Slush Casting Nosecones: Anybody try this before?

[K'Tesh]

I have a design in my head that I'd like to do using a a nosecone based on a bottle I've found here in China. It's a waterbottle, and made from plastic, so no glass to worry about.

What I'm thinking is that I should slush cast it, by pouring in a mix of (if I can find it) chopped fiberglass and epoxy. I'd then rotate the bottle until the entire interior is coated evenly. Then I could cut the bottle off of the casting and I've got my nosecone.

Has anybody done this before? How did it turn out?

If not... Can anybody think of a reason why it wouldn't work?

 

[fyrwrxz]

Jim- Given the fact a lot of nose cones are roto-moulded, try it! I would think viscosity is the key here and if you do a pour with just thinned epoxy first that may act as a gel coat. Maybe a litle colour for spotting thin spot in a bright light shone thru the side as you rotate. Then carry on with the chopped matrix for strength. If you can find another bottle (doesn't sound too rare) you could also make a two part casting of it and create a mould for a fibre-glas N/C from that.

 

[neil_w]

This sounds interesting. There had better be some pictures...

 

[Steve Shannon]

I've never heard it called slush casting before. In ceramics that's called slip-casting.

 

[K'Tesh]

I've never heard it called slush casting before. In ceramics that's called slip-casting.

The difference is that in ceramics, the mold needs to be absorbent to wick moisture away from the slip (or slurry of casting material) that forms the hollow piece within. IINM you pour in your slip material, let it sit for a while, then pour out the material that didn't bond inside. Then you allow it to harden (dry) for a while, until you can remove the mold. No need to rotate the mold while the casting process is being done.

Slush molding doesn't have an absorbent mold. The mold has to contain the casting material which is then slushed (turned end over end) around until it hardens either through cooling (for metals, etc.) or through chemical reactions (such as resins).

https://blog.polytek.com/2014/04/24/slush-casting-resin-to-make-hollow-parts/

[video=youtube;yAWgrwYq0iY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAWgrwYq0iY[/video]

 

[Steve Shannon]

The difference is that in ceramics, the mold needs to be absorbent to wick moisture away from the slip (or slurry of casting material) that forms the hollow piece within. IINM you pour in your slip material, let it sit for a while, then pour out the material that didn't bond inside. Then you allow it to harden (dry) for a while, until you can remove the mold. No need to rotate the mold while the casting process is being done.

Slush molding doesn't have an absorbent mold. The mold has to contain the casting material which is then slushed (turned end over end) around until it hardens either through cooling (for metals, etc.) or through chemical reactions (such as resins).

https://blog.polytek.com/2014/04/24/slush-casting-resin-to-make-hollow-parts/

[video=youtube;yAWgrwYq0iY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAWgrwYq0iY[/video]

Interesting...
Thanks


Steve Shannon

 

[chris m]

I think it would work I have done a nose cone from a traffic cone lay up two layers inside the cone then pop it out when green . Then lay up the outside

 

[rharshberger]

Check out John Boren's website he has a DIY roto-molder he built.