Homemade oop discs

[jtencer]

My only concern is your ability to pull a strong enough vacuum. Otherwise, it's exactly the same.

I think the only real thing that stops people from doing injection molding at home is the mold fabrication itself. The actual injection molding machine is really very simple and would be easy to build (with access to the proper equipment).

Couldn't you submit your new disc to the PDGA for approval just like the big manufacturers? I'm not really hung up on that anyway, but it's just another step in the process. It doesn't seem like something that would kill the project.

 

[jtencer]

BTW what are the rules about disc materials? Is there more than just a density requirement?

 

[lost in ohio]

I have a few ideas about adding relief cuts into a two part mold. pour the plastic into the bottom half of the mold and then pressing the top piece on and adding pressure any extra plastic will fill up theses reliefs you could then trim it down and have a disc. This is a one way street though because of the extra space I could not use it for injection.

I think the melting of the plastic may be my biggest hurdle I had planned on chopping up the plastic for melting but then keeping it hot is an issue. Also I will need to play around with melting temps. Would I be able to get the right temp for melting using my grill and a copper pot or do I need supper hot temps. on page 290 of Dye a Day a disc that stayed in a dye pot to long warped and then burst in the center that was in under hundred degree water.

To be honest this thread is the first step in my research and I have a long way to go. I wanna wait until it warms up to do much of the physical work because I don"t wanna be caught dead melting plastic in my house.

champ to star was just a typing error but I have heard a little bit about alchemy maybe I should look into that as well. I also need to look into home injection molding and maybe there are some commercially available plastics that would lend themselves to golf discs. The other thing I need to look into is making the mold itself. I'll look for that DG Mag article and watch that vid about golf tees thanks for the jumping off points guys.

 

[himynameismatt]

is it all this trouble really that worth it? Might have to pay a little more but get a CFR Whippet.

 

[billnchristy]

I looked up a chart and depending on the plastic it melted between 290-620 degrees, most were in the 350-450 range so I don't think you would have a problem melting it.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

I gave up buying a new Whippet every year and dropped $50 on a 1st run one. Been two years now and it still meathooks when I need it to.

There's a few up for sale on eBay right now.

 

[Dave Walters]

This is not going to work for a single second.

you would not believe the amount of pressure it takes to mold a disc.

Not to mention the amount of heat

Not to mention the density of the plastic to get proper weights

Overall just a bad idea.

I worked in a mold shop for several years and my dad ran a plastic injection molding company for 20 years. If you wanted to mold a disc for real. It wont be cheap you would be better off contacting innova about running a cfr run. If you ordered enough I am sure they would do it. And boom you would have fixed your initial non thought out problem.

 

[billnchristy]

Of course its not going to work but damnit he should try it.

 

[zenbot]

Allow me to play Devil's Advocate.

If you had a solid block of the material could you not lathe it to the correct specifications?

 

[bwiese]

What the devil is saying is get a solid peice of plastic and slap it in the old shop class wood lathe and do work.

 

[Prototype]

Vacuum bagging is a method used in making parts out of composites. You put the mold, mat and resin in the vacuum machine, suck all the air out and it makes a quality piece.

If you were to pour the plastic into the mold and suck the air out it would do roughly the same thing as molding under pressure, would it not?

I mention this because there are plenty of home fiberglass/carbon fiber/kevlar fabricators but I have never heard of a dude injection molding in the house.

Speaking of which, if you make a mold why not make a disc out of carbon fiber since they will be all illegal as hell anyways?

Vacuum will create a temperature dilemma. Raw materials act different under a vacuum.

 

[bwiese]

Of course its not going to work but damnit he should try it.

I second this motion. All in favor?

 

[zenbot]

AYE!

 

[Bubbajoe]

Vacuum will create a temperature dilemma. Raw materials act different under a vacuum.

It might, but he's going to have to evacuate his mix if he's going to have any shot at all of getting rid of bubbles.

to the OP I cant say I'm too optomistic for your success, but I do think you should give it a shot!

 

[garublador]

Couldn't you submit your new disc to the PDGA for approval just like the big manufacturers? I'm not really hung up on that anyway, but it's just another step in the process. It doesn't seem like something that would kill the project.

You could submit it, but I don't know why it would be worth doing. IIRC, You have to make a few thousand of them and have it approved for it to be legal in PDGA play.

 

[garublador]

It might, but he's going to have to evacuate his mix if he's going to have any shot at all of getting rid of bubbles.

There's also the issue of getting the plastic to say in the mold rather than getting sucked into the source of the vacuum. You don't have that problem when you create the pressure differential by applying pressure to the plastic instead until the mold gets full.

 

[bwiese]

Ok, 1 in favor.

All apposed?

 

[bwiese]

The motion carries.

Please ohio continue on with your quest.

 

[EL-KABONG]

I am really not for this experiment being tried...
If you gotta try it, all can say is protect your face/eyes and hands.

I think you should set your goals a bit lower...like maybe turning tin into gold.

 

[Dave Walters]

Molds dont work with vaccums.

They work with a ton of injection pressure and vents in the mold that release gasses.


http://www.custompartnet.com/wu/InjectionMolding