Molding and Casting Part 1

Recently I have started learning to mold and cast and so I have invested in a Vacuum Chamber.  After watching many you-tube videos [and with some experimentation], I have learned how to degas resin and pour bubble free castings.  

This blog is about the degassing process.  HERE is a video of the process. 

Air bubbles are trapped in the liquid from mixing.

As the Vacuum increases [pressure decreases], the bubbles begin to expand.

 The bubbles will expand many times their original size.

 Once a full vacuum is achieved [-30" or -76cm], the mix will expand up to 10 times the original volume. 

 After a few minutes, the air is evacuated and the mix will collapse back into itself. 

 Once the air is removed from the mix, the rate at which the bubbles rise and pop slows. 

  As the chamber is re-pressurized, any bubbles still in the mix are crushed by the increase of pressure.

 The mix is now bubble free and can be poured into molds.

  I use both polyester resin [it sets like a really a hard plastic] and elastomer [it is flexible like rubber] and both give superior results when degassed.  The polyester is set off by a catalyst and the elastomer is a two part equal mix compound.  Both need to be mixed properly to unsure proper curing or parts of the cast may remain tacky.  You mix air into the liquids as you stir them together resulting in bubbles through the mix.  If you pour with these bubbles still in the mix, your castings will not be great.  Degassing in a Vacuum Chamber removes the trapped air.    

The next blog will be about making a mold. 

Mark

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Its A Sneaker Thing Part 4 - Modding MAGs

The NIKE MAG was first seen in the 1989 film BACK TO THE FUTURE Part II. The shoe was a Hi-Tech design that [in the film] form fitted to the wearers' feet with "power laces".  The MAG became known as the greatest shoe never made. 

   

In 2011, NIKE released a replica of the shoes with some 'improvements' over the original screen used shoes.  There was 1510 pair made and the shoes were auctioned on eBay with proceeds going to the MJF Foundation.  The average price of these shoes were many thousands of dollars leaving fans of the shoe feeling a little disappointed they missed their chance to own a pair.  

In 2012, a Chinese made replica came available for a fraction of the cost of the genuine article and whilst well made, are not perfect.  The purpose of this blog is to document the modifications I have made to them to make them more screen accurate.  

My Replica MAGs 

 Out Of The Box

The shoes are presented in a yellow box similar to that of the 2011 NIKE MAG release.  Some of these errors with these shoes can be corrected by DIY and some parts just can't be corrected without re-building the entire shoe.  

Upgrading The Ankle Buckle

The factory made Ankle Buckle is quite flat.  The part I have used is a 3D printed [on the right] part that can be found online.  It seems to fit perfectly over the factory part and I had used it to conceal the 3V power supply which provides enough to power the lights in the Sole,  Heel Cup and Ankle Strap.  

Slimming the Toe

One thing that gives the MAG its unique look is the flat clean toe. The original design listed this a "sock type" because there was no toe box used on the screen used shoe.    

Many boots have a clean toe, but they also have the traditional boot shape and these replicas have been made with that boot look [original on right] making them look like "moon boots".  The easiest way to correct this is to heat the toe box up and reshape it.  Size pending, you may get a smooth taper or have to flatten the toe.  I wanted the "sock type" look of the movie shoe, so I flattened mine.    

Lighting the Strap

I cut out the back part out of the factory ankle buckle to allow it to hold 2 AAA batteries.  I have cut out the stamped logo and replaced it with a clear and black version that can be back lit.

Upgrading the Wiring

The original wiring in the shoe is very fragile and parts of mine failed after just a few days wearing.  After removing the soles, I decided to replace both the wire and LEDs.

A New Tongue  

One part that both the 2011 MAG and these replica MAGs have is a short tongue.  I have made a custom replacement part to help make these shoes look closer to those seen in the film.  The factory replica tongue is made from a stretchy fabric where the 2011 and the screen used MAG features a leatherette part.  My new tongue is made a from leather look vinyl with a stitched ribbon edge.  The top part is about 20% longer than the original.    

OUT RIGGER SOLES    

The original sole features translucent parts that are made from a tough rubber.  Unfortunately, it seem this rubber is not UV stabilized and the rubber turns yellow rapidly.  The shape is also not correct with a vertical outside edge.  I wanted to correct this to be closer to the shape of the proper outrigger soles the real shoes have.    

To do this, I have created a new master part that I have been able to mold and cast. The new part is cast in clear elastomer and features the correct pyramid tread on the base and the correct "waffle" pattern on the sides.  The photos [above 3] show my prototype in water clear elastomer along with the base of the master part that I used to make the molds. 

Glow In The Dark

After a few electrics fails, I decided to remove all the wiring and go with a Glow In The Dark additive for mixing into clear elastomer.  I dub these 'solar powered" as they only need to be exposed to bright light for a short time to glow.  The image above was taken with a phone camera in a fairly bright room after exposure to sunlight for less than 1 minute.   

Colour Chart 1

The colour of the light is CYAN which is made from equal amount of GREEN and BLUE.

As mentioned, there are a few things that can not be corrected on these shoes. I have listed all the things that CAN NOT be improved and they are -

CUFF:  This is stitched directly to the collar and can not be corrected without making new uppers.

PULL HOLES:  These are cut wrong and sewn around.  Like the cuffs, these can't be corrected without making new uppers.

SWOOSH:  This part is incorrect in shape and slightly too large. Because it is recessed, it can not simply be removed and replaced.

SEAMS: The real MAG has only two seems, one up the back of the shoe and other on the inside of the side centered between the 4 laces.  On these replicas, the side seam is too far forward being between the 1st and 2nd [from the toe] laces.  The back seam should go all the way up to the cuff.  On the replica, there is a 3rd seam where the top of the collar is joined.  Although this seam is hidden by the Ankle Strap it should not be there.       

LACES: These are too wide although, I actually prefer these over the width of the laces on the real shoe.

A Detailed Look At The Changes 

HEEL CUP and MIDSOLE were originally listed here as parts that could not be upgraded.  The Heel Cup is a good part, just slightly undersized.  Both the heel Cup and Mid-Sole are made from a grey rubber that is too dark.  One of the more controversial mods I have done is to pop the Heel Cup out of its slot on the inside of the Mid-Sole and attach it to the outside of the Mid-Sole.  I then built it up with layers or rubber to make it larger.  Both the Heel Cup and Mid-Sole were then coated in a light grey rubber.  I also re-did the splatter and made larger MAG letters using an Aqua rubber.  Unlike paint, these will not crack, peel or scrape off.  

 Colour Chart 2

Mark

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Movie Props

As I have always been a fan of the movies.  Recently I decided to start a replica prop collection.  My first replica props was acquired back when I was just 18 [RAMBO III knife].  So whilst my collection is small, it is growing and the purpose of this blog is to share some of the items I've collected so far.

STAR WARS

A NEW HOPE TK 1:1 Stormtrooper 'buckets'.  These were a work in progress at the time of the image capture but are all finished now.  As I am a member of the 501st [31138] I will eventually buy the entire armour kit. These are an 'AP' [Authenty Props] '2 piece' helmet apparently made from the original forms used in 1976.  One of the buckets belongs to my wife who has lovingly hand painted the 'frown' and 'decoder' and is part way through doing the ears.  

She is also a member of the 501st [TK41138] has already purchased her full armour.  Together over 4 months we built her a fully wearable Stormtrooper suit.    

  

 A mini ATST [All Terrain Scout Transort] from the film RETURN OF THE JEDI.  This is a Hasbro vintage release based on the original Kenner toy line, just way more detailed.  i also have the AT-AT from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.  

I have several miniature space craft from the 6 SW films as well as these action figures.  I wanted the original 12 and found these more detailed versions and decided not to get the vintage figures.  

    

BACK TO THE FUTURE Part II

BACK TO THE FUTURE II was a fun film that took product placement to a whole new level.  There are so many props based on real brands in that film's future sequence including NIKE, Pizza Hut, Pepsi and Matel.  

I wanted to get a MATTEL Hover Board to display these shoes on and found one on eBay for $99.00.
  
The NIKE AIR MAG was probably the shoe responsible for the whole Hi-Top craze in the late 80's/early 90's.  These are a replica of those shoes and have now been severely modified to be morescreen accurate.  

  

Dehydrated Pizza

The dehydrated Pizza was something I made because it was one prop in that film at stood out as a cool collectible item.

RAMBO

The top image is of all the knives released from the four films.  Above is the famed 'mission' knife with a Jade Budda.  There are several modifications needed to make this collection screen accurate.    

LORD OF THE RINGS

These are items that came with the DVD [statues of the Kings] and Blu-ray box sets [the ONE RING] of the films.  

I, ROBOT

This is my latest addition.  Sonny, the special prototype NS5 created to set things right.  He is quite detailed with a removable rear head cover and has a special disc storage section.  

PREDATOR

This was released with the 3D version of the classic 80's film PREDATOR.  It is not 100% accurate and is only 75% of the proper size, but it is pretty cool.  The Bio lifts off to reveal the creature underneath.    

More to come...

Mark

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Vacuum Forming Part 1

My re-worked Vac Form Rig is up and running and working as well as can be expected from a DIY unit.  Since my first attempt, I have added halogen lamps for heating, variable aperture plates for different jobs and a rising frame with enough travel to allow bucks as tall as 150mm to be used.

The New Vac Forming Rig

I am still using the same Platen and in the coming weeks, I will make a few different sized units to be interchanged with this rig.  

Custom Sized Plates

When I first got into Vac Forimg, I wasted allot of plastic Vac Forming small parts.  I was using the full 600mm  x 600mm sheets to make parts just 70mm on any one edge.  I then learned that I could make aperture plates for smaller jobs.  I now have several different size plates that I can interchange for the different size parts I am working on.   

The Heating Units 

When I first made this, I was using traditional heating elements and I could not get uniform heat across the plastic.  I've had an Easy Cooker in my kitchen since 1997.  Whilst the original units used coiled heaters [stove elements], the new versions use Halogen lights.  The air in these new units is super heated and once the preset temp is reached, the lights turn off, so the unit is quite power efficient as well.  After running some experiments, I decided that Halogens would be the best answer to my heating issues for this Vac Form as well.  

Material pending, these lights will heat the plastic to the point of it releasing vapor in as little as 2mn 30sec.  The thicker the plastic, the more time and different plastics require more time and heat than others.  I've successfully Vac Formed 3mm ABS and PVC on this unit.  One of the best points about using Halogen lights is that they don't burn the plastic like traditional heaters can.  You also have lots of light on the job! 

New Vac Chamber

Whilst a shop vacuum cleaner works to evacuate most of the air, there is no substitute for true vacuum and my Vac Chamber is set up to act as a surge tank.  This unit can pull 30 inches of mercury.  

I will also be rebuilding the platen and riser.  Images to come soon.    

Email: cavxonline@gmail.com 

Mark

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Zoe Bay

On Boxing Day, we had the chance to visit Zoe Bay on Hinchinbrook Island. The island is the largest national park in Australia and is accessed by either Lucinda or Cardwell.

What a wonderful place to visit.

Its a Sneaker Thing - Part III

NIKE recently released 1500 pairs of the shoe made famous in the 1989 movie BACK TO THE FUTURE Part II. The shoes sold on EBAY to raise money for Parkinsons Research.

Above, the concept design art for the shoe in the movie. In the film, the shoe would be like nothing we had seen before and featured 'power laces' as well as various illuminations. The letters MAG on the heel stood for 'Magnetic Anti Gravity' and were supposed to allow the wearer to be able to walk up a wall or even stick to the ceiling. Due to technological limitations of the time, a scene with Marty walking on the ceiling was never shot.

This is the actual product NIKE released for 2011. Whilst it does have the lighting, there are no 'power laces'. The laces are nothing more than elastic. The shoe was designed from scratch to look identical to the shoes in the film, yet even NIKE product personal recognize that its design has inspired many of the shoes NIKE released over the years since it first appeared on screen back in 1989. The 'clean toe' being one in particular. I would also have to say that it was this shoe that propelled the popularity of the Hi-Top in general.

Mark

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Our Wedding

On May 14, 2011 Samantha and I became Mr and Mrs Techer. YAY!

Mark

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