i have a few fixture blocks i've been using for some years and lately the Thermo-loc is more like cleaner, odorless pitch. i try to be careful not to overheat it, but lately it's like removing gum. anybody else experiencing this?
I recently replaced my original supply of T-lock because of the same problem. The new stuff works just as well as the old did when new. I think the stuff just breaks down over time with many heat cycles, no matter what you do, but i have also changed to 18 second mic times, decreasing to 6 sec times at the end of the heat run up. Seems to be working well so far.
yeah, i'm thinking it must be breaking down over time. probably due to while it's not being over-heated overall as a batch, the surface gets hotter than desired before it sinks in. after awhile, it's all been overcooked to some extent.
I have used the same t-loc for years without any problems. I don't use a microwave to heat it, but use a heat gun. I wonder if that is why it has not broken down. It still gets to the same hardness as it did the day it was new.
yeah, Mike, i never nuke mine either and it sets up just like always, it's just getting gooey to remove a fixtured part rather than coming off clean with a little heat. oh well, it is probably 5-6 yrs old and i reuse a few pre-loaded fixture blocks a lot so who knows how many times this stuff has been heated & reheated...
Not Thermoloc, but a product I've used for decades, and to which you guys might have used and been familiar with. The Product is Dykem blue layout fluid. My 'old' supply is several years old, and turns into an oily, brown colored liquid, being absolutely useless for the purpose. Purchase it in the smallest size you'll need, which is what I did. A little goes a long way. There are other suppliers who market the stuff, such as Starrett and Crown. I don't know if it's the same stuff with a different label, or what. There are just some products that chemically reverse themselves, and can't be brought back. If the stuff, also, is Chinese, how would we know?
I use a red Sharpie marker for layout (sometimes - usually on nickels). I have a big chisel point one I use to cover the area and a fine line I use for 'erasing'. Takes a pencil line well and you can still see the original surface through it.