This is mentioned in a jewelry book as a material to use with
hydraulic press to form thin gauge silver over. It also alludes to
the fact it could also be obtained in liquid form which would harden.
So does anyone one know if this is a plexi or a resin or something
else, and where I could obtain it.
Coit
www.coitart.com
I think you mean the epoxy steel? I’ll post to our local guild for
you and ask, we had a workshop that included this.
I would imagine you’re talking about plexiglas (perspex in the UK),
also commonly called acrylic glass or just acrylic, the scientific
name of which is poly (methyl methacrylate).
There is a related polymer, poly (methyl acrylate) which is softer
due to the fact that the polymer backbone does not contain the extra
methyl (CH3) group that poly (methyl methacrylate) contains. So the
chains can slide against each other more easily, making it softer.
I’m not sure which one is used in hydraulic forming, but a website I
looked at, advertising a hydraulic forming workshop given by Dominic
Lowes and Tony Eccles talks about the use of acrylic “puffing” dies,
so it suggests plexiglas.
I’m sure someone who actually knows about hydraulic forming will be
able to clarify it.
Helen
UK
http://hillsgems.co.uk
Helen my experience with a hydraulic press was not good using plexi
(either one) i found that micarta or phenolic work much better as
neither seems to break or crack or deform as easily as plexi. Check
with your local plastics supplier and see what they have to say.
Frank Goss