Casting Objects in PR.

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Celt40

Celt40

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
119
Location
Scotland UK
There is something that I do not understand about using soft objects to cast in PR resin. When things like Coffee Beans, Lentils, Parsley, Flower Petals and so on, what happens to the object when I is cut with a turning tool? Does the say a coffe bean not curmble and leave a void on the outside surface. I have some Pine cones that I have dried and I am getting ready to cast in a translucent colour. As they are a bit like wood then they should turn and finish okay. That I understand, but How does a coffee bean stand up the the turning and sanding proccess?
Can someone explain this to a dummy like me!!!!!!!
 
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I make a plexi-tone mixture (Plexiglass and acetone) that I use to stabilize the coffee beans before I cast them. By doing this the beans don't just explode when you turn them. They turn just like the PR and stay fairly solid through completion.
 
Do you use the same mix that others use for plexiglass finish?



PTownSubbie said:
I make a plexi-tone mixture (Plexiglass and acetone) that I use to stabilize the coffee beans before I cast them. By doing this the beans don't just explode when you turn them. They turn just like the PR and stay fairly solid through completion.
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Thin flaky materials like dried flowers, corn flakes, and spices like onion flakes, parsley, oregeno, crushed pepper, etc pretty much get fully saturated from the casting resin.

Thicker materials like coffee beans, peppercorns, popcorm, rice, dried beans, dried pasta and others do not get saturated in the pouring process so stabilizing them would be a good option. But I do not stabilize them, I simply put them in the mix and when they are cut in half in the drilling and turning processes the raw materials become exposed. But in my experience it does not crumble. If it is a dried material that is reasonably like all of those mentioned above, a few coats of CA as your are turning will do the job.

Dry and soft materials like Fruit Loops are harder to fill with CA, I haven't had much success with them.

Pour it on when you are getting close to final size, turn a little and do it again and again if necessary. When you have it to size put on a CA finish. The exposed materials eventually become saturated and covered with CA.
 
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Fred can you give a novice like me a procedure that I can follow.
Chasper what is the best way to stabilize the objects for casting.

Also I mentioned that I am going to cast Pine cones brocken up into a coloured resin. Is it best to leave the Pine cones soak over night in the resin???
 
All of the info you need is in the library...yes, we have a library and it is full of "how to" articles and several of them deal with just what you are asking. One of the terms of service items is to search first and ask second. Just wondering how much searching you have done? I'm not opposed to answering questions...I've answered my share...but I just cant help but wonder how much leg work was done prior to asking. The search feature works very well also and I know casting the things you asked about have been posted to death. I would answer but I don;t cast most of what you seek to obtain info about.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Celt40 said:
Fred can you give a novice like me a procedure that I can follow.
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rjwolfe3 said:
Do you use the same mix that others use for plexiglass finish?
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I believe it is the same. I don't use that type of finish.



Celt40 said:
Fred can you give a novice like me a procedure that I can follow.
Chasper what is the best way to stabilize the objects for casting.

Also I mentioned that I am going to cast Pine cones brocken up into a coloured resin. Is it best to leave the Pine cones soak over night in the resin???
Click to expand...

Check out this post. This is where I got it from. It was posted by Eugene.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showpost.php?p=898749&postcount=14
I use method 2 to make the Plexi-Tone solution and then use pressure. Be careful using vacuum, the acetone will eat the rubber seals in your pump almost as fast as you can draw vacuum.
 
Sorry Don I have slapped my own wrist as I feel this is what you last reply was all about. I have been a member of this forum for a long time, and to answer you rant I have spent a lot of time searching and viewing the articals in the library.
When someone like me is not as informed as others after reading some of the articals It is not always clear what is written. Guess I am not blessed with many gray brain cells !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time I need to ask a question and there will be many I need to ask, I will make sure I have followed the IAP code of good maners and not ask questions that have been asked in the past.
Fred
Thanks for your reply, I see you do not mind my well answered in the past questions.
 
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Dermot,
I would not worry about it. Keep asking your questions and those of us that have the knowledge and are willing to share will help ya out. The rest will refer you to the library. And for the record I believe I have printed and read every article in the library and I don't recall there being anything about casting pine cones or stabilizing with plexitone in any of them but my memory is not as good as Don's so I may be wrong on this one.:)



Celt40 said:
Sorry Don I have slapped my own wrist as I feel this is what you last reply was all about. I have been a member of this forum for a long time, and to answer you rant I have spent a lot of time searching and viewing the articals in the library.
When someone like me is not as informed as others after reading some of the articals It is not always clear what is written. Guess I am not blessed with many gray brain cells !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time I need to ask a question and there will be many I need to ask, I will make sure I have followed the IAP code of good maners and not ask questions that have been asked in the past.
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Also I did not know it was in the terms of service that you had to search first and then ask questions afterward. I apologize to all of the members that I have offended in the past for being guilty of this. I promise I will search harder before I ask any more questions in the future.:confused::)
 
rjwolfe3 said:
Dermot,
I would not worry about it. Keep asking your questions and those of us that have the knowledge and are willing to share will help ya out. The rest will refer you to the library. And for the record I believe I have printed and read every article in the library and I don't recall there being anything about casting pine cones or stabilizing with plexitone in any of them but my memory is not as good as Don's so I may be wrong on this one.:)
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Most of my ability to remember things comes from doing it. I see something in a post and think to myself.....Man, I need to try that. Once I try it, I remember it and even remember how to search for finding the post that originally set me toward that task.

I agree that searching is difficult because if you choose the wrong word, you don't get the post you are looking for. I knew the originator of the post and the first word I searched returned nothing useful. So, I had to try again. Believe me, searching is not easy but if you have a point of departure....it makes it viable.

No problem on helping. I don't mind passing information the best I can. Afterall....That is how I learned what I did.
 
Don't feel bad about having read the advice and other posts and still having questions.
For those of you whom I am about to insult -tough.
I feel 100% certain that everyone that posts on this site has nothing but the best intentions.
But some of these folks just can't spell.
Some do not know how to write a complete sentence.
Some just can't type.
When you put all that together there are a few times when the end result is just not understandable.
Warrants another question.

Lee
 
My reply was neither a rant nor a slap on your wrist. I'm sorry if I stepped on your toes and I surely don't want to stifle your enthusiasm. So, I offer my apologies for both of those. Iwas just trying to point out the fact that I thought most of your questions were answered in the library. Had I noticed (shame on me) how long you had been a member I would not have posted what I did. I will try to refrain from giving advice and will instead try to confine my posts to answering the questions that have been asked.
Do a good turn daily!
don

Celt40 said:
Sorry Don I have slapped my own wrist as I feel this is what you last reply was all about. I have been a member of this forum for a long time, and to answer you rant I have spent a lot of time searching and viewing the articals in the library.
When someone like me is not as informed as others after reading some of the articals It is not always clear what is written. Guess I am not blessed with many gray brain cells !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next time I need to ask a question and there will be many I need to ask, I will make sure I have followed the IAP code of good maners and not ask questions that have been asked in the past.
Fred
Thanks for your reply, I see you do not mind my well answered in the past questions.
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