Dont know why I didnt mention this earlier, but I found this company
a while back while looking for a two part cold cast urethane in
various durometers for making custom motor mounts. Figured the same
stuff could be applied to pressing applications.
Look under their molding compounds, you can see the products that
could apply to hydraulic pressing and the various durometers it comes
in. With this you could easily make some pretty trick urethane
pressing pieces by building some sort of mold to pour it in.
In addition, their rigid casting line might be used to make the
rigid portion of two piece molds, although I dont know how well it
would hold up over time.
Anyhoo, just thought Id share this, if anyone tries it, please post
the results.
Although we, in our field, deal with many procedures that, if not
used safely, could cause us physcial harm, curing urethane in our
studios is not a safe procedure. Lee Marshall’s (designer of Bonny
Doon hydraulic presses) experience with curing urethane resulted in
some fairly severe, some temporary, some permanent and almost fatal,
physical damage.
Unless you are completely certain that all fumes from the process
are being vented out of your breathing space, it is not recommended
that you attempt to pour and cure urethane.
If any of you out there in the Orchid ‘ether’ is aware of a safe
method for dealing with urethane curing, please respond to this
message. Unless you are into Russian roulette, i.e. gambling with
your health and life, forget about saving a few bucks. Save your life
by buying your urethane already in cured form.
Polyurethane resins use isocyanates as one part of the two part
liquid that turns into a solid rubber. Isocyanates are very bad
stuff, it is what killed all those folks in Bophal India when the
Union Carbide plant malfunctioned. Don’t mess with them without full
safety gear, respirator, gloves, goggles apron etc. Causes
neurological damage, doesn’t smell bad so you don’t really know you
are being poisoned.
James Binnion @James_Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts