I received my Zbutt kit a couple of weeks ago, and I have finally taken my first steps toward designing and casting keycaps. While these steps are still part of the tooling process, making clones of the Zbutt parts is a great way to step into silicone mold making and subsequent resin casting. This cloning step is done so you do not have to keep ordering extra parts should one break or your production ramp up. It has also given me a chance to gather some first impressions of the tools I chose, and while I had to wait for the Zbutt parts to arrive I have been learning how to use my FDM printer and have bought an MSLA printer so I should be able to print any additional pieces I want to add thanks the maker of Zbutt making his IP open source.
First of all, the compressed air tools I bought are great. Of course, as with any tool, first impressions can change with premature breakage or wear, but for out-of-the-box performance, California Air Tools are just the ticket for running a pressure pot. I can see their small compressors working great for airbrushing SLA models. I do not require large compressors, so I can only speak to their small offering, but it is quite impressive. It not only covers hobby work, but could easily deal with lawnmower, bike, and car tires as well as inflatables. The one-gallon CAT-1P1060S is so quiet you could use it for air beds without driving your guests out of their minds.
The Mold Star 30 silicone I chose was also a great choice for beginners. Pot life is something like 45 minutes, so it was not even a concern. This left me time to work with the materials and get a feel for how they pour, mix, clean, etc. The finished molds look fantastic. I plan on buying more for other molds.
It was suggested that the electric mixer I bought was overkill. If you have even the slightest tinge of arthritis, you want to get it. It increases the mess and complexity of the process, but I would be unable to mix the chemicals sufficiently without it. Of course, the Zbutt system was at the center of it all, and the prints, both FDM and SLA were very well made. I am hoping to use these molds to cast resin versions of the parts I will need to begin designing caps.
For anyone looking for details on my process, I chose to use painters' tape along the bottom of the clone box as well as on the short and tall risers. The former to prevent leakage in my pot and the latter to keep the resin casts from moving off the risers during cloning. I also put a large rubber band around the entire thing for added security. Anyone who looks closely will also notice I filled the sprue holes on the resin casts with UV resin, but this is not required. I did it because it was bothering me; it makes absolutely no difference.
As always, I reserve the right to be wrong.