3D Objects Copy Replication

3D Objects Copy Replication (OLD-Style without 3D printer)

Several times I had to trash some gadgets due to little damages :
sometimes a small (and cheap) piece of plastic affects the normal work of an expensive gadget.
In my case an expensive tap was destined to be thrown due to a broken small piece of plastic. Despite my researches (I tried to contact store and manufacturer as well) I wasn’t be able to find a replace part for my tap.

So I decided to “copy” this little pieces of plastic.
What we need  to do that :
  liquid rubber for casting (silicone rubber :  PROCHIMA GLS-50 cilck-here)
  two-components polyurethane (polyurethane resin sintafoam1.1 click-here)
  plastic container for the casting
  syringe for dosing
  vinyl glue

Prochima GLS-50 & Sintafoam

Prochima GLS-50 : will be used in order to make the mould of the object (it is a very elastic rubber)
Sintafoam1.1 : it is the material which will realise our final piece (the copied object)
Sintafoam1.1 has properties (tactile and mechanical) such as plastic ABS.  There are several products that you can use in order to reproduce the object such as “Metal Fluid” (Click-here). “Metal Fluid” can be used to cold without melting.

 Here : http://www.alchemian.com (Italy) you can buy “PROCHIMA GLS-50“ and “Sintafoam1.1“

  Note about use of “PROCHIMA GLS-50” / “sintrafoam 1.1“: on the products instructions/label you can find details on % of mixture, dry time and information about use of them.

#1 Recompose the plastic object

I used the vinyl glue in order to assemble the broken piece of plastic. All cracks, grooves and “small” missing pieces are all filled with glue. Let it dry and after you have to smooth surface (sanded where necessary).

#2 Put in a container for the casting

After #1 (when glue is well dry) we can place the object into a container using vinyl glue in order to anchor the object to the container (let it dry again).

#3 Make cast : liquid rubber PROCHIMA GLS-50

Use GLS-50 (before mixed it 5% with T-30 catalyst) in order to casting into  the plastic container (prepared in #2). GLS-50 is a low viscosity liquid that penetrates into every detail. After some hours this liquid will become a very elastic block of rubber (let it dry for 24h).

#4 Use cast : polyurethane resin Sintafoam1.1

When block of rubber is dry we can remove it from the plastic container. What we obtain is a cast which can be filled with Sintafoam1.1 (let it dry for 8h)

#5 Remove object

When Sintafoam1.1 is dry (after 8h) we can remove it from the cast. Now the copy object is ready and it has the same properties (mechanical and tactile)  of a piece of ABS plastic.