Joined
·
38 Posts
I love my GZK Hammer but the handle is a little drab. I tried the G10 handle which looks much nicer but is too heavy and slippery for me. So I thought I would try to cast some new handles. I used Omoo 25 silicone for the mold and Smooth-Cast 300 for the resin, both from Smooth-On.
First, I made a silicone mold from the original handle. I just glued the handle to the bottom of cup and poured in the silicone. Once it was dry I cut the mold to release the handle. No need for making a two-part mold.
![Drinkware Blue Paint Plastic bottle Cup]()
Then I just mixed up some resin and dye and poured it in. No vacuum degassing, no pressure pot.
![Blue Paint Textile Plastic bottle Creative arts]()
The results were pretty amazing. The mold captured every detail, the part lines were almost invisible, and the bubbles were minimal. The only place they were really noticeable was on the bottom of the handle, which was the top of the mold.
![Textile Sleeve Baby & toddler clothing Finger Toy]()
Once I had a good mold, casting new handles takes only minutes. Even tried some marble effects by mixing two batches of resin in two different colors and pouring them together. I glued and press-fit some 4 mm threaded inserts into the handles to accept the frame bolt.
![Purple Textile Sleeve Rectangle Paint]()
The parting lines you see above are from the original handle, not my mold. These are all perfectly functional but I think I will try again with a pressure pot as soon as I get one. Anyway it was a relatively easy way to customize my slingshot. Similar weight and feel to the original with a much nicer look!
First, I made a silicone mold from the original handle. I just glued the handle to the bottom of cup and poured in the silicone. Once it was dry I cut the mold to release the handle. No need for making a two-part mold.
Then I just mixed up some resin and dye and poured it in. No vacuum degassing, no pressure pot.
The results were pretty amazing. The mold captured every detail, the part lines were almost invisible, and the bubbles were minimal. The only place they were really noticeable was on the bottom of the handle, which was the top of the mold.
Once I had a good mold, casting new handles takes only minutes. Even tried some marble effects by mixing two batches of resin in two different colors and pouring them together. I glued and press-fit some 4 mm threaded inserts into the handles to accept the frame bolt.
The parting lines you see above are from the original handle, not my mold. These are all perfectly functional but I think I will try again with a pressure pot as soon as I get one. Anyway it was a relatively easy way to customize my slingshot. Similar weight and feel to the original with a much nicer look!
