Question: noob question
- Thread starter Darrell
- Start date
Omar Haltam
Elite Cafe Member
it's called thermo lock
it is used to hold odd shaped objects that would other wise be hard to hold in the vise .
you warm it up in the microwave or with a heat gun and it becomes soft and pliable.
after about 5 minutes it hardens and hold the piece in the vise as long as you need it.
it is used to hold odd shaped objects that would other wise be hard to hold in the vise .
you warm it up in the microwave or with a heat gun and it becomes soft and pliable.
after about 5 minutes it hardens and hold the piece in the vise as long as you need it.
another good fixturing material-- hot melt glue. releases with isopropyl alcohol. thermoloc can be reused indefinitely. it is also good for making reuseable fixtures for holding lighters, as well as many other items. t-loc, as i call it, is easily worked with a heat gun or in a microwave.
tdelewis
Elite Cafe Member
I wonder about thermo lock being used indefinitely. It seems that mine gets increasingly sticky the more times it goes into the microwave. I am suspecting that it breaks down some after repeated use. Is anyone else having the same issue?
Yes it does seem to get harder to work with. Mine wants to take forever to "loosen" up then burns the stuffin' out of me when it finally lets go. I also find hard spots in it when heating it, but I contribute that to different thickness t-lock in the glob I'm trying to reuse.
Bluetickhound
Elite Cafe Member
I use a heat gun to warm mine and it seems to be more manageable than a microwave, at least for me. YMMV.
td: if it does, i've never noticed the effect. it is quite easy to overcook the stuff. if, when working the t-loc, you see smoke, that may be the problem there. to me, much easier to control heating it with a hair dryer.
cut 2 flat boards. one about 6 x 10". the other, maybe 5 x5" varnish them well. take little pieces and roll between the boards. make sausages and spaghetti strands. easier to build up around an item. if you work with it too thick, by the time it's evenly heated thruout, way too hot on the fingers.
Eric Olson
Elite Cafe Member
"Jet Set" is a similar material. I submerge it in water to heat it in the microwave.
Wondering if this might help the "aging" of thermo-lock.
Wondering if this might help the "aging" of thermo-lock.
I appreciate the replies here about how to work t-lock. Sometimes I need to step back, outside the box, look at things a little more differently. Just like in the service, I was qualifying for marksmanship at Parris Island, going for a score of 249 of a possible 250 at the 500 yard line. My sling was a little too tight and every time my heart would beat, the rifle would jump slightly. That threw me off at that distance. Did I readjust the sling? No-o-o! I tried to time my trigger pull, dumb move for an eighteen year old. Scored 225 instead. Probably kept me out of sniper school. I'm older now but not necessarily smarter, still doing the same dumb things.
yuck ! i bought a batch years ago. i gave it to a forum member. way too messy for me.
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