Resin casting

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Jimbo1943 said:
I would like to know the advantages and disadvantages of Alumalite resin vs regular casting resin
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A question that you will find will not be easy to answer. There are so many types of resins and also different type alumilite resins too. Good luck with this one. I believe the top reason will be all Alumilite ( urethane resins ) resins need a pressure pot to cure as other resins may or may not.
 
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Hey, James. As John pointed out, your question is too broad to answer. Alumilite is a company with a variety of products. We use Alumilite urethanes, which require a pressure pot. My wife is sea Alumilite epoxies which do not require a pressure pot, but sometimes she uses one. She also needs sea Alumilite UV resin. Not sure where it falls.

A also has high regard for a Vera toon of Stone Coat resin. Another Epoxy. Both Alumilite products and Stone Coat products are owned and made by a company called PolyTek.

I believe a lot of the "private brand" castin resins likely are spin offs of the major brands.

First decide if you want to use a pressure pot routinely or not. If yes, Alumilite Clear and Clear slow are both fast setting durable easy to machine products reasonably priced for a urethane.

No pressure, no problem. You can use epoxy's taking care with how you prep the product, mix and pour. Don't be in a hurry it can take a while to cure and not all epoxies get hard enough to machine well.

You can also use polyester resins. Easy to work with using care on how you prep. No pressure pot required. Quite strong odor when casting and turning. From my experience not as durable as epoxy or urethanes (may chip or break if dropped depending on mix).

Like I said, decide if you want to use pressure. Decide if you mind a strong odor. If no to both, then ask which epoxy resins work best.
 
The most common resins used for casting in the turning world are the Alumilite clear, or clear slow, and various epoxy brands (i.e. JB Royal). Which one is "better" comes down to personal preference and each obviously has the good and bad. Just about any mica powders can be used in either resin for coloring.

Alumilite tends to be more chippy that epoxy. Epoxy has the yellowing effect, yes some are engineered to take longer but it will eventually turn yellow. Many casters use both based upon what they are doing.

Those who do label casting, cast snake skins, etc use the Alumilite because it does not yellow over time like epoxy. So you wouldn't want to use an epoxy for label casting. Epoxy has a much longer set time than Alumilite. For that reason some will use colored epoxy for some more complicated castings like burls because it has time to seep into the cracks and crevices over time, especially under pressure in a pot.

Neither one is honeslty "better" than the other and both are versatile with a lot of uses. Just use what your comfortable with and based on what you are making. Hope this little bit of info helps.
 
It's not a simple answer and really comes down to what type of casting you want to do. Each resin has their own pros and cons for specific projects. One thing I suggest is buy your resin from a brand affiliated dealer for the freshest resin possible and not a hobby store because shelf life is important and you never know how long the hobby store had it on the shelf. I use Exoticblanks, Composite Envisions, and Alumilite, but there are others.

Polyester Resin like Silmar 41 is great for clear casting. It had a very long working and curing time but finished the easiest without needing a ca finish over it. They are great for single color pours with both dyes and mica pearls but harder to get color separation with multi-color pours because it cures so slow… colors tend to bleed together. They work great for clear casts like snakeskins, labels, and carbon fiber. They smell the strongest of all the resins so you will want to use a respiratory and in a well ventilated area. They are the most affordable around $50 per gallon. You don't need a pressure tank but I recommend using one, especially for clear casts.

Alumilite brand resins that start with the word "Amazing" are epoxy resins. They can take up to 5-7 days to fully cure from a flexible stage. Some epoxy resins are made for specific pours like thin - under 1/2" deep and have to be layered while others are for deeper pours. Like said above, they will turn yellow over time. They are higher priced and there are a lot of brands. They have a odor but not as bad as PR resin. Epoxy resins are very hard on silicone mold.

Alumilite Clear and Clear slow are Urethane resins. They have a very short working and curing time and great for multi colored blanks or adhering to dried objects and label casts but must be used with a pressure tank. You can't cast as many blanks at a time as you can with PR or epoxy but it cures quicker so you'll get more done in a day with a single pressure tank. Their cost runs around $80 and up per gallon. They don't have an odor so it won't stink up the shop. I think they have the most options for purchasing specific amounts.
 
JohnU said:
It's not a simple answer and really comes down to what type of casting you want to do. Each resin has their own pros and cons for specific projects. One thing I suggest is buy your resin from a brand affiliated dealer for the freshest resin possible and not a hobby store because shelf life is important and you never know how long the hobby store had it on the shelf. I use Exoticblanks, Composite Envisions, and Alumilite, but there are others.

Polyester Resin like Silmar 41 is great for clear casting. It had a very long working and curing time but finished the easiest without needing a ca finish over it. They are great for single color pours with both dyes and mica pearls but harder to get color separation with multi-color pours because it cures so slow… colors tend to bleed together. They work great for clear casts like snakeskins, labels, and carbon fiber. They smell the strongest of all the resins so you will want to use a respiratory and in a well ventilated area. They are the most affordable around $50 per gallon. You don't need a pressure tank but I recommend using one, especially for clear casts.

Alumilite brand resins that start with the word "Amazing" are epoxy resins. They can take up to 5-7 days to fully cure from a flexible stage. Some epoxy resins are made for specific pours like thin - under 1/2" deep and have to be layered while others are for deeper pours. Like said above, they will turn yellow over time. They are higher priced and there are a lot of brands. They have a odor but not as bad as PR resin. Epoxy resins are very hard on silicone mold.

Alumilite Clear and Clear slow are Urethane resins. They have a very short working and curing time and great for multi colored blanks or adhering to dried objects and label casts but must be used with a pressure tank. You can't cast as many blanks at a time as you can with PR or epoxy but it cures quicker so you'll get more done in a day with a single pressure tank. Their cost runs around $80 and up per gallon. They don't have an odor so it won't stink up the shop. I think they have the most options for purchasing specific amounts.
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Thanks for taking the time to post this. It is a very clear and concise summary. I have used all 3 and completely agree. A good reminder for those of us who don't do much casting and a great first read for those wanting to get started.
Larry
 
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