Plastic resins at home?

[meal4zombies]

Does anyone have any experience with pouring a strong RTV resin in their home shop without expensive injection equipment? I'm looking for something strong like glass-filled nylon for structural elements that will support decent weight that is resistant to oil and other chemicals.

 

[bobadame]

Bondo?

 

[srmofo]

mcmaster-carr sells alot of different resins epoxies and poly. I made some motor mounts once....made a goddamn mess too....I obviously wasnt prepared very well

 

[kwb]

Don't know of a pourable that will get to strength/toughness of a GF Nylon.

I do a lot in Polyester and Vinylester Resins with glass, Epoxy is better at chemical reactivity depending on what you are trying to contain. Lots of work wetting out or setting up a vacuum bag setup if you are trying to get glass content fairly high.

Let us know a bit more on what you are trying to build and you will get better responses.

 

[meal4zombies]

I want to make my own tool chest. I have too many tools for a normal-sized tool chest, and a large tool chest would cost too much. I was thinking I could build one out of wood and carpet it, but that would be too heavy for the size I need. Sheet metal is expensive. Fiberglass layup by hand with bondo for smoothness would crack over time. So I fugred I could put together a simple frame from steel pipe and pour other elements from some kind of resin. Each drawer will need to support about 100lbs, possibly more.

 

[rsanter]

You are on the wrong track
The only way to get strong plastic parts like you are wanting will have too much capital cost
Metal is the way to go for what you want

Bob

 

[tcheat]

I picked up an old Craftsman table saw from the 1950s. Mine has the blade guard (seems hard to find this) but the plastic insert in it is pretty beat up. Can I produce a new one at home using the old one to help create a mold?

 

[tcheat]

Here are photos of the plastic piece of the blade guard:

 

[Slick111]

I build things similar to what you want every day at work out of CFRP and thermal set resins but I do have a auto clave oh and the cost is over the moon. I think metal is you best and most cost effective way to go

 

[dladcock]

I work with Urethane rubbers and plastics at the job and at home as well.

One thing for sure, castable products are not cheap. At least not for large projects. I buy my product from Smooth-On, they carry a vast inventory of plastics, urethane rubbers, silicone rubbers and on and on.

The web site has all the tools you'll need to research and calculate costs and amounts of materials needed for your project.

http://www.smooth-on.com/

Lynn