Newbie to casting hoping for help to get me started off right!!

[corian king]

Hello!!!!
I have decided to try out casting.I have my silmar41 on hand.I was hoping that I could get some ideas on how to start out without messing things up.I have tried the library but it really doesn't help a newbie to first start out.I mean some people use pressure (I won't not yet anyway) some talk about toaster ovens.I do have one of those.I just don't want to jump right in and mess this stuff up.It cost to much..LOL
Thanks for taking your time to help me out here.
My ultimate goal is to one day be able to cast a watch pen...
Thanks!
JIM

 

[Snorton20]

Funny I just started too. I made a few castings in the past couple days. One was a pine cone second was an end of days and the last was a copper meshed scrubby. Did not turn any of them yet, just making some blanks to play around with. Try breaking up all the different corian that you have laying around and cast it in clear. Oh and don't do as I did and use a vacuum to try and get the bubbles out. For some reason it seemed to introduce bubbles into the casting with the pine cone.

 

[PenMan1]

Jim:
It ain't rocket surgery. Just jump in there and play with it.

Looking at your address, many people in your area have great success using 3 to 4 drops of catalyst per ounce.

Try starting with that ratio, using only one or two mica pearl colors in a flat and open mold ( this can even be a Tupperware container.

I recommend putting your uncatalysed but colored resin container into a hot tap water bath for 5 minutes. Then SlOWLY stir in the correct number of drops into the resin.

Then SLOWLY pour the catalysed resin into the mold. Gently make slow swirls in the resin for 3 minutes.

Find your rubber hammer and gently tap the surface that holds your molded resin with the rubber hammer. Continue tapping until your arm gets tired.

If it is warm (and not raining) set your molded resin in the sun for an hour or so.

This is the readers digest version, but it will give you a useable blank on your first try.

 

[PenMan1]

I'll be in the shop tomorrow. if you would like, pm me with a phone number and a good time to call. I'll be happy to walk you through the process over the phone.

 

[PTownSubbie]

Jim,

I am local and have been to your place when I first started to buy some kits and some Corian. If you are interested, I will come by and we can do a little bit of casting.

I am willing to help out. Send me a PM if you are interested and we can talk.