Powdercoating for Casting Question

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rjwolfe3

rjwolfe3

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I use the powdercoating stuff from Harbor Freight for some of my casting. It works but it doesn't like to mix very easily in PR. Is there a way to make it a very fine powder so that it mixes easier?:confused: It just seems real clumpy.
 
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Someone on an earlier thread suggested trying the 'hot chocolate' method of mixing. (powder with a bit of resin to make a paste before adding the rest of the resin) I found this much better but still had some clumps but they were smaller.

Michael
 
rjwolfe3 said:
I use the powdercoating stuff from Harbor Freight for some of my casting. It works but it doesn't like to mix very easily in PR. Is there a way to make it a very fine powder so that it mixes easier?:confused: It just seems real clumpy.
Click to expand...

Yes , buy the mica pigments at www.coastalscents.com , keep the powdercoat for.....powdercoating .
I have heard someone say to mix the powdercoat paint with a little Acetone first and then mix that with your resin , but I'm still on the fence about mixing Acetone with the resin , even in a small amount .
To be honest the mica powders are a much better way to go , they are cheap and you get a pearl effect to your mixes that you can't get with the powdercoat .
 
ldb2000 said:
rjwolfe3 said:
I use the powdercoating stuff from Harbor Freight for some of my casting. It works but it doesn't like to mix very easily in PR. Is there a way to make it a very fine powder so that it mixes easier?:confused: It just seems real clumpy.
Click to expand...

Yes , buy the mica pigments at www.coastalscents.com , keep the powdercoat for.....powdercoating .
I have heard someone say to mix the powdercoat paint with a little Acetone first and then mix that with your resin , but I'm still on the fence about mixing Acetone with the resin , even in a small amount .
To be honest the mica powders are a much better way to go , they are cheap and you get a pearl effect to your mixes that you can't get with the powdercoat .
Click to expand...


They may be cheap but I already own the powdercoating stuff and I have no fundage to buy other stuff at this current point in time.:frown: In the future I will get some.:)
 
rjwolfe3;1076866 They may be cheap but I already own the powdercoating stuff and I have no fundage to buy other stuff at this current point in time.:frown: In the future I will get some.:smile:[/quote said:
Try the Acetone mix , just a little to make a thin slurry then mix with the resin . Try one pour and see how it works . When you have to beat the powder into the resin so much it creates way too much air (bubbles) and you will have bubbles in your pours that have to be filled later or worse yet undisolved clumps that ruin the blank .

Edit:
I tried the powder coat and wasted way more resin then I should have and resin is much more expensive then the mica powders .
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Powdercoating is hydrophobic. This is the reason line driers and moisture traps are required when powdercoating. You need to use something that is hydroscopic. It will disperse rather than clump.
 
I thought I had read in some of the casting tutorials that people were using powdercoating powder in their castings. That is why I bought some when I first got into casting. But I guess I read it wrong. Bummer really needed to cast some stuff this weekend.
 
rjwolfe3 said:
I thought I had read in some of the casting tutorials that people were using powdercoating powder in their castings. That is why I bought some when I first got into casting. But I guess I read it wrong. Bummer really needed to cast some stuff this weekend.
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Rob,

You are correct that you read that in a tutorial. I did the same thing when I started. It just takes a LOT (did I say a LOT) of mixing! I used to just mash it along the cup sides.

Another cheap way of coloring is latex paint. I purchased many colors on eBay in a group for little money. I think <$10 shipped.
 
Well that didn't work so well. I guess I still need to learn how to mix two colors as well. I even used the drill to stir up the powdercoating. But the two colors mixed too much. Bleh back to the drawing board. I have a really neat idea for a series to make but until I can get the technique done I think I will leave it alone.
 
I've used pearl ex in a couple of casts. I am no expert, it mixes easily for me. It makes good colors. Its pretty much the same as the micas from coastal scents. I bought some from somebody here through the classifieds. I do paint tubes when using it.
 
ldb2000 said:
Tony's Pens said:
I have used White MicroPearl Ex to put a little iridescent look to any color PR.
Pearl Ex can be found at Hobby Lobby in about 7-8 different colors.
http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/pearl-ex-powder-pigments-431353/

Does anyone know the difference between Mica and Pearl Ex. If you take some Pearl Ex and put a little on your hand it looks just like my wife's eye shadows.
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It's basiclly the same stuff but the pearl ex costs a little more .
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I believe your right Sherlock.

I have just looked at both of the brand prices and Pearl Ex is a little higher. I guess the biggest difference is you can run down to Hobby Lobby and get what you want in just a few minutes instead of waiting on an order to come in from an online company. I just had an epiphany. My wife can buy a one oz of ten different colors of Mica for eye shadow and it should last for about five years. What a major savings. I'm sure throwing the idea to her will go over like dropping a brick in water. Who really cares it just a brick.
 
ldb2000 said:
rjwolfe3 said:
I use the powdercoating stuff from Harbor Freight for some of my casting. It works but it doesn't like to mix very easily in PR. Is there a way to make it a very fine powder so that it mixes easier?:confused: It just seems real clumpy.
Click to expand...

Yes , buy the mica pigments at www.coastalscents.com , keep the powdercoat for.....powdercoating .
I have heard someone say to mix the powdercoat paint with a little Acetone first and then mix that with your resin , but I'm still on the fence about mixing Acetone with the resin , even in a small amount .
To be honest the mica powders are a much better way to go , they are cheap and you get a pearl effect to your mixes that you can't get with the powdercoat .
Click to expand...

Whenever I treat wood for marine environments I use a mix of 75% resin and 25% acetone...then the appropriate MEKP drops...this creates a penetrating coat of resin as a prep to fiberglassing.

So a few drops to thin out the resin should present no problems with PR...I have no idea of what the results of adding acetone to alumilite...I think bad things may happen.

:banana:
 
I've mixed the acetone with the powdercoat and found it okay. The problem is you really need to make sure you measure accurate quantities or one colour will be less dense then the other and be more apt to float and make the swirling much more difficult.

Michael
 
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