27 replies to this topic

[pyroman89]

I have a question about star plate material. What is the best material for them. I was think of plastic I was thinking of some type of metal. But the comp iam only useing in it is my zinc star with potassium perchlorate. I say that because thats all the chems in can get and my potassium perchlorate is homemade. Also to let you know I did use the search but I need a answer about what materials to use is safe with my comp.

Thank you

Edited by pyroman89, 26 July 2007 - 09:09 PM.

[pudi.dk]

No answers?
Well I think plastic would be abit brittle, especially because you might have to use a hammer or a hydraulic press to press the stars.
Aluminium or brass would be better but more expensive.
Stainless steel would be best but really expensive.

So it's all up to how much money you want to spend

[Pretty green flames]

No answers?
Well I think plastic would be abit brittle, especially because you might have to use a hammer or a hydraulic press to press the stars.
Aluminium or brass would be better but more expensive.
Stainless steel would be best but really expensive.

So it's all up to how much money you want to spend

Plastic should be fine, realtively cheap, easy to drill and durable, in fact quite flexible, not brittle at all. Also, you won't be needing a press to make your stars. A cheap rubber mallet will do the job just fine.

[pudi.dk]

Well, really depends on what plastic
Acrylic (like Dan Williams) will be bittle, I tried to smack a hammer on to a piece. "Crash" splinters going everywhere.

[Pretty green flames]

Well, really depends on what plastic
Acrylic (like Dan Williams) will be bittle, I tried to smack a hammer on to a piece. "Crash" splinters going everywhere.

I gotcha there, plexi glass (Acrylic) is total and utter shit. I tried to make a star plate from some plexi and this was a bitch to drill. The drill bit kept getting stuck in it. To get any decent holes i had to water cool the drill bit so it wouldn't melt the plastic and get stuck in it.

Get something more durable like PVC (There are tons of different PVC's, each and every one has different properties), for all my need i use Juvidur (some sort of black PVC, it's really nice, drills very nice and is quite flexible and not brittle) so this is the best choice if you ask me.

[Bonny]

I gotcha there, plexi glass (Acrylic) is total and utter shit. I tried to make a star plate from some plexi and this was a bitch to drill. The drill bit kept getting stuck in it. To get any decent holes i had to water cool the drill bit so it wouldn't melt the plastic and get stuck in it.

Get something more durable like PVC (There are tons of different PVC's, each and every one has different properties), for all my need i use Juvidur (some sort of black PVC, it's really nice, drills very nice and is quite flexible and not brittle) so this is the best choice if you ask me.

Drilling plexi is not too difficult. File the cutting edges of the drill bit to prevent grabbing, and use very light pressure and use a backing plate of wood or something.
UHMW polyethylene or nylon would probably work well as they are not at all brittle. The drill will want to grab here also, but material won't crack. You may have to drill slightly larger as hole seem to shrink...

[pyroman89]

Thank you for the post. I think I will use stainless steel.

Thank you

[Mortartube]

I have been thinking that the plastic food chopping boards will probably make a good star plate. I have used them for other things. They seem to cut and drill ok. The only problem is, is that I don't have time to try it anytime soon, so if anyone else feels adventurous. Be my guest.

[pudi.dk]

They are used in the Passfire tutorial on star plates along with aluminium rods.

[Mortartube]

Ah splendid. Great minds think alike.

[Bonny]

Thank you for the post. I think I will use stainless steel.

Thank you

When drilling stainless steel, use good pressure,slow drill speed, and cutting oil.If you don't have cutting oil, any motor oil or even WD-40 is better than nothing. It's very easy to burn out the cutting edges on drills and there is also the possibilty of "work hardening" the stainless, after which you may not be able to drill at all.

[pyroman89]

When drilling stainless steel, use good pressure,slow drill speed, and cutting oil.If you don't have cutting oil, any motor oil or even WD-40 is better than nothing. It's very easy to burn out the cutting edges on drills and there is also the possibilty of "work hardening" the stainless, after which you may not be able to drill at all.

Dont worry about anything my friend has a metal machine shop and he said he will do all the drilling for me. Although I have a drill press, my friend does amazing work with metal.

Thank you

[Andrew]

Thank you for the post. I think I will use stainless steel.

Thank you

Are you out of your f**king mind???????

I know the comp is usually wet when making star but it's not what wet! The possibility for sparks is just too high. Not to mention how difficult it is to fashion SS, especially into the complicated shape of a star plate. It's a good thing you have a friend with a machine shop, they are useful aren't they!



The real answer.

Acrylic is fine! It easy to work and is not brittle if you get good material. It does undergo plastic yielding if it is struck. It can crack under certain strains but it will never shatter, it will only ever break on a fault close to the point of maximum stress. It is easy to drill. Just don't drill at 16 million revs. Drill as slow as you can go and apply pressure; allow the Sharp Bit (little hint there) to do it's job... CUT.

Any engineering plastic is fine.

Brass/Ally is also fine (no [well few] sparks). The problem with ally is that it will corrode like a bitch, brass will too but only on the surface (as thus is easier to maintain). When Aluminium corrodes it pits, and you get more very powerful oxidiser stuck, and the pits grow.

The best thing about acrylic is that it is a piece of piss to clean! and it is impervious to swelling or attack by the commonly used solvents used in star comps.

Making an acrylic star plate is very easy. Drill through holes on two plates held together (a job for the machine shop). Then use acrylic rods of the same diameter as the holes (obviously you have to consider tolerances), cut to length and weld them to one side (with plastic solvent). Just like on many of the available tutorials.

[pudi.dk]

Andrew, Stainless steel is sparkless, you must be confusing it with steel.
I'm going to use SS as ball milling media as it is one of the best.
Sparkless, hard and dense.

[marble]

SS can spark, it is not 100% spark less