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 Pouring Clear Resin Casting into a Mold |
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* Casting resin is highly flammable - keep it away from flames & heat. Always wear a respirator mask, gloves and safety glasses when using resin. Making resin casts is a creative and popular craft project that can be done at home. A resin cast is formed when resin and a chemical catalyst are combined to form a hard, plastic-like material. These casts can be customized by pouring resin into molds, adding colors and embedding items. Items that can be made include paperweights and keychains. Resin casting supplies and complete kits can be found at local hobby and craft stores (such as Michael's Arts and Crafts stores, as well as through many online retailers and Ebay.
 Components of a typical resin casting kit
Everything you need to cast your own paperweights, keychains and displays are included in these kits.
The kits typically come complete with Clear Casting resin and a catalyst, embedding molds, wooden stirrers, a pair of plastic disposable gloves, two plastic measuring cups, 5ml of resin dye, a measuring pipette, a vial of glitter and an instruction book. Among the many items that can be made with Clear-cast are fridge magnets, ashtrays, desk pen holders, display souvenirs, paperweights, figurines, keychains, embedding natural objects, and jewelery. |
Casting Resin Suppliers
Tap Plastic's Clear-Lite Casting Resin
Tap Plastics is a leading supplier of hobby casting resins.
Their "Clear-lite" casting resin is a popular choice among many home hobbyists who make their own Resin cast items.
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Polyester resin is sold under several different names: Easy Cast, by Cast ‘N Craft, similar 41, by U.S. Composites, EP4101 by Eager Polymers. To determine whether resin is Polyester, other than reading the fine print on the label of the can of material at the local Hobby Lobby, or Michael’s or finding the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), is to see if the material is catalyzed with MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide). The Polyester Resin that is best to use is the resin for thick casting. It is a laminating resin and the surface will remain tacky, unless post cured. The surface remains tacky so that more layers can be added and they will adhere to each other without scuffing up the surface. Why use Polyester Resin? It has been around for so long that most people are familiar with the process in some way or another. It is the same material used to fiberglass boats, to repair car fenders & used to make surfboards. It is relatively easy to work with. It is inexpensive, around $40 with S&H for 1 gallon of material with catalyst. There is a shelf life on Polyester Resin. From the moment it is manufactured it is beginning to cure. Under normal conditions it will self-accelerate (cure) in approximately 6 months. If it is in a warm environment it could cure in less time, stored in a cold environment it could last more than a year. The optimal time to use your Polyester Resin is within 6 months of its manufacture. Polyester Resin is cured rapidly by the addition of MEKP catalyst. The use of 3-5 drops of MEKP per ounce of resin will result in a longer cure time but more durable product. What does one need to work with Polyester Resin? Other than the usual safety gear:
What should I cast in? You can use Tupperwear containers. You can order mold trays. You can order pen blank molds. You can use PVC pipe from the local hardware store, to make your own molds, pipe end plugs. Or you can use tape or clean clay to plug the bottom. If you are using food containers to cast in make sure that they are made of Polyethylene Taranpthalate (PETE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), or Polypropylene (PP) plastics, recycling codes 1, 2, and 5. Amber pill bottles that are made of Polypropylene can be used for half-blanks and bottle stopper molds. Or you can make your own molds from wood, poly cutting boards from the store, or make them in latex or silicone RTV rubber. If you use wood to make your mold you will need to use a mold release. Where do I get Polyester Resin and supplies? The local Hobby Lobby and Michael’s carry the Cast’n Craft, Easy Cast Clear Casting Resin. They carry it in pint and quart cans. One down-side of buying it from them is that you don’t know how long it has been sitting on the shelf. Another is the cost. U.S. Composites sells Silmar 41 Thick casting Polyester Resin, and liquid/paste dyes. They are mail order, but they deliver fast and are the least expensive for the best quality resin. Eager Polymers carries EP4101 thick casting Polyester Resin, and a line of liquid dyes. They are more expensive and have a greater S&H costs. Liquid Latex Mold Builder is available from Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or A.C. Moore. RTV Silicone is available from Reynolds Advanced Materials. Jacquard Pearl-Ex Powdered Pigments are available direct or locally from Hobby Lobby (8 colors), A.C. Moore (12 colors) or the full Pearl-Ex line is available from Reddi Arts or Crafts’n More. Powdered pigments are also available from Coastal Scents. They have a larger lineup of colors than Jacquard, and are cheaper if you buy in larger bulk quantities. The downside is that they are mail-order. Cast’n Craft Liquid Pigments are also available at Hobby Lobby. Surf Source carries a nice line of opaque and transparent liquid pigments. Color Formulation and casting Our project is going to be to cast a 3 metric oz (moz) bottle stopper and a 4 moz - 2 cavity mold. We will be using 7 moz of resin. You will need 4 cups. Marked at 5 moz, 3 moz, 2 moz, 1 moz. 1 metric ounce is 30 milliliters. Dispense 5 moz of resin into one cup and 2 moz of resin into another cup. Hold the cups marked at 3 and 1 in reserve. Our pigment additions will total approximately 5% or less of the volume of the resin in the 5 moz and the 2 moz cups. • The 5 moz cup contains 150 ml of resin, so we can add up to 7.5 ml of additives. • The 2 moz cup contains 60 ml of resin, so we can add up to 3 ml of additives. Add MEKP to both cups of resin at the rate of 4 drops per moz and mix thoroughly. The count would be 8 drops for the 2 moz cup and 20 drops for the 5 moz cup. In the 2 moz cup add .2 ml of yellow liquid dye and mix thoroughly. The resin will resemble lemon meringue in color. Add Pearl Ex Pigments and mix thoroughly: • 1 ml Aztec Gold • .25 ml Sparkling Gold • .25 ml Brilliant Gold • .25 ml Interference Gold • .25 ml Blue Russet Total pigment additions 2.2 ml Decant 1 moz of the gold mixture into the marked cup held aside. In the 5 moz cup add .2 ml orange, and .3 ml blue liquid dye and mix thoroughly. The resin will resemble prune juice in color. Add Pearl Ex Pigments and mix thoroughly: • 5 ml Reflex Violet • .5 ml Interference Violet • .5 ml Micropearl Total pigment additions 6.5 ml Decant 3 moz of the purple mixture into the marked cup held aside. Continue to mix and wait for resin to get close to gel this will take approx 50 minutes. Pour into molds and set aside or put under pressure for 24 hrs. Post cure for 1 hour at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. |
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