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Anyone here do vacuum deposition?

 
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verdatum
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Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 8:00 pm    Post subject: Anyone here do vacuum deposition? Reply with quote

I'm curious about setting up a chamber to do vacuum metalization of aluminum onto resin and thermoplastic pieces. The only decent hobbyist information I've ever been able to find have been Amateur Telescope Makers. I'd love to find people with experience doing decorative metalization.
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jegner
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Joined: 30 May 2003
Posts: 2144
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

vac-metalized parts is an industrial process, that gets a bit beyond what most hobbyist want to get into, but it is a huge market. Think of all the C3-P0 kits, or TOS Cylons, or automotive parts could be done!
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verdatum
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Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yup, take a look at http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm/ and click on the "Aluminizing" link on the left frame. The site says his rig cost $850. With some patience and clever eBaying, I'm hoping to save a couple hundred.

The information is spread about all over the place. And since the Amateur Telescope Makers all deal with glass, I've still gotta do some research on what techniques are cool enough to work on thermoplastics. And since props are more complicated shapes than lenses, I expect I'll need to build a mount that rotates on 2 axis to get an even coating. But I can mimic some rotocaster plans to build that.
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trapperdale
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Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Posts: 106
Location: fresno, california

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

verdatum

hey there,

i have never do it myself! but i worked as a machinist a a place in cal. that did the mirror for Hubble, windows for space station, face shields for the astronaunts........they deposit many materials ( gold, silver,..)on to glass and plastic.
mirrors made with this process are called first surface mirrors.

their machines used very high vacuum. they heated the air in the chamber then first vacced the chamber with a hydraulic piston then pumped it down close to zero...
they placed deposition material into crucibles the atomized it with electron beams. some times the spun the part being surfaced.

maybe you can research the business and gain some info.

optical coating laboratories of Santa Rosa ca.
hope this tid bit helps...
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