project city USA

[Ray Laubs]

Ive been tied up lately with many projects.
The book project, "The Making of Sulphides" is finally avialible through LuLU.com, full color photos, spiral bound so you can actually look at the book and have your hands free while you work.
The next up coming project is to design optic molds and have them made locally out of ductile cast iron. Currently Ive gotten some request for a pineapple mold and will seriously consider it as a first project. Does anyone have any suggestions for sizes or other molds of interest?
Thanks in advance.
Ray

[Greg Vriethoff]

Originally posted by Ray Laubs
...spiral bound so you can actually look at the book and have your hands free while you work.

No suggestions right now for molds, but just a quick thank you. I wish more people would take this into consideration when they publish a book. I don't know what the cost difference is with bindings, but I get sick of breaking the binding trying to keep it open at a given page.

O.K., rant over.

[Ray Laubs]

Thanks for the comp, I got sick of book breaking also.
Its been suggested to start with a break away pineapple mold, perhaps 4 or 5 sections. Probably 5 or 6 inches high. im not in a hurry on this because Ill have to purchase everything out of pocket from the patterns and cores all the way to the finished product.

[Jordan Kube]

Why make it a break away mold? Sounds like a lot of work.

Make some small italian style ribbed molds with straight sides for cups. 16 point and 12 point. Small pineapple would be nice as well.

Just purchased your book, can't wait to read it.

[Glenn Randle]

Have you considered making a stacking set of optic molds? I mean say a couple(or more) molds which have the same taper & rib count which could be attached to form a larger mold, or used seperately as smaller molds. Perhaps the smallest one could be a little "closed" mold.

Seems one large pattern blank could be turned & then groved. After casting it could be cut up, making it more versatile. Alignment pins could used to aid in assembling them correctly.

Good idea? Something to think about anyway.

[Ray Laubs]

A progressive design was suggested to me yesterday via land line. Now I have some questions for you: How many in the succession and what sizes?

I wouldnt turn or groove anything. Just make the pattern what you need it to be for the outside and create a core for the inside. Cast away. (pun intended). It would be easier and a whole lot cheaper to cast it for a final product then to add sawing and machining operations. I know theres no getting away from a machining op when setting the alignment pins or is there? Perhaps instead of a straight edge with pins, it had 4 alignment nicks cast into the mating edges.
Another thought is to just make several independant molds that are not stackable. That would eliminate all machining. Then you have to decide if they should be open on the bottoms or all closed.
This is getting deep.

[Greg Frankhouser]

Ummm, My first thought was that you'd get horizantal lines, but you probably wouldn't.

Second thought is Why? I've worked in the Big Steinerts, and have no prob with little gathers in them.

But maybe there is a reason.

But if you go for it, pegs would be better as they'd have less chance of sliding while you are in the mold. Though I'd like to play with one that can be offset on the vertical. But that's just me.

Greg

[Ray Laubs]

Im gathering thoughts for the time being is all. Currently for me ductile iron starts at .21 a pound, then cores, machining and any other process is added to that price. Im looking at a real cost savings depending on volume etc... The volume would absorb the cost of the original pattern(s).

[Jeff Mentuck]

Where do we get the book!!!!

[Ray Laubs]

Its over a lulu.com :
http://www.lulu.com/content/1277442
Im going to revise it to put an ISBN inside and on the back cover as well as a bar code, but other than that its availible.

[Paul Thompson]

Let's see if I can properly describe or show this ...

How about a hex (6 sided) pattern? Instead of coming to a point (looking at the face of the mold pattern), it could come "up" to a flat. The delineations between the hex components would be "grooved" away from the interior of the mold. For extra credit, make a diamond depression in the center of the raised, flat section (one shown below).



*-------* *-------*
/ \ / \
/ * \ / \
/ / \ \ / \
* * * *-------* *
\ \ / / \ /
\ * / \ /
\ / \ /
*-------* *-------*
/ \ /
/ \ /
/ \ /
*-------*



The name is a word play on the use of the hex 'o gram by some occult groups. On the other hand, the star of David has 6 points. Even more obscure, obtuse, and silly claims to being the originator of sixism may be found on the web.

[Ray Laubs]

Hi Paul,
I like the drawing and understand it. im going to print it off and talk to the folks in the engineering dept. How deep and how wide would you suggest this optic mold be, and how tall should the hex raise off of the blown vessel?

[Paul Thompson]

Originally posted by Ray Laubs
Hi Paul,
I like the drawing and understand it. im going to print it off and talk to the folks in the engineering dept. How deep and how wide would you suggest this optic mold be, and how tall should the hex raise off of the blown vessel?
I'm not sure, but I'll offer some take-em-or-leave-em ideas.

The few pineapple molds I've seen seem to generate about 3/16" of relief. That seems about right. The hex pattern might work best if the "flat" is about 1/2" dia, give or take, at the top of the mold. Obviously the pattern would get smaller as the ID shrank. Mold might have 3" opening and be about 5" deep. If the diamond indent/depression in the middle of the hex is included, it would work best on the larger hexes at the top of the mold. As the hexes got smaller it would become an exercise in "why bother".

BTW, I'm just a rookie and haven't actually used a pineapple mold .... I know how expensive they are and don't want to get a bubble stuck in one -- bad style points to say the least.