Adam Savage Learns Vacuum Casting for Props! 

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For anyone curious, that green tape they are using is Polyester tape, it is typically used commercially as masking tape for powder coating or other high temp masking needs and has a working temperature range of -60°F to 400°F, and is also extremely resistant to chemical attack, it can be used in most solvents, acids and bases since it uses silicone adhesive (which is why it sticks to silicone) with a chemically resistant polyester backing. It is also very strong tape, it has very high tensile strength and can also be stretched to apply incredible tension if needed. It has hundreds of uses for hundreds of tasks, for a couple examples it can be used to make very thin but strong hinges on RC aircraft wing control surfaces, it is an excellent electrical insulator even for high voltage so is useful for all sorts of electronics projects, it can be made into incredibly detailed stencils if using a knife plotter or laser cutter, it can be applied to protect fine finishes on parts as it is extremely abrasion resistant and also leaves no residue behind afterward. And that's just scratching the surface, everyone who likes making stuff or doing craft hobbies should have at least a couple rolls of it laying around, it is beyond useful. It also comes in a huge variety of widths and thicknesses, I have at least two rolls of 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 1", 2", 3" and 6" widths, and several different thicknesses of 1" and 2" rolls (arguably the two most useful widths) with the thinnest being about the thickness of a sheet of paper. It's not exactly cheap stuff but a little goes a long way.

adam looked so comfortable in this envoiment, also he didn't feel the need to hold back on his knowledge with the other maker. great vid guys.

Great to see Adam with such a wealth of knowledge and craftsmanship appreciate the skills of someone half his age, refreshing to see

Wow this Moss guy REALLY knows his stuff. How great that Adam finds such super people to interview!

Worked nightshift in a production plastics fabrication factory in Brisbane, Australia. Vac forming signage for recognisable brands...acrylic lettering, light boxes, bullet proof money handling boxes... Amazing amount of woodwork for a plastics factory. All the moulds...wood. Frames, wood. Outlines, wood. Mockups, wood... Learned heaps working there...

so nice to see john in a video!! I started at FBFX 5 weeks ago can't wait for your next visit!

It's always great to see how excited Adam gets as he's learning about new techniques or technology.

Two extremely professional human speaking to each other equal an awesome presentation. Thanks guys.

It's great seeing Adam so absorbed. .. Next gen. Mr savage. Always learning and sharing.

Adam: "In the old days we just used to fill a mold with some resin and sit there and [pantomimes rocking the mold]." Jon: "Yeah, we don't do that." (dons full _Breaking Bad_ gear)

That was really cool. I love practical effects, and I think this advance in molding helps to ensure their use.

The guy showed alot of constraint in doing the process himself and let Adam have fun.

It's gotta be nice to have adam tell you 'it's been a real education"

Finally a vid I can used to explain vac casting to clients. Thanks. ❤

Just incredible. Thank you!

Crazy... Ive been watching vacuum casting vids recently. Adam is the man.

This was really interesting and enjoyable to watch!

Incredible craftsmanship

This was awesome. It's so cool, and so are both of you.

Jon seems like a good dude. Super interesting and clear, concise explanations. Im not in to cosplay or scifi etc but im fascinated by the process of moulding. Nice one!!

18:00 At this point I needed to tell my brain: They picked the timer back up, they picked the timer back up, there is nothing to worry about. ^_^

“Oh, there’s liners for your funnel! I see- Oh this is great!” Genuine enthusiasm for something very minor. Adam’s the GOAT

I love how this turned into a Breaking Bad cook halfway through.

Great video never worked with silicone like that but I have done infusion with epoxy and polyester.

more videos like this! good stuff

Such an awesome video!

Very cool. I'm taking notes!

Laughing at the number of times Adam tries to get the info on what the green tape used on the silicone mould is.

Looks like the tape I used when masking off for powder coating. They use it as it's heat resistant to the 375F or so in the oven. Interesting if it also sticks to silicone.

"If you're not paranoid, you're not prepared" ladies and gentlemen, behold the mind of a genius

Thought I was about to learn how to make propellars!

I immediately had to go look up that high temp tape .. looks like it's high temp PET tape to me. Cool

I've been wondering for a few years if using vacuum casting for lenses is possible/practical! I'm glad to see that it is! The process shown here is FAR more detailed than what was in my head!

That SO cool!

Wow super cool

great video. I do a lot with Smooth On. They are located close by me.

Chief’s helmet is gorgeous. Would love to have that sitting on my shelf.

Wish we got a closer look at how that tape mold wall was setup

Nice video sir

Love how Adam corrects his pronunciation for the country he's in despite not needing to.

i would never ever manage to do that guy's job without scratching of part of the "R" on the vacuum machine.

9:33 What!!? Imagine. The legend of Making says he’s your assistant. 😮😮

I'm amazed Adam has not used vacuum casting before! It's been a standard in rapid prototyping for yonks.

I don't know how expensive the professional silicone tape is, but I have used the bondage tape you can get in "adult fun stores" that "only sticks to itself" to tape silicone molds. The positive side to that is, that it is reusable if you don't cut it off and try to prevent too much dust from accumulating. .

Wooo Go Jon!

10:33 General good life advice, sponsored by Adam Savage's entire life.

Did anyone else get excited when they saw the Sandman mask?

I love how Adam uses gestures that sort of look like sign language to bridge the barrier set by the masks

So what is this magic silicone tape and where is our affiliate link? 😂

I want that vacuum machine

Am I the only person that thinks that if Adam decided to do a one day build that solved world peace, that not only would he do it, but he’d make a perfectly weathered box that it would fit in… he’s a national treasure!

If you’re not paranoid you’re not prepared. I’m gonna steal this quote

I myself need to make a visor voor a helmet. But i am debating if I should vacuum form it, resin cast or a completely different method. Quite a riddle to solve

18:14 it looks like there is a tiny human walking up on the shelf 😂

"ADAM! WE'VE GOTTA COOK."

Make a mold of the liner and funnel combined with clips on top to hold it in place.

I like that guy.

The Padawan has something to teach the master. 👍💙😎

Now I want to Google and compare this with how they made the OG storm trooper lenses for Star Wars

A tiny human, perhaps a leprechaun, walks on the top shelf at 18:13.

So next one day building is a custom vacuum gasting chamber for Adam?

I've been looking forward to seeing this ever since you mentioned getting back from the UK! I love the elegant simplicity of this operation 🤌 I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that this method just cuts out so much of the failure mode, of what this operation usually encounters.

I’ve always wondered if one could forge metal in a vacuum too

Adam loves the smell of an open flammables locker. 🤣

The ending with Adam putting the lenses on his face and looking around reminds me of those joke scenes where a little kid wears a bra on his face in a similar fashion, not knowing what it is but pleased it somehow has that bridge for his nose that lets it fit around his face. >D

wow

How is the tape attached to the model?

Lol looking at his PPE, I thought: Was this the inspiration for the Sandman costume?

Can someone explain the mold in the oven? When I froze the vid I think the oven read 68 degrees C. Is this peculiar to the plastic they were using? Thought it odd that they did not say what plastic they were using? Does the introduction of the chamber to vacuum alter the temp of the Part A and B in the chamber?

Hey Adam, is there an injection machine for tny projects that will inject plastic into a silicone mold?

Anyone know what the tape is that sticks to silicone? Does it come in a double sided version too?

whats the spiked mask in the back from?

Let them cook!

Silicon is also "carved" with nanometric precision in cpus and other computer components.

its kind of weird the paddles were activated while there still was air in the chamber. But I guess it doesn't introduce too much bubbles.

how the hell do they put the tape onto the model? I mean... it must be placed on the model perpendiculary, like only with the super thin edge, right? oO Great video!

Exactly what is the magic tape which sticks to silicone? Inquiring minds want to know...

I saw a post on Reddit where someone put resin into a vacuum chamber to degas it and it exploded everywhere and people were saying you cannot use a vacuum chamber for resin and must use a pressure chamber instead. Is that bad advice or what is the deal with resin in vacuum chambers?

Cool vid, but let's talk about the Sardaukar mask in the back.

Heisenberg and his assistant Adam Savage

Can you make bd 1

11:08 "On today's episode of breaking bad. Our protagonist mix 'stuff' together."

To me the tape appears to be silicone backed tape. Silicone to silicone is my guess. I would think your normal glue/adhesive tape would damage a mold.

Looks like a scene right out of Breaking Bad!

Adam, we need to cook

That guy sounds like Russell Howard.

At 18:12, you can see the little elf climb on the shelf. Just saying.

Yeh that's such a better way to mold. I remember molding small master molds with my stepdad. We had the hardest time getting a good master molds of the little houses that he made. Too be cast in plaster. But the epoxy was terrible for defects. Didn't help with so much detail. I still have his first piece that was a solid piece of plaster he carved a castle out of. I would love to mold a master from, but I dare not Incase I ruin it. Any thoughts on this would be great. Thanks for the great content. Also Adam I have a bagpipe build you may be interested in collaboration with. It's right in your wheelhouse mate. Hit me up. I'll explain the concept. Much love mate.

undoubtedly highly professional resin casting! i obviously am not working on your level but all that waste and extra effort (for those tiny lenses...) and a honest question to any fellow molders, casters or physicists in general: does a soft silicone mold, fully degassed, actually expand in the vacuum chamber? (3:35) since it maintains the same density regardless of durometer and doesnt compress in the pressure pot? And dont you get a LOT of expansion by heating the mold up "as hot as possible" (10:57)? Something doesnt add up here...

I'm a bit confused. what is -1 bar mean?

"I can see my ruby."

Is that just Kaptan tape?

Was it just me or did anyone else notice Adam's watch changed within this video?

They also do this in the auto restoration field. Taillight lenses for 70 year old cars simply don't exist. So they make them. 1. FIND a good one. If necessary, clean it up. They need to be good, but nobody is going to look through them. 2. Make the silicon mold. Much easier than here. 3. Fill mold with plastic stuff. 4. Put in tank, draw a good vacuum. 5. Pressurize the tank. 6. Wait, unmold. I'd bet someone does this on demand. Like that place in England that makes wiring harnesses.

Who thinks that some company should hire him as master prop maker, to make traditional non cgi movie effects

10:58 except for turning the table up and cutting the hose 😂😂 those doesn't count if you mean literally 😜

How did Adam get this far with being so clumsy?

wh... why are there 6 dislikes for a video like this? there's nothing to dislike about vacuum, in the most literal sense of it.

He didn't try to kiss the hot end of the pump again, did he?