Casting help!

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Mapster

Mapster

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Joined
May 21, 2010
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Orlando, Florida
I bought some resin saver mini molds and wanted to try one out. I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up their EasyCast clear casting epoxy. It says mix 1 part resin with 1 part hardener. I did all of that and set the blanks inside and over a week later it isn't cured. It is pretty hard, but it can be moved and is very sticky if touched. Does anyone have any tips to get it cured?
 
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If you are using epoxy instead of polyester resin, then I don't think heat will cure it. Soft sticky epoxy usually means (a) you didn't get the resin and hardner adequately measured / mixed and / or (b) something you added to the epoxy is inhibiting the cure.

When this happened to me when I first started casting I did two things:

1) threw away the failed epoxy casting.
2) switched to polyester resin.

Good luck.

Ed
 
The easy cast epoxy as been stated has to be mixed in exact portions.
from their web site
Soft & Sticky Castings:

Is a result of improper mixing or inaccurate measurements of resin and hardener. These soft or sticky castings will unfortunately have to be disposed of. Prevention: Do not guess at the proper ratio or just empty the two bottles into your mixing container. Use a proper measuring device and measure equal portions of resin and hardener. Always double mix as per the instructions. Note: Inadequate measuring and mixing is the most common reason for imperfect results.
Click to expand...
Consumer Products | Environmental Technology Inc
They have a page about the product and instructions. Heat will not help chalk it up to a learning curve.
The do have and sell a PR clear casting resin.
Since you have a hobby lobby here is their site for the 40% off coupon
In-Store Coupon : Weekly In-Store Specials : Hobby Lobby - Hobby Lobby
You will cut down on problems if you use only approved dyes and colorants, along with the pearls and mica's and other materials. Water based powder paints and acrylics don't work well with the resins.
:clown:
 
PTsideshow said:
The easy cast epoxy as been stated has to be mixed in exact portions.
from their web site
Soft & Sticky Castings:

Is a result of improper mixing or inaccurate measurements of resin and hardener. These soft or sticky castings will unfortunately have to be disposed of. Prevention: Do not guess at the proper ratio or just empty the two bottles into your mixing container. Use a proper measuring device and measure equal portions of resin and hardener. Always double mix as per the instructions. Note: Inadequate measuring and mixing is the most common reason for imperfect results.
Click to expand...
Consumer Products | Environmental Technology Inc
They have a page about the product and instructions. Heat will not help chalk it up to a learning curve.
The do have and sell a PR clear casting resin.
Since you have a hobby lobby here is their site for the 40% off coupon
In-Store Coupon : Weekly In-Store Specials : Hobby Lobby - Hobby Lobby
You will cut down on problems if you use only approved dyes and colorants, along with the pearls and mica's and other materials. Water based powder paints and acrylics don't work well with the resins.
:clown:
Click to expand...

That is very strange... I followed the directions exactly and it was inside which is about 75 degrees, so I don't understand why it did not cure... I will look into something else. I poured the excess into another container. I will see if that cured
 
Alright... Correction to above posting. I followed all directions, cast two blanks in a resin saver mold. That has not cured, it is still sticky. I then poured the excess into a plastic container just to see what would happen. That cured perfectly.

Upon noting that the other cured I am starting to think it is the resin saver mold that is somehow not letting it cure. If that is the case, does anyone have any ideas?
 
according to the EasyCast instruction sheet, you must use the
Castin'Craft Mold Release and Conditioner to use this product
with a silicone mold.
 
Just read that, thanks NewLondon... A new strange dilemna arrises... I got it out of the mold and only the top .1" or so is sticky, the bottom is rock hard. I am now very confused. I think I will leave it overnight outside the mold and see what happens
 
You have any number of formulas for the silicon, silicon/acrylic combo. There are two types of cure "condensation cure silicone material" and the platinum catalyst.Then all the assorted room temperature curing.

You have to use the proper mold material for the resin or the mold release conditioner.
:clown:
 
I had pretty much the same experience with that stuff, but it wasn't sticky it was just soft and flexible, never got hard (stiff) enough to use for anything. Polyethylene mold, not silicone.

My mix was exact enough for any laboratory work so it wasn't the mix ratios. The stuff is basically worthless for molding, maybe it's meant to use as a coating for flat surfaces only.

Look in the model section to find some of the products, the art section for some of the others. So far I've found the "Amazing" branded casting resin (it's white when it cures), the "Super plastic" in the model section (it's Tan when it cures and doesn't take some colors well" and the "Amazing" branded clear cast (transparent and takes colors and mica powders well) to be the only things they have that are worthwhile (urethane's and all are very good to my experience but I have limited experience), the Castin'Craft PR resin works well if you like PR (which I have decided I mostly don't).

That internet 40% discount coupon on the internet makes it fairly inexpensive to try them and they have alumilite dyes in the model section too.
 
Easy Cast takes forever to cure in the presence of air. Its only the part exposed to air though. It will also take about a week to get to the point that its hard all the way through. Until then, you can bend it fairly easily.
 
Having several of Charlie's molds and using Michaels PR...I know...there are others to try, His molds always produce top quality stuff for me. even when I screw up!
 
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