| Gallery, Projects and General > How do I?? |
| Machinable wax |
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| PTsideshow:
Thanks, :thumbup: I still learn more every day on this and a number of other forums! :dremel: Yep I'm still working on the first two in my sig line and will never try the third :bugeye: |
| AdeV:
A 25kg bag of paraffin wax beans turned up today (see BMW sump thread), I can turn approximately 2.25kg into machinable wax in 3 hours if tonight is anything to go by, so by this time next week, I should have tons of the stuff :) Today, I moulded some in a cup; when it set I chucked it up in the lathe & did a few turning/facing/drilling/reaming operations on it. Again, it behaved impeccably. Only two issues, really: I didn't wait quite long enough for it to cool down. so it shrunk in the chuck & came loose (didn't go anywhere, luckily). And, because you can't hear a cut being taken, it's hard to plunge a drillbit into an existing hole, and be confident of knowing when it starts cutting... Other than that, this stuff is a hoot. It's like plasticine for grownups :D |
| DMIOM:
--- Quote from: AdeV on February 17, 2010, 07:12:19 PM ---A 25kg bag of paraffin wax beans turned up today (see BMW sump thread), I can turn approximately 2.25kg into machinable wax in 3 hours if tonight is anything to go by, so by this time next week, I should have tons of the stuff --- End quote --- Next experiment - what's the adhesion/cohesion like? if you can make a dozen 5lb blocks, then you could make a dozen micro-sumps - but unless you then remelt & cast via a 45 gallon drum, are you sure you can build up the layers OK with the modified wax as is done for candles? or will you have to re-inforce it - concrete re-bar? |
| tumutbound:
Has anyone tried making up a machinable wax using a microcrystalline wax as the base? It's supposed to be harder that standard paraffin wax. |
| AdeV:
--- Quote from: DMIOM on February 18, 2010, 04:10:30 AM ---Next experiment - what's the adhesion like? if you can make a dozen 5lb blocks, then you could make a dozen micro-sumps - but unless you then remelt & cast via a 45 gallon drum, are you sure you can build up the layers OK with the modified wax as is done for candles? or will you have to re-inforce it - concrete re-bar? --- End quote --- And that is the $64k question (well, £6.40 at least...). My current plan is to try to re-melt the whole lot together and pour it in one go. I've yet to ascertain how I'll do that, but it will clearly involve some big pans, and probably an engine crane... I did wonder about pouring in sections/layers, but I'm not sure what stresses that will set up in the wax. I'd hate to get half way through machining and the whole lot goes "pop" & breaks up... |
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