The random RESIN question thread!

[crazydoc]

Perhaps it isn't done in one mold?

Maybe the two distinct halves are done separately, then glued together, then a clear resin coat on top?

I believe holes in resin can be achieved with use of either a dremmel or a hand drill.

Good luck!
~CD~

[Diane B.]

It's probably done using a rectangular mold while it's standing on one of its short ends... with the bottom color poured first then allowed to gel or completely harden, and then pouring the other color section.  To hold the resin in the mold, some kind of backing or dam could have been used (duct or some other tapes, modeling clay, and other things).

Some of those methods might require sanding to smooth them really well or to remove any flashing or color where it wasn't supposed to be (then polishing).

I don't know about the white stripe though...could have been painted or perhaps created with a premade resin shape added while making the red section, or could even have been made with the mold tilted at a 45 degree angle.

[eternallyeve]

Hi Pepsi Twist.

Given the nature of the seller's other items I would suggest that the resin is laminated, much like with wood. The different colours and shapes would be cast separately and then joined together with a thin film of resin. Once the piece is set it would be shaped and sanded to the required finish.

The other option would be using a dam. You can use things like Klean Klay and plasticines to create a dam wall in your moulds. You would squash the clay into the mould to make a wall and pour the resin into the half you want to fill. Once it is firm, remove the dam and cast your next colour. I would doubt this is the way these particular pendants are made though. The lines are very crisp and straight and that's something that would be hard to achieve with a dam.

[Knit_core]

thank you for posting all this.  It answered all my questions!

[eternallyeve]

I have plenty of experience with resin so hopefully I can help!

Firstly, you do need to be really accurate when mixing resins but I have never had a problem using just one cup for mixing. I use a small digital kitchen scale and make sure each part is exactly the same weight.

Secondly, resins cure by an exothermic reaction. Basically the two parts of the resin cause a chemical reaction to generate heat and cure. The thicker the coat of resin, the greater the heat generated and the faster it will cure. For thin coats (which I use) you have a few options.
- cover the pieces with a lid of foil or with a container (don't use a plastic container that is also used for food since resin creates fumes) which will trap more of the heat
- set your pieces in a warm room to sure
- my preferred method: pop the resin pieces in a slow oven for a few hours, checking regularly. I use 70C which is about 125F, I pop my pieces on a dedicated cookie sheet and onto the centre rack. The cure time depends on the thickness but my thin coats cure in about 2 hours. No, they don't catch fire or smell but then i use a non vapour epoxy to begin with. This process is also called post-curing, traditionally you would cure your pieces at room temperature and then put in the oven for a particular length of time to give the resin it's maximum strength and durability but a wise resin supplier once advised me to go straight to the post-cure and skip the room temp. Given that epoxy can cure painfully slow I was thrilled to discover it works.

Note, I have tried this with polyurethane resin without much success. Urethanes are extremely fragile around moisture of any kind and the humidity of a home oven just seems to cause issues. But that will vary between brands of resin too.

Hope that helps

[Knit_core]

I'm pretty sure I didn't mix mine long enough.

[PepsiTwist]

Thanks for the responses! I'm still messing around with it, trying to figure it out, but to no avail thus far... Thanks for the different ideas that I can try though! 

[Maya Remblai]

New poster, long-time crafter here. I read this whole thread, and didn't see this addressed here, so...

I've played with EasyCast, but with cats and a family member with breathing problems, I've been looking at low-VOC UV cure resins to use instead. I can't work outside because here in Tennessee it's too humid, and I can't tolerate the summer heat anyway. I only cast with very shallow molds, so the fact that UV cure resins generally aren't used in casting will probably not be a problem most of the time. They just need to be clear, since what I make is eyes. I make half-spheres that are about 1/8"-1/4" deep.

In my searches I came across the Solarez line of resins, made by Wahoo International. They're meant for glassing surfboards, but they cure clear and are recommended for casting, even embedding. They have one product, called Zerovoc, which is hypo-allergenic and much safer than standard resins, and that's the one I'm most interested in. I emailed them, and told them what I use resin for, and asked which product they'd recommend. I was told Zerovoc would work! The person I emailed even said he'd mix a special batch for me if it didn't turn out just right. I ordered some to try, and I'll post about how it works when I get it. I just placed the order last night though, so I probably won't get it until next week.

It's only sold in quarts and gallons, but ounce for ounce it's much cheaper than resins marketed for crafting.

I just wanted to let y'all know about it, and ask if anyone has worked with it before?

http://www.solarez.com/index.html

[lollie_pollie]

When drilling holes in resin do you just use a regular old drill and a weensy tiny bit? Can that crack the resin?

[lollie_pollie]

How do you guys drill holes in resin? Do you just just a plain old drill and a teensy bit? Could that crack the resin?