[Jewelry making - Article 00075] - Re: [Orchid] Castaldo pink rubber

[John A. Henkel]

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    Hello Guy, I have used the No-Shrink-Pink for many years now. I make
    a pink mold on the average of one a week. It did take some
    experimenting at first to get it right. I have learned a few tricks
    that can help. First you need to calibrate your vulcanizer, if you
    have not already done so. Here is the procedure for that. (it is a
    good idea to do this even for Gold Label and White Label rubber as
    well) First you need an accurate thermometer. I use a long stemmed
    one from my wax pot. Radio Shack sells a digital one that is quite
    good. I have calibrated mine with a digital one so that I know it is
    accurate. You'll need a small block of wood; about 3" x 4" x 3/4" to
    insulate the top heat platen from the bottom platen while checking
    each in turn. Some vulcanizers have two controls (one for each
    platen) others just have one. If yours has just one control, find the
    platen that cycles the highest and set the temp on that one. There is
    a light that goes out on most models when it reaches the temp set on
    the knob. Watch your thermometer closely and you will notice that the
    temp will continue to climb for a few seconds even after the light
    has gone out. Find the highest part of the cycle and adjust the knob
    accordingly. 310 F is a good starting point. I use 308 F. If your
    machine has two knobs repeat the process for the other platen. You
    can experiment with different temp settings ONLY after you can
    confidently calibrate for a precise temp. I find a shorter cooking
    time works better. I cook a 3/4" thick mold (7 pieces of rubber) for
    45 mins. I also room cool the mold instead of quenching it. I cook
    one mold only at a time instead of using a multiple mold frame. I
    have better control on the results because of the different heat
    zones on the press surfaces (check it out with your thermometer by
    using the above technique and moving the probe around the surface)
    You will find the edges are cooler than the middle. Another thing
    about the pink stuff is that you'll need to change blades more
    frequently when cutting. I have been able to achieve about 1%
    shrinkage with the pink. Ring sizes don't change but keep in mind
    that your injection wax can shrink a lot, especially if you pull the
    wax pattern while it is warm and let it cool on the bench. Some
    injection waxes shrink more than others. I have several pots with
    different waxes that have properties that I can exploit to their best
    use. Castaldo makes a Gold injection wax with very good dimensional
    stability. Let your pattern cool in the mold a while before pulling.
    The Gold wax can be too brittle for filigree but every wax has it's
    tradeoffs. I hope some of this helps. John, J.A.Henkel Co., Inc.
    Moldmaking Casting Finishing, Producing Solutions for Jewelry Artists  


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