I finally broke down...

[DurocShark]

And bought a silicone mixing bowl to mix resin. Up to this point I've been using waxed paper cups. THey're fine for small batches but 4 or more pipe blanks mean multiple cups, trying to keep the measurements the same. Ugh.

I was at the outlet mall last week and in a cooking store found a 1.5qt silicone mixing bowl for $15. Probably too high, but I bought it.

I'm in heaven! My <studio> is now free of little paper cups! Well, not totally. Still easier to toss a cup than to cook the bowl when the resin doesn't fully cure that thin. :wink:

That's the one annoyance. The resin left behind on the sides of the bowl is too thin to cure at the MEKP ratios I use. So I have to cook the bowl in the oven to cure it so I can get it to flake off. I need a few more bowls so I only have to do it once in a while...

 

[EBorraga]

Where's the Pic's:biggrin:. I'm also looking for an alternative, as I have a hundred or so 9oz. cups everywhere in the shop.

 

[Lenny]

Now that I know what it IS, I can't wait to get out in my "studio" too!

 

[DurocShark]

Pics:


sillycone2 by DurocShark, on Flickr


sillycone1 by DurocShark, on Flickr

The cups it replaced:


sillycone3 by DurocShark, on Flickr

And the most recent casting, which is all over the bowl. :wink:


twotone by DurocShark, on Flickr

 

[EBorraga]

Is that gold leaf mixed in there??

 

[DurocShark]

Gold and silver. It's two tone. Here's one out of a pipe mold:


Two Tone PR Pen Blank by DurocShark, on Flickr

 

[mtcsss]

Affordable Casting Resin

Silicone is the way to go for mixing resin I agree. I got a newsletter from Wood-N-Whimsies about casting and it had some great ideas too. They also have casting resin for less than $14.00 per quart.