[jbr1971]

Just a heads up. Oaktree lists Fotoplast as a special order, so this didn't come as a huge surprise, but I just got the email. Two to four week lead time.

I got mine from Lightning Enterprises. They usually have good stock.

http://www.lightningenterprises.com/uvmaterials.html

 

[tomekk]

Guys who use the Egger EL2 - do you use two pairs of lamps for transparent shells all the time? Is it the same with solid colours?

Spoiler: Bonus +18

Jarporn

 

[Bassiklee]

I got mine from Lightning Enterprises. They usually have good stock.

http://www.lightningenterprises.com/uvmaterials.html

For those prices, they should. Oak tree is MUCH cheaper.

 

[Shilohsjustice]

Just a heads up. Oaktree lists Fotoplast as a special order, so this didn't come as a huge surprise, but I just got the email. Two to four week lead time.

Oak tree is great, I’ve ordered from them several times. Very competitive prices, and yes I always have to wait for Fotoplast from them. They have better prices than Warner Techcare, But Warner Techcare will match the prices. They do for me and they have it in stock.

 

[Bassiklee]

I will keep that in mind. That, or just keep enough in stock here that I don’t run out.

 

[Im1fan2nv]

I would like to know if anyone has ran into an ear canal that looks like the one below? If so, how did you handle the nearly 70-80 degree bend? I made it work, but I’d have to say it wasn’t easy.
If you look at image A, if I were to drill the sound bore where it shows the line towards the 2nd bend, it would just go out the back side. The same goes for the 1st bend, if I would drill the line shown, it would just go through as well and I wouldn’t be able to complete the path for the tubing. I used up a good bit of fotoplast getting this done and would like a better solution in case I run into this again.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bassiklee]

I would get the canal as hollow as possible, and make sure the tubes point in the right direction at the end, securing them with cured resin. This may include kind of back filling the canal about 1/4" and curing.

 

[Im1fan2nv]

I would get the canal as hollow as possible, and make sure the tubes point in the right direction at the end, securing them with cured resin. This may include kind of back filling the canal about 1/4" and curing.

I’m not sure I totally follow but if you mean getting as much to come out as possible when pouring it back out, in order for it to be mostly hollow, this is not easy. To get the outer ear thick enough, the inner ear sound port and beyond, was becoming more solid than one would like. This along with static friction and suction effect down inside, not allowing for everything to run all the way back out, I end up with the section from 1st bend to eardrum as basically solid making it very difficult to drill that s-curve. I find it difficult enough to pour excess back out on a fairly straight ear canal. I hope that isn’t too difficult to understand. Any additional information to help me better understand or achieve this?
Thanks

 

[GeneBush]

I’m not sure I totally follow but if you mean getting as much to come out as possible when pouring it back out, in order for it to be mostly hollow, this is not easy. To get the outer ear thick enough, the inner ear sound port and beyond, was becoming more solid than one would like. This along with static friction and suction effect down inside, not allowing for everything to run all the way back out, I end up with the section from 1st bend to eardrum as basically solid making it very difficult to drill that s-curve. I find it difficult enough to pour excess back out on a fairly straight ear canal. I hope that isn’t too difficult to understand. Any additional information to help me better understand or achieve this?
Thanks

I’m not sure I totally follow but if you mean getting as much to come out as possible when pouring it back out, in order for it to be mostly hollow, this is not easy. To get the outer ear thick enough, the inner ear sound port and beyond, was becoming more solid than one would like. This along with static friction and suction effect down inside, not allowing for everything to run all the way back out, I end up with the section from 1st bend to eardrum as basically solid making it very difficult to drill that s-curve. I find it difficult enough to pour excess back out on a fairly straight ear canal. I hope that isn’t too difficult to understand. Any additional information to help me better understand or achieve this?
Thanks

You can try to find some steel wire with the same diameter, or maybe a bit bigger, as the tubing you intend to use and insert them prior in the mold before “cooking” them for the first time. You should give the wire the exact form so it won’t touch the walls of the canal. Its a bit tricky but it might work

 

[Bassiklee]

You don't have to drill the S curve. Just drill the canal out, hollow it out. Then during assembly, put your tubes where you want them, and fill the canal with Fotoplast and cook it. My first pair of ears are filled solid. Watch Robert Kaufman's second diy video, the one with the short hair. He does this in that video. If you use drivers with ports, you can't fill the whole thing solid, but you can still fill the canal.

 

[tomekk]

Where is light located? From the side and bottom or from the side and top? What is your duplicating material? It seems to me that the causes of the problem must be found in uneven light. Correctly balanced light + proper negative form should give you an empty channel practically until the second bend.


With no offense, but the Robert Kaufman video is full of bad habits.

 

[Bassiklee]

I didn't suggest you build them the way he did. Only that he also filled the canal. I'm using Krystalloid and just ordered some Fotoplast. My previous shells are made with Detax resin, and filled with either Solarez, nail polish, or that Magic Glos. Magic Glos works well, except that it yellows really bad. That was my first uv resin.

 

[BigBublik]

Single drive on ED 29689. Homemade Etymotic.
Try to make my first headphones. Bought the driver, the cable, shells and connectors. Have a few questions:

1. Need a tube from the driver to the ear or can be clipped to the driver in the shell?
2. Need a dampers?
3. The driver can be connected directly to the cable or need a resistor of 20 ohms?
4. Maybe I should think twice and replace the driver to RAB-32257

Sorry if questions are stupid

 

[Im1fan2nv]

Where is light located? From the side and bottom or from the side and top? What is your duplicating material? It seems to me that the causes of the problem must be found in uneven light. Correctly balanced light + proper negative form should give you an empty channel practically until the second bend.


With no offense, but the Robert Kaufman video is full of bad habits.

I have one of the nail lights, 4x9watt bulbs 2 top, 1 each side, I use fotoplast, my negative is ballistics gel very clear with maybe 2% bubbles, placed on a rotory stand. If I cure at a time for the end to be hollow, the crus helix doesn’t cure.

I also agree, Robert has some bad habits, but the process detail is useful. Although filling the cavity isn’t a good idea with vented drivers.

 

[Bassiklee]

Agreed. Filling the cavity with vented drivers is only good if your intent is to ruin the drivers.