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Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut






Filite is likely a brand name as opposed to an actual material. I dont think I have ever come across the term.

There are a variety of fillers that you can use depending on what you want to accomplish. Glass micro ballons are common for just extending the resin...they also weigh less, so can help reduce weight for large items.

Other fillers can be used to change material properties, colors, and other choices for extending the resin. There is a limit to how much you can add though, as eventually there isnt enough resin to hold it all together.

Here in the US, Smooth On and Alumilite are the two big suppliers that are readily available.

http://www.smooth-on.com/Urethane-Plastic-a/c5_1119/index.html

http://www.alumilite.com/Category.cfm?Category=Support%20Products

Other companies will offer other fillers, and you can even buy them from unrelated companies.

Regarding mold releases, keep in mind that powders quite often retain moisture. Moisture is the bane of urethane resins, causing all sorts of problems. Liquid mold releases, sprays and what not, can often give more reliable results.
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut






Shaker tables need a fair amount of time to remove bubbles, most RTV silicones do not always give that much time.

Vacuum degassing works great, as does pressure (pressure not removing bubbles, just compressing them).

However, proper mixing and pouring can go a long way to solve the issues. Try not to stir in air. I use paddle bits in order to avoid the air being mixed in. The paddles are always submerged while stirring and the shaft is the only thing at the surface to get air in with...so it is minimal. If you are mixing by hand, focus more on folding as opposed to stirring.

Stirring will normally cause a vortice that sucks air down with it. Quickly folding the mix (pulling from side to side sort of) avoids this and as opposed to little bubbles, it creates large pockets of air that find their own way out.

When you go to pour, a thin pour (either stream or sheet) allows a lot of air to escape as well. Tripours help a lot with this, more expensive then Dixie cups...but worth it. Dont pour to fast though, you can catch air before it has a chance to escape. You can help things along by using a brush to cover your master with a very thin layer of silicone. Thin layers cant hold air well, so this ensures the area closest to the master is void free.
 
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