Kit Visco Machine

[memo]

yes patrick i am coating it with ping pong ball nc , it has to be coated or it will come apart. it water proofs it also

[memo]

toncatmad

 

give him a private message and see what you can work out

[tortoise]

Hi i have been interested in your visco machine from the begining is there any way i can get one? I live in the USA.

[Toncatmad]

toncatmad

 

give him a private message and see what you can work out

I tried a few times I will try again for sure Edited November 5, 2017 by Toncatmad

[memo]

tortoise

 

try a pm , i dont think he reads the forum much

[AustralianPyromaniac]

For you guys who are looking to get one of these machines as far as I know it won't really be a possibility. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but reading this thread myself and recalling what others have said it seems like this guy just sorta dropped off the radar after shipping a few 'trial' units likely because of lack of Australian buyers or, I hypothesis, legal troubles.

 

It's unfortunate to see as this was a promising project, but sometimes in this hobby, things go south and plans change.

 

I am by no means unequivocally certain in these matters, and if you guys manage to get in touch with @Twignberry, I commend you. Just thought I would provide the limited info I have and wish you the best of luck.

 

Regards, AP

[Toncatmad]

I am going to continue on with my aluminum prototype I guess. I just have limited time to work on it with running a business. I have tried to pm him several times but no luck. Wel thanks for the info of my design pans out I will let anyone who wants one know how to make it the way I did. Thank you

[memo]

ap

i hope that is not true, i know he is not the fastest at returning email and pms. it is a great machine i would really hate to see it go away.

 

memo

[stihl88]

I'm from Australia and sent him a PM about a week ago and he hasn't read it yet and aren't holding out much hope that he'll respond either.

 

Ive looked on the google machine and can't find many plans for a civilian type machine that a weekend warrior can guild, theres just not that many at all actually.

 

In Australia, Visco fuse is hard to get. i got some about 16 years ago from a powder monkey and still have his contact details but would rather make my own anyway as i think it would be quite enjoyable if not economical.

 

Can anyone point me towards a decent set of plans? am willing to pay for them if their decent and don't require a degree in rocket science also...

 

Cheers

[AustralianPyromaniac]

Hey stihl88, interesting name. I am also an Australian... as you may have guessed. I would recommend you just by your visco from http://visco-fuse.co.uk/. I have purchased from them twice before with no issues and have more than enough visco to satisfy my needs at about $5/m; though it'll take 16 days to arrive. If you insist on making it then this guide looks quite good though it's behind a paywall https://sellfy.com/p/DjI5/

 

So where you located in Aus? I think I ask every Australian newbie this question, it's getting kinda old ;-)

 

Regards, AP

Edited November 8, 2017 by AustralianPyromaniac

[stihl88]

Hi Aussie Pyro, thanks for the heads up on the fuse suggestions! You've given me some things to ponder. Ive replied to you via PM also.

[Arthur]

It's,probably that youtube will offer a lot of good ideas from which inspiration could be gained and plans drawn, and this may be the best route to a personal machine. I like the youtube vid where a shaft comes through a wall from a motor and drives a visco machine that makes white visco then runs it through a pot of green lacquer.

 

Added;

youtube.com/watch?v=BX5zRH8z8Hc

Edited November 9, 2017 by Arthur

[Toncatmad]

Yes I saw that. I actually contacted the company in China that makes the machines. It is $3,675 shipped to the closest port to me which would be NJ. I have been working on an aluminum version using three small motors and step controllers to vary they speed of the platters as well as the take up wheel. Once work slows over the winter I hope to get it working and finished.

[MrB]

Personally i would think a full size industrial machine might be outside the scope of a hobbyist.

But i wish someone would actually provide a reasonable kit, for money that wasn't crazy. Hell, even for money that are crazy, i could buy a used one down the line...

[Toncatmad]

I will do my best to get a working model completed over the winter along with materials used sizes as well as anything I learn along the way I will put this all up for free if it works well.

I enjoy building and/or making things so if this works well I will gladly give you all the plans for free because I know what its like to try and find VSCO when you need it and not want to pay through the nose for it. I had actually thought about buying a commercial machine and making it myself and selling it at a reasonable price to anybody in the hobby there is just a lot of licensing that goes along with it.

[MrB]

Go for it. Good luck.

[wncranger]

Plans would be fantastic. The mechanism for spinning thread is interesting. I wonder if coming up with a kernmantle wrap would be better than contra-rotating spun thread. Ive done a ton of patent research and I think a hobby machine would be possible. I dont think a kit would be however it might be done under a group but (for parts). Maybe a deal could be made with a fabricator of which there are many online - the maker space for one.

[FrankRizzo]

*Bump* Any new developments from the various folks who were working on alternatives?

[Ozzieamature81]

I want 1 where did you get with the kits?

[Arthur]

The simple answer seems to be that the knowledge of how they work is easy to work out with research, but getting a product to retail isn't easy especially when customers could be international and international shipping of pyro toys freaks governments and departments out. Plus visco is cheap, so to justify a machine build for a few £/$ of product is pointless.

[FrankRizzo]

I think an open-source discussion would be ideal. With all the inexpensive 3D printers and access to laser cutters, it would be neat to come up with some models to share. Visco *was* cheap, but it has definitely seen a supply shortage lately. The place where I'd previously get my spools has been out for over 2 years. You're going to see all the usual places drying up shortly.

[Arthur]

ALL of the necessary pictures and sketches exist (or were) online. Your next project is to adopt the best bits of each design/YTvid and work out how to make it work. Then you could make a mile per day and wonder what to do with it all.