Items have finally been shipped so next month my curing rack setup will start to be upgraded in stages 1 rack at a time so production wont have to be halted.
I will be able to make 12 & 14 discs efficiently there after.
This format used to give me a lot of failures for 12 & 14" discs.
So I will be upgrading to this format & initial tests on the prototype have been very successful.
Hence my "MASTERPIECE DISCS"
If any one want colored discs for different reasons it will have to be a special order. However I will do discs with different color edges & stock those I think if you want to color code your collection as some people have suggested then the different edge color makes more sense to me & wont cost much more. eg: red edge discs
Blue edge disc.
If you want a very highly reflective lacquer mirror then here it is.
Prototype edge coater that can do any color.
Abandoned from old experiments.
Cant wait to get my hands on the stuff that has been shipped. Will update you on the progress next month.
Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
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Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
Okay I got all the stuff & the initial run after the upgrade was a MAJOR DISASTER.
The racks leaked lacquer all over & I was very disappointed. After observing & noting the different failures I did some modifications and things are much better now although a bit different from the initial modification below. The first side coated is significantly improved for 12" & 14" discs with the modifications I still got some leaks but far fewer than the initial run. I added middle/center support for the discs & 6 point (instead of 4 point) support for 14" discs & that took care of it. The first side is coated on the lower half shelves & the second side on the upper half. The beauty is there are no marks whatsoever on the discs now, see below.
This was the game changer for the second side coating issues with the leaks. It is used to keep the disc level with center support.
Because the 12 & 14" discs are much bigger if the center hole is punched first it would leak there when the disc is coated because of the additional weight of the lacquer it caved in the middle of the disc.
That little assembly did the trick. I cant believe how good the 12 & 14" discs are coming out now with the tweaks. I will do a few more runs & if things stay efficient then I will finish upgrading the room.
The racks leaked lacquer all over & I was very disappointed. After observing & noting the different failures I did some modifications and things are much better now although a bit different from the initial modification below. The first side coated is significantly improved for 12" & 14" discs with the modifications I still got some leaks but far fewer than the initial run. I added middle/center support for the discs & 6 point (instead of 4 point) support for 14" discs & that took care of it. The first side is coated on the lower half shelves & the second side on the upper half. The beauty is there are no marks whatsoever on the discs now, see below.
This was the game changer for the second side coating issues with the leaks. It is used to keep the disc level with center support.
Because the 12 & 14" discs are much bigger if the center hole is punched first it would leak there when the disc is coated because of the additional weight of the lacquer it caved in the middle of the disc.
That little assembly did the trick. I cant believe how good the 12 & 14" discs are coming out now with the tweaks. I will do a few more runs & if things stay efficient then I will finish upgrading the room.
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Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
14" discs still torturing me. I had to do further minor modifications to the set up & the 12" discs are now being efficiently made.
14" still leaking on the posts but not as much only 1 in the last manual run of 12 discs.
The first side of them come out perfect but the second side is most times never perfectly level.
I think I am now getting the hang of it but I never thought for 1 moment it would have been this stressful.
After some more fine tuning and this manual run if things come out good then I will use the dispensing system and see if I solved it all.
14" still leaking on the posts but not as much only 1 in the last manual run of 12 discs.
The first side of them come out perfect but the second side is most times never perfectly level.
I think I am now getting the hang of it but I never thought for 1 moment it would have been this stressful.
After some more fine tuning and this manual run if things come out good then I will use the dispensing system and see if I solved it all.
Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
Nice work! Keep it up!
Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
Good & bad news. I did further modifications for all size discs. 10" & lower now have 4 point support and absolute no issues with those sizes.
12 & 14" discs now have 8 point support & things have significantly improved. Discs are now coming out quite a bit better than the industry 50% failure rate.
With the 3 point support failure rate was 90% many times.
Now for the bad news.
My home made milling & lathe is now very rusty from all the moisture & water from the storm. Does not look like this anymore. Good thing I had made all the parts necessary to finish the upgrade because I stayed home from 2 days before the storm hit.
Worse news. The results for the first electroplating tests were a complete failure. The electroplated metal refused to adhere to the lacquer. I am still waiting on other test results before I do anymore tweaks to the formula.
I suspect these discs were not baked & might have had too much plasticizer.
So I will not be shipping any masters now. I will approach TUFF GONG to see if they can assist in the electroplating testing & that could speed up the process.
We will see.
12 & 14" discs now have 8 point support & things have significantly improved. Discs are now coming out quite a bit better than the industry 50% failure rate.
With the 3 point support failure rate was 90% many times.
Now for the bad news.
My home made milling & lathe is now very rusty from all the moisture & water from the storm. Does not look like this anymore. Good thing I had made all the parts necessary to finish the upgrade because I stayed home from 2 days before the storm hit.
Worse news. The results for the first electroplating tests were a complete failure. The electroplated metal refused to adhere to the lacquer. I am still waiting on other test results before I do anymore tweaks to the formula.
I suspect these discs were not baked & might have had too much plasticizer.
So I will not be shipping any masters now. I will approach TUFF GONG to see if they can assist in the electroplating testing & that could speed up the process.
We will see.
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Aussie0zborn
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Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
Coingratulations on your progress. The failure to plate the lacquer may not be entirely due to the lacquer disc. I take it youv have confirmed that other lacquers plated properly in that same bath before and after your lacquer?
Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
I understand what you are saying, good point but I can think of one thing I did that might have caused that failure but I can't confirm it yet.
I tried shipping some to Australia for testing but the package never left Jamaica I got it back & went to TUFF GONG
but they are under reconstruction now so nothing can happen there now.
With some of the discs I use more plasticizer than with other discs.
What I noticed with that was good to me was that the discs stayed more quiet for longer than the 72 hour recommended timeframe for electroplating.
Plasticizer being oil (& I use a mixture of 3 different oils) could potentially be the problem.
I am still waiting on test results from the USA after I will have a better idea of what's happening.
I tried shipping some to Australia for testing but the package never left Jamaica I got it back & went to TUFF GONG
but they are under reconstruction now so nothing can happen there now.
With some of the discs I use more plasticizer than with other discs.
What I noticed with that was good to me was that the discs stayed more quiet for longer than the 72 hour recommended timeframe for electroplating.
Plasticizer being oil (& I use a mixture of 3 different oils) could potentially be the problem.
I am still waiting on test results from the USA after I will have a better idea of what's happening.
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Aussie0zborn
- Posts: 1868
- Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:23 am
- Location: Australia
- Contact:
Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
WIthout confirming if other lacquers plated properly before and after your lacquer, you are just guessing. Good luck.
Re: Masterpiece & colored discs project back on track.
I will soon figure it out as I have done with many other things.
Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks for the heads up.