The random RESIN question thread!

[Diane B.]

managed to get some from a small craft store in the city and its the kind where you mix the resin with only a few drops of hardner  and apparently if you under or over do the harder the resin doesnt come out soo good   so im going to have to be careful when trying it out for the first time it was rather expensive for the amount i got.

So what you purchased was a polyester** resin (not an epoxy resin).  It will be a little cheaper than an epoxy resin, a little fiddlier to get right, and worse for breathing, etc., but great for deep molds (not for filling "cells" or coating though). 
More tips on using it though in the links I put in my first reply.

**hopefully, a craft type clear polyester resin, not a polyester resin for fiberglass

Diane B.

[sazzra]

Tink, Hobbycraft has the Gedeo brand in a couple of sizes, it's apparently one of their main lines so you should be able to find it (and it's the 2 parts resin to one part hardener - easy!). Fred Aldous also do a couple of types and have great delivery times

http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/shop-online/gedeo-crystal-resin.htm  That's what I use, and I haven't managed to stuff up too badly with it

Yet

[tinkxoxo]

thank you very much sazzra we have a hobbycraft about 30 mins away so ill have a look into that to be honest i thought with the big craft shop not selling it i didnt hold much hope for hobbycraft!

ill head there at the weekend to see what i find!

theres so much stuff on here i wanna try but its finding the confidence to give it ago 

[sazzra]

If you have the Gedeo, it's nice and easy to work out ratios. I then just kept putting stuff in and fiddling til I got the hang of it a bit more. Pretty much everything you could ever wish to know is covered in the random resin thread or the site DianeB linked to though - just have a look there when you get the 'I wonder if I can embed this?' urge 

Hobbycraft also sell the Gedeo brand 2 part moulding putty (one blue and one white pot, mix the two together and squish) if you don't have a lot of moulds but do have a collection of buttons, pendants etc. I've made some great ones, the only downside is they have left the resin a bit matt on top but that's easily fixed

And acetone seems to remove it from kitchen counters nicely

[Diane B.]

Interesting that an epoxy resin would be mixed 2 to 1 (like the Gedeo) rather than the usual 1 to 1.

Anyone know more about why that is, or what it does--advantages, disadvantages, etc.?

Diane B.

[Dollyrocker]

hello i am making resin pendants and i just wondered how i can get the resin to be all glittered. what i mean is I put a layer of plain resin first, layer a sticker or image on that, then wait for it to dry, i then want to add a layer of glitter, the way i am doing it now is by mixing the glitter and resin together but i am finding that the glitter is sinking to the top of the first hardened layer, the glitter and the image isnt mixing though, but i am left with clear resin in the second layer when what i really want is a complete layer of glitter, anyone know how to do this?

[burntspaghetti]

what i really want is a complete layer of glitter, anyone know how to do this?

I've had this problem myself. I solved it by basically using more glitter. You essentially need to put so much glitter in the resin that it can't sink. The way I figured out I had enough glitter is that the texture of the glitter changed when I stirred it - it wasn't as smooth or something, I don't know exactly how to describe it. Anyway, I hope this helps.

[PinkyK]

what i really want is a complete layer of glitter, anyone know how to do this?

I've had this problem myself. I solved it by basically using more glitter. You essentially need to put so much glitter in the resin that it can't sink. The way I figured out I had enough glitter is that the texture of the glitter changed when I stirred it - it wasn't as smooth or something, I don't know exactly how to describe it. Anyway, I hope this helps.

That's what I do. My thinking is you can never have too much glitter! Just be careful with colored glitter. If you mix it too much or too vigorously the color from the glitter may bleed into the resin which isn't a bad effect but might not be what you are looking for. I mixed the resin first then fold in the glitter so it's mixed in but hasn't been over worked.

[emopoops]

LOL NO. putting more glitter will just make it all sink to the bottom. i did one of my first pieces and didnt know about sinkage. and theres like glitter on the outside of the peice in the front because it sank to th bottom of the mold. i have read that you have to get "lighter" glitter for it to not sink and for it to actually just be in the resin all random. i used pretty heavy glitter i guess cause all but like maybe 5 tiny pieces sank to the bottom and it was wayyyyy too much glitter than i though because it was all at the bottom... LOL. no adding more glitter doesnt solve anything.

[emopoops]

i dont know but you should use evirotex lite or easy cast. i got some easy cast and it works fine. its clear. i dont know about uk places but i also read that epoxy resin is cheaper than polyester or maybe it was cheaper than another kind of resin im not sure. i think there like three main ones. but i dont think that there is less places to get epoxy resin in the uk than usa. i think that mayb there are some brands of resin besides the two i listed that are epoxy but im not really sure if those are that popular. envirotex lite and easy cast seem to be to me the most popular . of course theres that one website called tapplasics or something i dont know if they do uk/england or whatever but they have resin and lots of things to do with resin. i think they may be more expenisve than some places im not sure though. i know if u search for easy cast resin u can get it cheaper if u buy it in a larger quantity also some places are wayy more expensive so its kind i hard to choose cause u have to sort through them. i dont think that the epoxy resin is that bad. i only used it like twice but i read that if u get it too hot it turns yellow. i read that people put it inn there ovens around 100 degrees i think farenheight to cure.. i had to put it in the oven to cure. its cold here lately anyways. it cured in aa few hours or so.. then i took it out of the mold to let it be like more harden or something. but i remember that if u get it hot or something it just starts getting bendy again.... i think this iss what makes the epoxy resin so interesting. I dont think that the epoxy resin is better than the polyester resin i just think that the polyester from what i have read(alot) is more toxic.smells worse. i also read that envirotex lite and castin craft's easy cast is low odor which is nice. also when u sand i guess its not good for the lungs. so to be careful or something. the thing about the resin that i made in this mold and ive read it on many sites and seen proof myself and online is that epoxy resin shrinks or something when its getting cured.. and well, it looks aweful spoon shaped on the top (the bottom when u take it out of the mold)

and so i was like "forced" to sand the back because its like a bowl. and not striaght. but i sanded it and i heard that u have to wet sand it with FINE GRIT sandpaper like 1500 grade/grit to make it so its clearer(if u sand it at all) because if u sand it with like a nail file(which i used because of the lack off supplies being im new to resin this month!) then it gets frosted from the scratches and its really DUMB because u cant see through it!!!!

also i heard u have to polish it with something i read car polish or something to make it glossy and i also read about how u should use a rubbing compound to get those minor scratches (from the sanding) to be really like filled in or something so its see thru again.

i dont know if its safe to use car polish or if it sticks to the resin but i read it somewhre.

but i believe that the wet sanding with the 3m wetordry sandpaper in a HIGH(fine) grit like 1000+ is the best to make it smooth VS dry sanding cause i read that u have to sand it under water to keep the stuff that was sanded off from sticking back onto the  jewelry piece. and once the water gets sanding residue in it you have to empty the container out and fill it up with fresh water

i can see why some people would want to keep the frosted look from sanding with LOW grits like 250
but if you want to maintain the transparency of the jewelry such as for example theres like something in it then i gues go with fine grit wet sanding.

im not sure about the polishing or buffing or rubbing compound but it seems clear to me that sanding is abig part of resin jewelry