[d@niel]

Been lurking in this forum for a while....Slowly reading through the HUGE Epoxy Granite thread!

Thought I would give it a try as the back fill for this small mill. The mill base is off a old pantograph which I got cheap and restored. The mill head is the Hobbbymat BFE65 (I did say small!)

Attachment 186898

[d@niel]

The mold, used shoe polish as release agent.
Attachment 186906
Attachment 186908
Attachment 186910

[d@niel]

Epoxy granite mix in, and the results
Attachment 186912
Attachment 186914
Attachment 186916
Happy with the results, yes it did have some small air bubbles/voids as you can see from this image, but very small and easily filled
Attachment 186918

[d@niel]

Filled and under coated..
Attachment 186920
Attachment 186922

[rybov]

Hi Daniel,

Nice work.

Will you share with us, what aggregates you used and proportions of aggregates and epoxy?

Did you vibrate the mold after filling to get trapped air out?

What is the weight of the head?

Best regards
Jacob

[d@niel]

Hi Jacob,

The epoxy is West Systems 105 resin with the 206 hardener (slow hardener)

I used one bag of 3kg dry builders sand bought from the hardware store and a 2kg bag of granite gravel/stones bought from the pet store for fish tanks, it contained a variety of sizes from about 6mm down to say 1mm.
I placed the gravel on a tray and placed in the oven to dry...

I used 15% by weight of epoxy, so 750grams.
A mixer mounted in a drill was used for mixing, didn't take long. I also chucked in a handful of West Systems 403 Microfibers -not sure why just had it on hand!

The mix was shoveled in and compacted using a few odd sticks I had, no vibration was used. I had less then a cupful left over!

So it added about 5 and half kg in weight to the head, not sure of the total weight but would guess at least 15kg, its made from 25mm steel plate and the block of steel at the back is 100mm square by 50mm thick.

Regards
Daniel

[rybov]

Hi daniel,

Thanks for sharing your recipe for epoxy granite.

Your project is exactly why I find epoxy granite so interesting. With easy to find and cheap materials, relatively simple molds (and shoeshine :-) ), you can make parts of good quality. I look forward to follow your build. This is the first epoxy granite build I have seen, where attention is paid to the finish.

I hope you will continue to share your progress.

Best regards
Jacob

[d@niel]

Painted and assembled.

[d@niel]

The weight of the head is 21kg, that's without the milling head attached.
Very happy with the way it turned out, it won't be the last time I use epoxy granite! Good results are achievable for amateurs like myself!

Hi Jacob, what stage is your design at?
Very tempted to have a go at a small cnc mill or maybe a lathe.....

Regards
Daniel

[rybov]

Hi Daniel,

Beautiful work :-)

I am still experimenting with getting the composition of aggregates right and scaling the mixing / vibrating process up to be able to cast parts with weight around 200 kg. I have set up some experiments and hopefully will get some time to cast over the next couple of days. I am also planning to have some samples tested for flexural strength. Would be interesting to see how close my material is to the pros :-) Probably not nearly as strong as the pro stuff, as I still have air trapped in my concrete. I need better (stronger) vibrating motors for my table.

I think I pretty much know what to do to get to a reasonable cast part. My biggest concern now is good procedures for mounting and aligning components to the cast base. I hope we can share practical ideas and experiences about this.

My first project will be a CNC lathe.

Best regards
Jacob

[d@niel]

Hi Jacob,

Sounds interesting, what are your plans? Do you intend to use epoxy granite just for the bed or the headstock as well?

As far as casting, it may not be as strong as professional done casting, but that does not mean it will not do the job, and is still within reach of amateurs.
I think your right, what will decide the ultimate success will be alignment and mounting issues..... You've got me thinking!!
Have you started a lathe build thread yet?

( off topic but currently working on adding a DRO to the mill, parts are on there way! check this out -http://www.yuriystoys.com/search/label/DIY%20DRO%20Project


Regards
Daniel

[SirValdo]

Attachment 236102Hi Daniel
I have old pantograph, do you know what maker it is?Attachment 236100

[castinite]

Hi Daniel,

Beautiful work :-)

I am still experimenting with getting the composition of aggregates right and scaling the mixing / vibrating process up to be able to cast parts with weight around 200 kg. I have set up some experiments and hopefully will get some time to cast over the next couple of days. I am also planning to have some samples tested for flexural strength. Would be interesting to see how close my material is to the pros :-) Probably not nearly as strong as the pro stuff, as I still have air trapped in my concrete. I need better (stronger) vibrating motors for my table.

I think I pretty much know what to do to get to a reasonable cast part. My biggest concern now is good procedures for mounting and aligning components to the cast base. I hope we can share practical ideas and experiences about this.

My first project will be a CNC lathe.

Best regards
Jacob

We will sell you the proper epoxy/filler mix, if you are in the U.S.