The random RESIN question thread!

[ambersteele]

I obviously don't know what the resin is in, but would it maybe be possible to salvage your project by somehow cutting the tacky part off (I'm picturing removing a top layer with an xacto knife or something) and pouring another layer of resin over it? I know I'm not really answering your question, and if you've been working with resin for a while, you've probably already thought of that, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case...   

[ambersteele]

DeSade13- Literally 2 seconds after I posted, I came across this from Neurosylum in a different thread: "Something I learned from resin making was baking them for 15 min or so at 350 degrees to get rid of tackiness. However, that made the colors fade on some of my pieces (I think it's due to the fact that the runnier, transparent dyes held color more loosely than the thicker, opaque ones)."  Maybe that would work?

[DeSade13]

I did try removing the top/tacky layer with isopropol alcohol and a blade but it just mangled the thing haha. I found some acetone based thinner at the hardware store that is supposed to dissolve the resin altogether, so hopefully that will work.

Thanks for the advice though. I will keep the baking thing in mind if it happens again

[hello color!]

DeSade,

Did it work? I don't know of any solvent that would remove epoxy. (Theoretically, you can't dissolve it, but you can swell it, which would make it possible to remove it mechanically. That's also how paint thinners work, since it's not possible to dissolve many paints once they are set. The difficulty is finding a good enough solvent that would do that.)

[witchcrafty]

ok! i can help lol

ideally, resin needs to cure at about 70 degrees (but really, not more than about 85)

i highly suggest trying to put your house up to that temp for about 24 hours

the humidity cant be helped, but the increase in temp might help enough to get it set up

another option is to wait till the weather is not humid and letting it set then, but that could be weeks

now, to clean your molds, this will cost a little bit of money (maybe 15 dollars)

pour all excess goo out
fill a plastic box that will easily fit the molds in one layer (or do one at a time, but the cost will add up)
fill the box with acetone nail polish remover till the molds are completely submersed by like 1/2 an inch
put on your gloves, now take a towel you can throw away and wipe each cavity out repeatedly
now grab another towel and put more remover on that, and clean it one more time

now let them dry, and clean them with some rubbing alcohol and then they should sit for about a day before you add resin to them

its messy, and not cheap, but its worth it if the mold is special or expensive

hope i helped!

Oh Thank You! I did a cast a week ago and I think I didn't put enough hardener in and I've got the same problem--goo stuck in my cool star molds. I was about to chunk them until I read this post. YOU ROCK!

[robinred]

Thought I'd put this out there....there's a fantastic book that I use for all my moldmaking and casting projects called The Mouldmaker's Handbook. It's got this great chart in the back of what molding materials you can use with what casting materials, and what you should use as a release agent with each. Really, it's an amazing book.

I've been using some silicone molds for some of my smaller charms...but I will say that using epoxy based resin with them tends to be hard on the mold itself. It works, but the mold will eventually degrade. I'm up to maybe 30 castings currently, so it might not go past 50.

[gippaloo]

WOW this is a HUGE topic!

Hi everyone! I am a newbie here, and I am a newbie to resin jewelry making.

I wanted to find out if I could ask a few questions, and get a few pointers?

I am trying to make some resin pendants with glitter and other things put in them.  Similar to this:

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs47/f/2009/210/7/6/Panda_Sushi_Resin_Necklace_by_bapity88.jpg

I have all of the materials, including the resin mold, and yesterday I made my first attempts at a couple of pendants.

This is the type of resin I am using:

Also, this is the type of resin I am using:

http://i.ebayimg.com/11/!B-5SmigBGk~$(KGrHqR,!joEzK1i8tTnBM9+0MYqU!~~0_3.JPG


Not sure if you guys are familiar with it...


I was having some issues though.

How do you get your glitter to stay in place when you put it in the resin? I was trying to make some alternating stripes with glitter in one pendant but the glitter just spread all over the place and didnt want to sink in the resin. Is there a technique to doing this correctly?

Also, is there anything I can use to apply glitter in a more precise way? Right now I am just pouring it from the containter, and it seems to get EVERYWHERE.  I am needing something that will control where I pour the glitter.

Also, how to you get the pendants to look “clean”?  Mine have little edges around them when I popped them out this morning.  Do I sand these away? Will it ruin the clarity of the resin by doing this?

I am sure I will come up with plenty more questions, I just wanted to find out if you resin experts out there could help me?

Thanks so much!

[MinnieMay9]

Also, how to you get the pendants to look “clean”?  Mine have little edges around them when I popped them out this morning.  Do I sand these away? Will it ruin the clarity of the resin by doing this?
(edit) oh, for the glitter, there are also glitter glues out there you could try.  They come with a tip to help control where they go.  You would just want to make sure and leave an open area around the sides for the new layer of resin to join with the art already in the mold.

Okay, I can't really help with the glitter part...my style of adding glitter is to just dump it XD  Maybe take a it of the resin and mix in a bunch of glitter?  Not sure, you might want to wait for a second option on that one.
Idea for the glitter!  There are glitter glues out there. They come in a bottle with a tip, so that would help you control where it goes on the piece.  With those you would have to make sure to leave an open space around the outer edge of the shape so that the new layer of resin will have a place to flow and attach itself to the rest of the piece.
I have some like this: http://www.crownsupplymanila.com/images/items/image1/glitter_glue-1215141639866.jpg

For the sanding issue.  I would try it on a piece you don't care about first.  Some resins can be sanded and once you get to a high enough grit, look really pretty.  Others can just fog-up and no matter how hard you try, not get any better.
I've never worked with the one you have, so I don't know.  Looks like you get to find-out!  Experimenting is fun!

[ChantaL_]

hi

Is it possible to buff resin(epoxy) to more shine as it usually has? I know this from polymer clay, that you can buff it with a dremel or proxxon and a felt wheel to a mirror-like shine.

I am just wondering if I could get more shine from epoxy?anyone tried? Unfortunately I dont have a buffer and I read that it is not possible..

kind regards thank you

[amaliadc]

Hi! I'm new to this site and resin is a completely foreign craft for me, but I decided to give it a shot....


I needed a specific shape for coasters for my boyfriend's birthday, so I bought hexagon mosaic coaster molds online, but they say they're for cement. They're made out of plastic, I think high impact ABS. What this still work with resin? I'm planning on embedding a photo into casted resin, and I'm worried about them not coming out right or at all in these molds. Maybe if I wipe some oil into the molds before casting the resin? Please help, I'm a n00b at resin Smiley

These are the molds I bought:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/mosaic-coaster-mold-and-kit/


Also, when I mixed the resin with the catalyst, and starting mixing, there were millions of bubbles formed, and they were a real pain to get out of the resin (I used a hairdryer to get most of them out.) Is this because I had to open the windows for ventilation, and it's currently 32 degrees here? I might try using my fan instead of opening the windows....