Sand and Resin Filling Box Section

[komatias]

Sand is as you know extremely abrasive. I filled the base of my Chester Lux mill with the the B&Q variety sand and some gravel mixed in with casting epoxy a while ago too. (I am sure you can find cheaper alternatives to that though like roofing resin?). Then went to drill it to put linear rails and found that my drills would burn as soon as they broke though.

My advice is to drill and tap before filling. Then plug the holes using a hotmelt glue gun.

The epoxy/sand mix does not flow well unless it is more on the epoxy side of weight ratio. I think I did 10% by weight that produced good results but it had the consistency of mortar.

[grain_r]

Hello Komatias

Thanks very much for that I didn't even thing of the drilling I just thought It may hold the bolts better. I does certainly sound like I will be best to drill and tap first then and then I think I will come up with a small slider door or something on the box section.

Do I have to use resin or can i just pour the sand in and then empty it in the future If needed ?

Back to the drawing board.

Thanks
Rob.

[JAZZCNC]

Make the frame so the sand can added after it's built and removed if needed when moving etc. It's just dampening the vibrations you don't need epoxy unless you intend to leave it in and like has been mentioned this can cause other issues along the way.

[grain_r]

Hey Dean

Great thanks very much for that that will be my ideal and I will just tape the holes if I ever need too. Brilliant back to the molten metal then

Thanks

Rob