Looking to start making acrylic blanks

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
W

WineWorkerAdamC

Member
Joined
May 24, 2010
Messages
13
Location
San Jose, CA
I'm kicking around the idea of making my own acrylic (or polyresin, I guess? What's the difference?) and need a place to start. Here are my questions:

What's the process?

Do I need an oven, or is it a lower-temperature process?

What do I use to color the resin/acrylic?

What are the best resins/acrylics to use, and where can I find them?

How would I make a mold in order to get the 1" x 1" x 5"-6" blanks that I want?

Any information that you guys have would be really helpful.

Cheers,

Adam
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
You can get good info in one place if you'll just pick one of the library articles and read it. I'm not trying to be rude or blow you off, but all of the info you need is there. Here's a link to the library index: http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1488
If you'll scroll down to "casting...", take a look at a few of those articles, some even have pictures explaining the process.
There's also an article on how to make a silicone mold, I have made a few this way: http://content.penturners.org/articles/2009/Making_a_Silicone_Mold.pdf
 
You'll end up getting incomplete summaries here becasue there is just too much to tell - thats why we have the library. Starting there will give you most of what you want to know, and you will know enough information to ask more specific questions to clarify things for you.

Everything you are asking is there in way more detail and anyone is likely to type in a reply here.

DOnt mena to put you off - its just the best option.
 
With all due respect, a lot of info is in one place...several articles are in one place ...in the library. Several of us have been so kind as to make the info available. Take time to look, do some reading and I think a lot of your questions may be answered. You can also search and read the postings in the casting forum for lots of helpful information. I don't intend for this reply to be harsh but there is so much info that I really don't know where to start. Happy casting.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

WineWorkerAdamC said:
I'm hoping to get good info here in one place, if people would be so kind.
Click to expand...
 
Plus in case you were unaware there are different materials to cast with. there are also ways to cast with a minimal outlay of cash!!! To top it all off there are different type of casting like wortheless wood and imbeded items like coffee or scorpions. I think youll find many days worth of reading on the subject depending on what you want to do.
 
ive found the cheapest price for good resin (silmar 41 clear polyester casting resin) is at US composites, to your door for less than $50 per gallon

the best source ive found for pigments (mica powders) is coastalscents, i believe they have something like 117 colors


WineWorkerAdamC said:
I'm kicking around the idea of making my own acrylic (or polyresin, I guess? What's the difference?) and need a place to start. Here are my questions:

What's the process?

Do I need an oven, or is it a lower-temperature process?

What do I use to color the resin/acrylic?

What are the best resins/acrylics to use, and where can I find them?

How would I make a mold in order to get the 1" x 1" x 5"-6" blanks that I want?

Any information that you guys have would be really helpful.

Cheers,

Adam
Click to expand...
 
Hi Adam -

I've just finished my 6th casting using Alumilite (and ordered 4 more gallons with the IAP vendor discount during the 2013 BASH!).

I had the same questions you had, and a lot more.

The fine folks that are steering you towards the library are right on target, there you will find ALL of the information you'll need to get started.

I have read everything I could find in the library and it was more than enough information to get me to where I am now.

As mentioned before, another excellent information resource is this forum, I'm on page 62 now. It's taken some time to read all of this, but I have learned something new on every page.

Tom
 
HamTurns said:
Hi Adam -

I've just finished my 6th casting using Alumilite (and ordered 4 more gallons with the IAP vendor discount during the 2013 BASH!).

I had the same questions you had, and a lot more.

The fine folks that are steering you towards the library are right on target, there you will find ALL of the information you'll need to get started.

I have read everything I could find in the library and it was more than enough information to get me to where I am now.

As mentioned before, another excellent information resource is this forum, I'm on page 62 now. It's taken some time to read all of this, but I have learned something new on every page.

Tom
Click to expand...
Did you happen to notice the original question was put forth in Feb. 2011?:biggrin:
 
Mack C. said:
Did you happen to notice the original question was put forth in Feb. 2011?:biggrin:
Click to expand...

I had to laugh at this. The thing is when someone is doing research on something, they sometimes keep digging deeper & deeper into threads that link to past threads. Then they respond to threads sometimes several years old. It happens . . . . . .DAMHIKT:rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Oooops

:mad: OOOps -


Just after I hit "post" I remembered that I was reading the old posts and should not have replied.

So I just went back and was going to delete that post, I was too slow.

Sorry for replying to an old post.

Tom
 
About 3 years ago there was a post titled I hate CA and after the initial conversation ended about once every month or 2 someone would post on it and bring it back to life.
 
...and wineWorkerAdamC hasn't been active since just after the original post that started this thread. I guess our library suggestions didn't suit him.i guess we all should have retyped our articles in his thread.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Mack C. said:
HamTurns said:
Hi Adam -

I've just finished my 6th casting using Alumilite (and ordered 4 more gallons with the IAP vendor discount during the 2013 BASH!).

I had the same questions you had, and a lot more.

The fine folks that are steering you towards the library are right on target, there you will find ALL of the information you'll need to get started.

I have read everything I could find in the library and it was more than enough information to get me to where I am now.

As mentioned before, another excellent information resource is this forum, I'm on page 62 now. It's taken some time to read all of this, but I have learned something new on every page.

Tom
Click to expand...
Did you happen to notice the original question was put forth in Feb. 2011?:biggrin:
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom