# Need advice on how to procede



## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

I've started this walnut burl bowl with holes in it. I have alumilite but need advice on how to procede. Should I fill them now or go ahead and rough it out then fill them. I've never used alumilite. anxious to learn but don't want to waste it. I do not have the liquid dyies. I have the powder.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1


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## wyowoodwrker (Mar 23, 2017)

Rough it out then fill. Resin is spendy and the less you have to fill the better, will also help to make sure that you don't end up with air pockets and voids in the filling.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

wyowoodwrker said:


> Rough it out then fill. Resin is spendy and the less you have to fill the better, will also help to make sure that you don't end up with air pockets and voids in the filling.


So if the holes go through do I need some kind of putty or will foil tape work to cover one side when I pour it in.


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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

Man this is going to be beautiful.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 6 | Way Cool 1


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## wyowoodwrker (Mar 23, 2017)

C.L. Boyett said:


> So if the holes go through do I need some kind of putty or will foil tape work to cover one side when I pour it in.



Tape works just fine, masking tape....really just about any will since you're going to be final turning it anyway

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## Jim Beam (Mar 23, 2017)

C.L. Boyett said:


> Man this is going to be beautiful.



Wow! That will be worth whatever it takes to fill the voids. How big is it?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

wyowoodwrker said:


> Tape works just fine, masking tape....really just about any will since you're going to be final turning it anyway


Thanks a bunch. I was unsure if alumilite would make the tape come loose. It'll be a while till it's dry.


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## duncsuss (Mar 23, 2017)

C.L. Boyett said:


> Thanks a bunch. I was unsure if alumilite would make the tape come loose. It'll be a while till it's dry.



Not sure from what you wrote if you are planning to wait till it's dry before filling those voids with alumilite. (I think you should -- because the wood will move as it dries, but the alumilite won't.)

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## duncsuss (Mar 23, 2017)

btw, yes -- this is going to be spectacular

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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

Jim Beam said:


> Wow! That will be worth whatever it takes to fill the voids. How big is it?


Probably 8 or 9 inches. I didn't even measure it. My shop has rough bowls sitting all over. I want one out of my elm Burl but I want a coring tool first. I have several slabs 6" thick 3' long, maybe 16" wide. I'm addicted


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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

duncsuss said:


> Not sure from what you wrote if you are planning to wait till it's dry before filling those voids with alumilite. (I think you should -- because the wood will move as it dries, but the alumilite won't.)


Definitely waiting till it's dry. 
im an impatient person. The waiting kills me.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Nubsnstubs (Mar 23, 2017)

If you're going to definitely use Alumilite, the wood has to be dry as it reacts to moisture, and will have bubbles. I do hope you are going to pressurize this as Alumilite works best under pressure. Tape will work, but you would need to be certain that it is making absolute contact because under pressure, the resin will be forced out of the cavity if it has any opportunity to migrate under pressure. I make mdf molds to fit my form with about a toothpick gap all around. when cured, about 1 week later, I turn off the mdf and expose the now filled wood. I wait a week because the resin needs to acclimate to the wood. I usually remove the cast piece from my pressure tank after 4 hours, but do wait the week mentioned. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)

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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 23, 2017)

Nubsnstubs said:


> If you're going to definitely use Alumilite, the wood has to be dry as it reacts to moisture, and will have bubbles. I do hope you are going to pressurize this as Alumilite works best under pressure. Tape will work, but you would need to be certain that it is making absolute contact because under pressure, the resin will be forced out of the cavity if it has any opportunity to migrate under pressure. I make mdf molds to fit my form with about a toothpick gap all around. when cured, about 1 week later, I turn off the mdf and expose the now filled wood. I wait a week because the resin needs to acclimate to the wood. I usually remove the cast piece from my pressure tank after 4 hours, but do wait the week mentioned. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)


Thx Jerry. plz enlighten me on what mdf is. I will work on getting a pressure tank, or fabricate one.


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## David Hill (Mar 23, 2017)

What's the solution??


You can send it to me & it won't be a headache for you! 

I haven't used alumilite, but could have fun with epoxy/mineral.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## rocky1 (Mar 23, 2017)

Ditto what Jerry said... If the wood is at all wet, the alumilite will react and you'll get a fine layer of bubbles on the surface of the wood, and very likely on the surface of your pour.

Personally, I use gorilla tape on my HDPE molds, rather than screw them together and seal all the joints, and Gorilla tape will hold the resin when applied on HDPE. Whether you can get it to stick tight enough to wood to get by, is maybe iffy, but if anything will, gorilla tape will. Have yet to have a problem with a first cast on a taped mold. And, have gone two pours on taped molds several times, but that's generally inviting lots of clean up. If the resin does get up under the tape it can make all the goo on the tape come loose and stick to your mold. On HDPE, denatured alcohol causes the goo to turn loose, so you can roll it up in a little ball and remove it, again I honestly don't know if or how that will work on wood.

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## Nubsnstubs (Mar 24, 2017)

CL, MDF is medium density fiberboard. Same thing as particle board, but instead of wood chips as the main ingredient, it's powdered wood and resins. I know that in order to0 make a 3/4" sheet, they start with a 16" batt, and compress it down to get a 3/4" sheet. I've been using it since '79.

If you have a cabinet shop in town, you could visit them and ask for their scraps. If not, Home depot and Lowes has it, and in cut sizes that are easier to handle. Back in the day, 3/4" sheets used to weigh in at 110 pounds each.

I'll post several pictures later today of what I do to cast my stuff.

I don't know if you already know this, but Alumilite has a shelf life of 90 days on their water clear product. ........ ................... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Mar 24, 2017)



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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 24, 2017)

David Hill said:


> What's the solution??
> 
> 
> You can send it to me & it won't be a headache for you!
> ...


I can't learn if I pawn off my problems.

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 2


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## C.L. Boyett (Mar 24, 2017)

Nubsnstubs said:


> CL, MDF is medium density fiberboard. Same thing as particle board, but instead of wood chips as the main ingredient, it's powdered wood and resins. I know that in order to0 make a 3/4" sheet, they start with a 16" batt, and compress it down to get a 3/4" sheet. I've been using it since '79.
> 
> If you have a cabinet shop in town, you could visit them and ask for their scraps. If not, Home depot and Lowes has it, and in cut sizes that are easier to handle. Back in the day, 3/4" sheets used to weigh in at 110 pounds each.
> 
> ...


Pics would be awesome. Really appreciated All the help. This is an awesome site. 90 day shelf life?? You mean after opening or 90 days period.


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## Nubsnstubs (Mar 24, 2017)

CL, I believe 90 days after receipt. I called them and talked to Evelyn, I believe that's her name, and out of nowhere came my question of shelf life. I'm glad I did as I was about 95 days past purchase date, and rushed to get the last 1 1/2 gallons cast before it went bad. Lost a couple quarts or more because of the rush, but managed to get about 6-7 good castings. 

I'm going to start a thread of a work in progress. These were cast 2 years ago, and still have a couple that need to be turned. Look for "Casting Alumilite" in this forum. ............... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## rocky1 (Mar 24, 2017)

Well... my alumilite has sat on the shelf for a WHOLE LOT LONGER than 90 days, and it's still working fine. Hasn't been refrigerated, and temps in the shop frequently exceed 100 degrees during the summer. Want to say it's going on nearly a year on the shelf in my shop, and while I am about done with it, most of the 2 quarts has been used in the last 60 days or so, without any problems.

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## Nubsnstubs (Mar 25, 2017)

Rocky, you didn't say whether your Alumilite was the Water Clear or not, but I use the that and that is what I was told by Elaine?. Don't know if That's her name either. Each of their product has different a pot life, and it's very possible that each has a different shelf life. It's worth checking that out when you get the product. 

I used some System 2000 resin and 2100 hardener when first experimenting with castings. Shelf life wasn't asked about nor mentioned when I got the stuff. It doesn't even have a "use by" date. I used half, and about 8-9 months later, I did another casting. It's been over 6 months, and it's still not cured. Gummy mess on a beautiful piece of wood. That's my take on resins and products that are man made. Even Pine Pitch changes over time into Amber, and that's a natural product. ............... Jerry (in Tucson)

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## rocky1 (Mar 25, 2017)

Yes sir... it is the 'Water Clear' Jerry.

None of it had been opened until the last couple months, had no clue what shelf life was, but suspected it may well have exceeded shelf life, especially sitting out over the summer, (_have my Silmar, CA, and other opened goodies in the shop fridge, didn't have room for the alumilite_), so I decided to try and use it up. No problems what so ever with it. Except for the batch I screwed up, poured to the wrong line on the cup, and didn't put enough Part B in; that one refused to set. (_Best I can figure rather than 50/50, I mixed that batch 50/25. And, speaking from experience cast at 90 psi it takes over a month for it to quit oozing out of material 3/8" thick._)

Most of my pours have been minimal size and or thickness, most in the 50 - 100 ml range, 3/8" to 3/4" thick, (_there is notice in the alumilite instructions concerning heating the material on pours of 1/4" or less because it doesn't generate enough exothermic heat to set_), and several of mine have been poured on cooler days. Cure time was slowed a little through all of that, (_which I was hoping to do honestly_), but even that hasn't been affected it substantially. 

Honestly not trying to dispute what Elaine told you Jerry; simply pointing out that shelf time may be much longer than they claim for liability reasons, so one should try it before disposing of it, regardless of age. A small test pour is more prone to failure than a larger pour, as exothermic reaction increases with size and volume of the pour; if in doubt, pour a pen blank or two, and see if it sets before jumping off into a bigger pour. With most resins you'll know in a couple hours if your resin is going to set, even on a small pour.


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## Nubsnstubs (Mar 25, 2017)

Thanks Rocky, I'm glad you mentioned the heat needed. I was told that Alumilite needs a minimum of 120 degrees internally to cure properly. The mass must reach that temperature. 

I did the same thing once after 3-4 successful castings. A small oak burl about half the size of a soccer ball. It's been about 2 years now, and it's still liquid. I haven't asked what I could use to wash it out of the wood, but one day I might...... Jerry

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## rocky1 (Mar 25, 2017)

The cast I made is slowly but surely starting to set, and being rather small it is also about done oozing out of it, but it has been a while!!

That being the case, I wonder if heating it might cause it to set? May be something think about. I know the instructions suggested heating the mold to 125 to 150 degrees on pours less than 1/4". But I'm really not trying to accelerate it, so I've been a little leery of attempting that


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## C.L. Boyett (Apr 19, 2017)

Jim Beam said:


> Wow! That will be worth whatever it takes to fill the voids. How big is it?


Don't remember the measurements but that's a 12" lathe so I'd say approximately 10" or a bit more. I've got it drying in my kiln.


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