid like that would cost at least $2,000. (I got a quote on one a few years ago.) So if you're looking for such a tank, used is the way to go. Using them for pressure casting resin, there's zero chance they'll rupture or break a lid clamp or fail in any way. One of mine has a tag with crazy high specifications. IIRC 150 PSI at 650F. 50 to 60 PSI at room temperature is like nothing to these tanks.
I like the 3D printed knobs you put on the bolt heads. I just use a Crescent wrench on mine.
Another possibility for surplus, used, or scrap source for a tank for resin casting is a high pressure autoclave. There are low pressure ones that are used up to 20 PSI or so. If they're not rated for a much higher maximum, I wouldn't try it. High pressure ones can go up to 200 PSI or more, while being full of superheated steam. So a used one picked up for scrap value is going to be fine at sub 100 PSI at room temperature. Strip it down to the bare tank and lid, install plugs in all the holes except for one for the regulated air inlet, one for a safety popoff valve, and one for a pressure gauge on the lid or tank wall. All my pressure tanks, the three big ones and eight 2 to 2.5 gallon ones, have a gauge mounted on the lid to directly read the tank pressure. I set the pressure by the gauge on the regulator but I rely on the gauge on the lid to know for certain the pressure in the tank.
I would like to see that piece made with the two tones and how you would divide the mold for it
Yeah, me too, I would like to make a video about that.
impressive, looks retail and I really salute that you mention price.
That was OUTSTANDING. Such great creativity and talent, and excellent attention to detail. Just loved watching your process!!!
I don't really do two part molds but I love the idea behind a splitter board.
Excellent work. I watch your videos all the time. Thank you for explaining each step you take.
Please.. I would really love to see you do this again and how you would go about getting the two-tone orange/red color like the original.
Please keep the videos coming. :)
When you split the mold you should blow compressed air into the bleed holes to reduce wear on the mold. It will pop open on its own if you blow it out.
my guy, you are very talented at what you do and I will be happy to give you money for your work
Wow very cool, thanks for sharing
I would love to see how you would tackle the 2 tone
your channel is criminally undersubscribed!
someone told me if you do manage to create a glossy rubber mold, if you are casting many parts the glossy surface of the mold will eventually dull. not sure if you have had this experience? and if you know roughly how many copies one can expect before this happens? thank you
Ehhh, depends, but you should be able to get 10-20 parts before some degradation begins
@@EricStrebelcrap. that's not very many parts. total bummer. but thanks. doesn't sound like rubber molds can be used for production, if your part needs to be glossy to achieve transparent parts. sounds like i might have to move on to injection molding.
Quedo brutalmente bien.
Felicidades.
Saludos
Amazing process! Looks like quite a hell of an upfront investment cost in materials, machines etc. But what a fantastic result!
Thanks
Why pressure instead of vacuum for the final curing; does the resin keep producing bubbles even though being fully degassed by the first vacuum treatment? Can you use vacuum in the final cure, or does it have to be pressure?
Stunningly beautiful parts! 😊
The resin reacts with the moisture in the environment, pressure reduces that effect
@@EricStrebel Well thank you, I'd never guessed it would be the moisture.
Once again, absolute beautiful castings. I bet there is a pretty good market to where maybe you could sell additional ones; have not idea how many times you can use the mold though...
They turned out fantastic! Well done!!
Enjoyed the video. Excellent process. And i like that you would charge a realistic value to cover your costs and make some profit.
Another fantastic work. Something makes me think that this wouldn't be quite possible anywhere else than the US. I mean to have your home workshop and all the needed tools and material to produce this kind of result. Finding even the most non-ubiquitous materials and tools I think is only possible in the US.
This was so satisfying to watch. Great content. I love learning new things.
This is totally cool. The tail lights on my Barchetta are starting to fade. Your project is something to think about.
stunning job!!
However, you say that natural wood is stronger than let's say MDF? I learned that MDF is almost entirely of glue and glue is stronger than wood so wouldn't be the other way round correct? Thanks
No, definitely not in this application.
Nice work I can do a split color resin light I've done it years back took me a lot of tries to get it done right
I did not expect the “customer states” thank you!
😀
Always an enjoyable watch ,thank you, Eric :-)
I should do similar, but interruptions are endless here ...
Great results. But could result in trouble for forgery of documents with that copied certification mark of the original parts?! Or whats your opinon on that topic? In Germany its taken very serious with stuff like that.
Hi i don't mean to offend, wile your tooling making skills are impressive and will give recognition, for this particular tool to mold is was way over the top, perfect job , just that was over kill, specialty if you are not making 100`s of sets.
There are people in Pakistan, India and Latin America that will make a few of this by hand whit whit better quality than factory made, for less than a hundred dollars a pair.
Great
Does the cost go down after the mold is made to make more than one of an item, and what would it take to scale up to say 100?
No, molds don't last more than 20-30 parts
@@EricStrebel Would the cost per part go down if I order 30 pieces then? :D
Does the customer keep the mold for next time?
If not, how do you structure the pricing to account for later small batch or on-demand production runs for other owners of the same vehicle? And how many reuses do you get before the silicon mold wears out?
It'd be pretty easy to run out of storage space for all the molds for all the different parts made. Balancing the cost to reflect the limitations of mold life and the costs of storage must be a challenge.
Can the same technique be used for Bakelite parts?
You can make about 20-30 parts, sometimes they want the mold but usually they stays here. Sometimes they want more down the line, but it it is rare, just depends on the project, most of the time I am just making one off prototypes.
Impressive. Saving this video for future business reference.
try with varnish?
idk if its the correct word for this
in germany its "lasur" a tint for taillights
and if you buy orange and red you can do it 2 tone and polish it afterwards
and dont forget to 2k clearcoat it so its not getting dull
but yours looks really good thumbs up
Thanks
Very nice, i really can appreciate knowledge like this and experience. It looks so satisfying to be able to make things like this 😊
How many castings can such a mold make? If that customer returned again, would it be cheaper for them since you already have a mold and it's just the materials + time to mix/occupy the pressure drum?
20-30
Yes it's a nice part, but the original was two tone for a reason. Is that even useable on the road if installed?
Yup
Cut a duplicate in half at the right spot and mill a ledge on the edge. Then cut another in half and make a mating ledge. Then make molds for both. Then you can epoxy them together.
JUST WOW. Incredible glossy finish! but I wonder HOW would you make the "2-tone Yellow-Red" version, just like the OEM? How's that done?
Fantastic!! can't believe that supreme quality
end mandolorian guitar is amazing lol good molding and précisions part
Would it have been possible to even make them like the originals with 2 colors?
Theoretically yes
Thank you for posting this! I was looking for this information last week and still had some gaps in my knowledge.
Hello, great job! I wonder if it is possible to cast these parts in orange resin and then apply a red dye on the inside to the middle of the part that has to turn red. Do you think it would last?Regards
Done know
They look fantastic, but I’m curious about how they’ll hold up after a few years in the sun.
Fascinating. So much work but what an amazing result. Thanks for sharing.
Just wondering if there's anyway you could have the two color result, as the original one.
GREAT work can we replace the urethane with epoxy?
Yes, in theory
Is it possible to do a 2 colour casting if there was a divider removable afer the first colour sets, then the second colour poured.
Yes, anything is possible, it's just money.
Awesome video, I really enjoyed watching it. The result is stunning!
Thanks
Very, very nice project. They came out perfect. Thank you.
what about the shrink effect on cured silicone and resin?
last year I made bmw 2002 taillights with this method, but it turned out smaller than the original parts🙄
Negligible, use quality products
How well does the silicone hold up for doing multiple castings this way? Does the detail in the silicone deteriorate quickly?
Maybe 30 parts max
@@EricStrebel Thanks for the reply. Have you tried 3D printing a mold out of the material that you use for the seal? I imagine it wouldn't need to be as think as what you pour for the silicone. Probably not as good for the mirror finish that you need for the brake lens but maybe good for other applications.
I was wondering how to make hard to get, or custom made, plastic parts for my project vehicles. Hiring someone like you could work but the bouncing around or ideas to get it right would be frustrating. I'm pretty sure that I would annoy myself so why subject you to it?! And, I enjoy the creative process taking place in-between the swear words! I like the idea of making what I want and then some spares to sell to help absorb the cost of the big items needed to get it done. Again, thanks.
I would love to learn to do molds of my own. the boss wants clear, color forms for some of our projects, and the 3D printer in SLA is okay, but it's not CLEAR. it's translucent. I think the only way we could do this would be to make a polished part, and then create a mold of it.
Thanks for showing the steps. It's so hard to design a negative space or imagine it.
Your welcome
I wish to see 2 colored exact copy of it. I wonder the method. regards.
Hi I really like your work and let me ask you which is the cost of the material for the piece? an aproximation pls
Materials link in the description
I've cast many things and used many teqniques similar to yours, I can say nice work and great attention to detail..
Thanks
Could you put a dam in across the raised bit of red cast the amber, remove the dam and cast in the red? Not sure if it would join up OK? Wonder how they did it originally.
I want to do something like this with my headlight assembly in general (housing and lens) since they are hard to find. Think it would be cool to make more lenses, and even a clear one (without reflector moldings) so I can have a go at making a projector lens retrofit. (I say they're hard to find, because I can find the one side that is good, but my driver side is just in need of repair; but it never hurts to have extra lenses and housing in the event of lets say hitting a deer at night) - It's a Mazda Navajo , so I know I can just put an Explorer front end on, but that's not fun to me!
You should have used a clear silicone and designed it for a vertical injection for the red and pour for the orange. You could have used displacement measurements to find the amount in red you would have needed. Then you could inject fill the bottom in red then pour the top in yellow. This allows you to retain factory or do red.
Absolutely loved your presentation and insights into the product design. Challenging and excellent work, thanks for sharing it !