looking to start casting

[DME72]

looking to start casting my own pen blanks.not sure if i should use PR or alumilite resin? from what i have read alumilite has a big learning curve to it,but PR has very bad odor to it.i am worried about the mixing of alumilite and the moisture issues it has.i am just looking for advice on getting started and what resin is easier to learn how to cast with.i am not looking to do anything advanced like worthless wood yet just want to make a few colored blanks.i have a pressure pot rated for 60PSI i bought for very little.made a few small molds from cutting boards just have not bought any resin or pigments yet.looking for advice on getting started.
thanks
doug

 

[Brooks803]

Coastalscents is a great place to buy mica powders at a good price. They have sample baggies that are enough for a few blanks each. At $1 you can't go bad.

I cast mainly PR but Alumilite isn't extremely difficult to cast. You just have to move quickly and must use pressure. PR is cheaper but there's a learning curve with it too. Timing of the gel stage is trickly bc it's based on the ambient temp and pigments used. The smell is horrible, but you should wear the proper respirator with either resin. If you cast PR under pressure the pot contains alot of the odor, you just have to wait for the longer curing time (6-8hrs depending on temperature).

Best thing would be buy the smallest amount of both and try them. Feel free to shoot me a pm if you want to go into details.

 

[Chilprufe]

I have not long started making my own blanks and would recommend PR, It gives you more time than Amulite but the smell is quite strong, I have tried a number of different resins now and would recommend Crystics 9293 Polyester Casting Resin as it is not to brittle like some of the others resins, this resin is no good for clear casting but is very good for colours. I get my mica/pearl ex from the Clay Factory - distributes Makin's Air Dry Clay and Tool. Kemper Tools. Artistic Wire. Cernit. Pearlex Powders and stamp pads, Lumeier and Neopaque. dynaflow- Kemper Tools (all sculpey products now discontinued and have limited availablity) , good prices and larger quantities if required.

 

[OOPS]

I have very little experience with Alumilite but found it to be particularly easy to do. If you use Alumilite Regular or Black, the timing is fairly short but you learn to set a timer nearby so you watch while you mix. Alumilite White gives you a bit more time to mix colors. None of these require pressure. Alumilite Clear (and Water Clear) requires pressure to get the bubbles out. You have a sufficient amount of time using these, however. Personally, I never tried PR because I used MEKP in college chemistry and cannot stand the smell. Furthermore I would never voluntarily work with the stuff in any setting that didn't have a fume hood, although many on this site use it all the time without these precautions. Alumilite is non-toxic. While they don't say you can drink it, you can put your nose right on the top of the bottle and barely notice a scent at all. If you have concerns about getting started, call your local Woodcraft or other wood working store and see if they have demos on how to use Alumilite. Perhaps there is another pen maker in the area who could show you how? Other than that, Alumilite has several videos on their website that demonstrate how each of their products work.

 

[resinman]

Hi Doug
If you have questions on Alumilite, PM me with your phone # and the best time to call. Or you can call me.
Thanks, Gary

 

[mikespenturningz]

I have only been casting for a little while now and have never used anything but Alumilite. I have not had any problems what so ever with not having enough time to work it. Curtis has some great videos about using it. The only thing about Alumilite that kills me is the cost! I have asked them to offer it in 1/2 gallon jugs but they have not done it at least yet! I have never had any problems with it setting up too fast! I have been through about a gallon of it so far! I do like the way Alumilite turns. I have turned a lot of acrylic blanks and had lots of them let go while turning but the alumilite has not given me that problem yet. The very best thing about casting your own is that the pen is just that! Your own!

 

[navycop]

I use mostly PR from either Michaels or Eastern Burlap. I don't use a pressure pot. Invest in some of Ptownsubbie (Fred) tube in molds. They work good in or out of a pressure pot.

 

[oneptbuk]

I really like Alumilite because of the lack of odor, but it is difficult with any moisture around. For plain colored blanks like you describe I have had good results with it. Because it sets up so quickly pressure is a good idea, but 40 lbs should do the trick in your pot.

The odor from PR just doesn't work for me in my garage, and it seems to stick around for days..... I don't want my kids around it either.....

I've been trying to get results casting tube in carbon fiber and have no success with either Alumilite or PR, so my process is flawed somewhere.

Good luck!

 

[Jim Burr]

Curtis has some vid's on youtube about mixing and using Alumilite...great source of stuff. I'm doing a lot of worthless wood casting and pressure is a must. All PR so far, but Alumilite will get a shot too.

 

[Sylvanite]

I've "cast" using Silmar 41 (PR), Alumilite Clear, Alumilite White, Alumilite RC3 Black, and plain old CA glue.

As a woodworker, I enjoy the smell of (not all, but most) freshly milled lumber. Likewise, as a sailor, I've come to (not so much enjoy, but) appreciate the smell of polyester resin.

I've learned how to build up a thick CA finish quickly, so I do most of my tube-on "casting" with CA glue. It's just as easy and faster for me to do it that way than to wait for PR to cure.

PR is less expensive than the Alumilite resins, and depending on how you do things, does not always require pressure to cast. It does generally require good ventilation. It can take some experimentation to account for the differences that volume, pigment, catalyst, and temperature make.

Although Alumilite clear costs more, I generally prefer it to PR (when circumstances permit the choice). It gels quicker, and is easier to synchronize pouring of multiple colors with good color separation. Alumilite clear sets up more quickly too, allowing faster turnaround of molds and pressure pot. It does require pressure for bubble-free casts.

Alumilite White, and RC3 Black are quite different from the Clear. They are opaque and have a very short open time. Tinting Alumilite White can be a challenge, because the color changes while curing, but these resins produce some very interesting results, and the easiset-turning blanks I've come across.

The Alumilite resins are very sensitive to moisture and will foam up when exposed to water. They must be kept well sealed when not in use.

I hope that helps,
Eric