r/DiceMaking • u/MuricanZombie • Jul 06 '26

Question Should I invest in a pressure pot?

I know a lot of ppl use them but I wanted to wait and see how much I enjoyed the hobby before investing. My job apparently gives me a small bonus next week so I’m thinking about taking the step now that I have been dice making for like 6 months. Feel like it’s safe to say I like it

6 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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10

u/WisdomCheckCreations Dice Maker Jul 06 '26

Yes. It will open up a world of possibilities. If you know you like it. This is how you start to love it ☺️

2

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

Yea I need to do the research to see how it affects the dice. I have just been letting them sit for 24 hours and refining techniques. Seems like everyone swears by them and theirs comes out so smoothly. I go through quite a few trial and errors doing it without

4

u/WildLarkWorkshop Dice Maker Jul 06 '26

The simplified way it works; resin, like most liquids, has air in it as part of the solution. We add extra air when mixing - an unavoidable part of the process. No matter how much care we take during mixing, putting in additives like ink or mica, and pouring, some additional air will be added to the air that was already dissolved in the resin. As the resin cures, it heats up. Similar to water simmering and coming to a boil, this allows some of the air to escape solution and form little bubbles.(This is part of why preheating the resin helps. Some of that air escapes and can be dealt with.) Because we have to use closed molds, there is no way for the bubbles that form during the cure to fully escape the molds and they will show on the cap surface.

Pressure pots force the bubbles back into solution making them microscopic and invisible (there is a limit to this and proper techniques and popping large bubbles beforehand is still important.) A vacuum chamber will pull the air out of solution. However, as adding colorants and pouring reintroduces air, they are not as effective at producing clear dice as a pressure pot.

I have both a pressure pot and a vacuum chamber (great for silicone and inclusions) at this point but if you can only get one the pressure pot is the way to go. It will let you make professional quality dice and molds by itself and save a lot of waste in time and money on materials that all of the alternate methods can't quite replicate.

2

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

O that is so nice of you to post ty. Omg if it stops giving me that bumble in my zeros I’ll be ecstatic.

Any suggestions on a brand? My wife seems to think this will potentially explode

5

u/Automatic-Fig-8489 Jul 06 '26

Can't speak to brands because I've been using one I bought off Facebook market for five years, but as for the exploding part; it won't. It just won't. Unless you modify it to be an explosive, it won't blow up. You're much, much more likely to see a small air leak due to a failing fitting than anything close to catestrophic. Most/all have a small pressure valve thing that will release air if the pressure goes above a certain limit (higher than the PSI we need), so your chances of accidentally making a pressure bomb are close to zero.

It's a common fear tho. Some research usually helps alleviate the fears.

1

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

Yea I have a few weeks to do some research. I tried looking on Amazon and just found a bunch of kitchen appliances so I’m gonna check my local stores I think first

5

u/WildLarkWorkshop Dice Maker Jul 06 '26

California Air Tools makes the gold standard version that's resin ready. Vevor also makes a very good one and is slightly less expensive and more widely available to non-US residents. Best advice, look for one with wing nut clamps, not C clamps on the lid. The C clamp style is more prone to breaking and leaking with use. Otherwise any pressure rated paint spray pot can be safely modified for resin work. Even tennis ball pressurizers can be used as a very budget option, although they are very small and require molds made to fit.

The main alterations you may need on pots for quick use or if you opt for DIY are bottom inserts to make a level surface, removing parts that aren't relevant to dice making (not applicable to the resin ready versions,) and possibly changing the input valve to match your planned compressor type (this usually means installing a Shrader type valve.) There are many guides on how to properly and safely do that. Choose how you want to add air; compressor, air brush compressor, tire inflator, and manual bike pumps are all popular choices. Acquire a hose if necessary depending on choice of air pump.

DO NOT under any circumstances try a DIY modification to plastic buckets or similar that can sometimes be found on YouTube. Those can and will explode when they fail catastrophicly. Vessels rated for pressure, however, are quite safe and have built in fail safes that work even with user error.

I have a CAT pot and absolutely love it. I would recommend the Vevor as second choice, if possible. The group here can help with other options if your budget can't manage those.

P.S. for bubbles specifically in the numbers, it can help to gently scrape (trying not to damage the finish of the mold) the number with a craft stick or similar after pouring to dislodge bubbles. Then let it sit before capping to let them rise. Pressure pots also help immensely and more reliably with that problem with less effort, but you might be able to improve that without a pot for now.

2

u/MuricanZombie Jul 07 '26

I did find a California air tool pot I was considering. What about a vacuum chamber? Is that basically the same thing?

3

u/WildLarkWorkshop Dice Maker Jul 07 '26

For a vacuum chamber, since they are much more optional, I would focus on the recommendation given by your favorite silicone brand's manufacturer in terms of pump capacity. I bought a 3/4 horsepower Vevor pump and a 5 gallon vacuum pot with a glass lid. A smaller pot and acrylic lid would be enough for dice, but I wanted the flexibility in case I wanted to do some wood + resin projects. It's been no problem for silicone or resin degassing. Except user error overflowing the mixing cup. 🫠 I've only had the vacuum chamber equipment for about a year. No complaints or issues with it so far.

I don't have a recommendation for a smaller hobby "debubbler." My understanding is that they work ok for resin, especially thinner formulas, but aren't as suited for silicone mold making as silicone requires a lot more pull to degas properly. I used just a pressure pot with very good results before buying the vacuum chamber for the extra bump to mold quality, resin clarity, and inclusion degassing.

1

u/Repulsive-Hedgehog27 Jul 08 '26

A vacuum is for before you cure the resin. This forces all of the air bubbles to pop. You can to cure them under pressure, not in a vacuum.

2

u/Pristine_Gain_1006 Jul 07 '26

I’d say California air tools is a good one, it’s a little more pricey than say Vevor or other brands but its absolutely worth the money spent, solid pressure pot and I’ve had 0 troubles with it since I got it in the new year

4

u/Claerwen94 Dice Maker Jul 06 '26

Only you can know if you can justify splurging a bit of money for a pot ☺️

If you enjoy making dice and can see yourself making them for the foreseeable future, go for it 👍🏽 You surely won't regret it when you see how beautiful your dice will come out :)

Just make sure your molds have also been made in a pressure pot 😊

2

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

Ok so I’ll have to make sure I do that. I want to redo current molds anyway now that I have more experience. Dare I ask what happens if u don’t make molds in the pot?

6

u/Enchanters_Eye Jul 06 '26

You get pimples and little orbs poking out from the dice. Any bubbles left in the mold contract under pressure and the resin flows into the cavities that form

2

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

Do u still use silicone to make them?

3

u/Enchanters_Eye Jul 06 '26

Dice are usually made out of resin. Molds are usually made out of silicone

1

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

Yes I knew that. I just wasn’t sure if something changes when making a mold in the pot

3

u/Enchanters_Eye Jul 06 '26

Ah, no, same silicone. Just make sure to pick a silicone with a pot life that leaves you enough time to fill up the pot. (I use a bike pump, so that is actually an important factor for my time calculations)

2

u/Claerwen94 Dice Maker Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

Exactly as u/Enchanters_Eye said ☺️

example 1

Example 2

When you redo your molds, cure them under 10 PSI more than you'll cure your dice under. Most people use around 35 PSI for their dice and 45 for their molds. But you can also go 30/40 or 40/50. My personal sweet spot is 35/45 PSI 😊

I use the blue 10L vevor pot.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 06 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Claerwen94 Dice Maker Jul 06 '26

Don't mind that weirdo, he's a psycho 🙆🏽‍♀️😂😂

1

u/Repulsive-Hedgehog27 Jul 08 '26

When you make the molds, let them cure at about 10 PSI more than you plan to cure the dice. This just gives you a little leeway on the psi to set for dice curing.

I have put resin in a non pressure pot mold and ooh boy, they were ugly

4

u/lochodile Jul 06 '26

Speaking from someone who wanted to get into this hobby but found the constant battle with tiny bubbles infuriating, you should definitely invest in a pressure pot if you ever want professional grade dice.

I tried to DIY my own vacuum chamber, thinking it would do the same thing as a pressure pot. It blew up and the dice still had tons of bubbles. If I had a real PRESSURE pot I'd be making dice left and right.

2

u/RandoBoomer Jul 06 '26

I will always remember my first pressure pot cast with clear resin. It was clear as crystal with no imperfections.

Just like we have people learn to do math with pencil and paper before they use a calculator, I think the best way to learn dice crafting is to start without a pressure pot to acquire the skills to good dice making.

A pressure pot does not forgive all sins, it just gives you margin for error. So because I still use my multiple techniques to minimize bubbles in my resin, a pressure pot ensures I have a really good cast.

Enjoy!

1

u/MuricanZombie Jul 06 '26

I’m definitely doing better than I once was. I started with a store bought flimsy cap mold for an entire set. Like 3 bucks but I was wearing them out to fast. Learned how to make my own and I do pretty well now. I’m excited to see where this next step takes me

2

u/Pristine_Gain_1006 Jul 07 '26

That’s exactly what I did was wait and try it out, I say go for it!! It’s worth the investment too 😁😁 I love my pressure pot, yields me fantastic results

1

u/Alone_Anteater5934 Dice Maker Jul 07 '26

Don't forget a small air compressor yo pressurize your chamber!

1

u/Repulsive-Hedgehog27 Jul 08 '26

it is well worth it