First casts pics and some issues

[CrimsonKeel]

So this last week I cast my first set of PR blanks. I used casting craft from michaels in a pressure pot and under shot on the catalyst on the first set but second time got it better.
First pours

So I had some time to turn down a test one and found that my white and red has totally mixed too much. Is this happening due to the short amount of catalyst? or do I need to wait to have it thicken up more? Could it possibly be because the white is settling to bottom of the vertical tube before it hardens enough?

Second pours

I am going to try and tube up one of these blue and white ones and make a pen from my first casts to hold onto so in a year I can laugh about it.

 

[ken69912001]

They look pretty good to me

 

[BSea]

On the red & white, it looks like you used dye for both colors. The opaque dyes seem to take longer to set up. So make sure that one of your colors is close to setting up before you pour. As far as colors settling, that's going to happen in almost all cases. The pigments we add are all different weights. So some will almost always sink. But if you pour close to the time the resin gels, then it will be minimized.

I think your 2nd pours look pretty good. If you have good color separation on the outside of the blank, then usually it just gets better on the inside. In fact, I'll bet the maroon & white in the 1st cast will be fine too. You just won't know till you turn off about 1/8"

Some guy once told me it takes about a gallon of casting to get a good feel for what you are doing. He was right on the money. He goes by Brooks8 . . . . something. You may see his work around here if you look hard enough.

 

[CrimsonKeel]

On the red & white, it looks like you used dye for both colors. The opaque dyes seem to take longer to set up. So make sure that one of your colors is close to setting up before you pour. As far as colors settling, that's going to happen in almost all cases. The pigments we add are all different weights. So some will almost always sink. But if you pour close to the time the resin gels, then it will be minimized.

I think your 2nd pours look pretty good. If you have good color separation on the outside of the blank, then usually it just gets better on the inside. In fact, I'll bet the maroon & white in the 1st cast will be fine too. You just won't know till you turn off about 1/8"

Some guy once told me it takes about a gallon of casting to get a good feel for what you are doing. He was right on the money. He goes by Brooks8 . . . . something. You may see his work around here if you look hard enough.

I used dry pigments. I wasn't sure how much to use but I recorded what I did use if I need to add more or less. I really would like to get some depth in the blank so I may use less pigment next time.

yeah I'm figured the first 7-8 pours would all be experiments and getting my system down.
I do think I need to wait for one to set up more so it wont blend. is it better to have one thin and one thicker or is both thick ok? I tested out a couple different wire shapes for blending on the blue and white pours so I think ill see how those turn out.

 

[BSea]

I used dry pigments. I wasn't sure how much to use but I recorded what I did use if I need to add more or less. I really would like to get some depth in the blank so I may use less pigment next time.

yeah I'm figured the first 7-8 pours would all be experiments and getting my system down.
I do think I need to wait for one to set up more so it wont blend. is it better to have one thin and one thicker or is both thick ok? I tested out a couple different wire shapes for blending on the blue and white pours so I think ill see how those turn out.

If you want depth, use transparent dye, or pearl pigments. Less pigment will just give a washed out look once the material is turned for a pen. Transparent dye will require reverse painting. And most people that I talk to don't really want to do that. But you can get some really spectacular pens with transparent dye, or even clear resin with the right color(s) back painted on the blank.

Both thick is ok. Just watch both of them. As soon as 1 starts to thicken, you're ready to pour. And I wish it was really as simple as that, but that's only a general rule. For example, I use a lot of opaque white dye. It starts to thicken a bit faster than other colors, but then it doesn't set up as fast as most pearl powders.

When I said it takes a gallon, it doesn't mean you won't get some really nice blanks in that 1st gallon. Because you will, and probably already have. But after a gallon, you'll have a pretty good feel for the timing of the resin. But it really takes pouring for a few years to get really efficient. The reason is that unless you have a constant environment for pouring, you'll have to adjust to temperature changes. Pouring in the summer is different than pouring in the winter.

Edit: Don't over think the wires. It doesn't really make much of a difference on the shape. It's more important to get your pouring system down, so you get a good distribution of color. If you pour 1 color down 1 side of the blank, and another color on the other side for the whole blank, a wire won't move enough color from 1 side to the other to equalize the colors.

 

[CrimsonKeel]

Ok ill look for some dye. do you recommend a brand or place that has some that is compatable with resins? I can pretty much get any color of solid pigment at my work that I want along with some mica's and aluminums. My next will be a aluminum and black pour and a mica and black pour. now that I think of it I do have a black mica I could try.

my technique for pouring the two colors is like twisting them side to side kind of like a U shape and a upside down U that interlinks

 

[BSea]

Ok ill look for some dye. do you recommend a brand or place that has some that is compatable with resins? I can pretty much get any color of solid pigment at my work that I want along with some mica's and aluminums. My next will be a aluminum and black pour and a mica and black pour. now that I think of it I do have a black mica I could try.

my technique for pouring the two colors is like twisting them side to side kind of like a U shape and a upside down U that interlinks

I just realized I never answered this. I started to, but must have been interrupted by some "Honey Do".

For PR dye, I use the dyes from US Composits. They also have PR dyes at Hobby Lobby & Michaels. Look where they have casting resin.

And I only use black mica for black, not the black dye from US Composits.

For mica powders, I use:
Coastal Scents
The Conservatorie

Or anyplace that sells Pearl-EX powders

Hope this helps

 

[Jim Burr]

First...get over the pressure pot idea. For simple color casting, it's just not needed, covered a million times, end of that discussion. Dye can be lot's of things...mica from Coastal Scents, Pearl-ex, powder coat powder...Google it. What you want to do is limited by what people here tell you to do...look at your material, think of something and get busy!

 

[CrimsonKeel]

Posted my first pen in show of pens but thought id repost the pictures here.
Started life as this. Second blank from left in my second pours picture above

Ended life as this.

 

[CrimsonKeel]

I just realized I never answered this. I started to, but must have been interrupted by some "Honey Do".

For PR dye, I use the dyes from US Composits. They also have PR dyes at Hobby Lobby & Michaels. Look where they have casting resin.

And I only use black mica for black, not the black dye from US Composits.

For mica powders, I use:
Coastal Scents
The Conservatorie

Or anyplace that sells Pearl-EX powders

Hope this helps

I have looked at coastal scents before. I seem to remember them having like a sampler package that let me try all there micas in small sizes but I cant find that now. Oh well thanks for the other links ill check them out

I did a new pour yesterday with a straight black with aluminum and a
black mica with aluminum in it. I did wait till it started to thicken and man did it ever take off and get Gooey fast. I got one decent pour and then it was too much jelly to the point where I had to cut off the gel with my stir stick so it would not pull back out of the mold. Hopefully this week ill have time to tube that one up and give it a turn. AND.... I'm hooked

 

[CrimsonKeel]

First...get over the pressure pot idea. For simple color casting, it's just not needed, covered a million times, end of that discussion. Dye can be lot's of things...mica from Coastal Scents, Pearl-ex, powder coat powder...Google it. What you want to do is limited by what people here tell you to do...look at your material, think of something and get busy!

Oh I agree. I have some ideas floating around in my head of future projects but for now I'm working on basic techniques and timing.
Finding powders shouldn't be hard for me. I work at a paint manufacturing place. So I talked to our pigment guys and they know any cool mica's that we arent using anymore and will be tossed to save some for me. one guy said they spill more in a week than ill use in 5 years casting

 

[BSea]

First...get over the pressure pot idea. For simple color casting, it's just not needed, covered a million times, end of that discussion. Dye can be lot's of things...mica from Coastal Scents, Pearl-ex, powder coat powder...Google it. What you want to do is limited by what people here tell you to do...look at your material, think of something and get busy!

Is a pressure pot necessary, no not really. But he already has it, and I see no reason he shouldn't use it if he wants to. There is another caster I know who uses a pressure pot for PR. That's Jonathon Brooks. He's probably forgotten more about casting than most people will ever know. There is no doubt a pressure pot will reduce the size of any bubbles. Does it help with color separation? I don't know. Based on the pen he showed, maybe it does help.

I have looked at coastal scents before. I seem to remember them having like a sampler package that let me try all there micas in small sizes but I cant find that now. Oh well thanks for the other links ill check them out

Coastal Scents have really reduced the number of Mica Powders, and looks like they have stopped selling the sample packs.

Here's another link for Mica Powders:Micas

I did a new pour yesterday with a straight black with aluminum and a
black mica with aluminum in it. I did wait till it started to thicken and man did it ever take off and get Gooey fast. I got one decent pour and then it was too much jelly to the point where I had to cut off the gel with my stir stick so it would not pull back out of the mold. Hopefully this week ill have time to tube that one up and give it a turn. AND.... I'm hooked

LOL, I would hate to see the amount of cast I've thrown away because they thickened faster than I expected. The good news is that it will happen less & less. But make a note of what color thickened 1st. You'll find that some colors just go off faster than others. And some just take forever. You can still use those colors, but just one of them at a time.

I think you did great on that 1st pen from your own cast. I don't think you'll laugh at it in a year. Yeah, I think you're hooked.