So about my first casting attempt :(

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
J

JAZNCARR

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
214
Location
portsmouth, va
I bought a small kit from Michael's to try casting my first blank. I made a model out of melamine and everything was wiped down with denatured alcohol and the cup was cleaned with DNA as well. I added some blue dye and I think this is where I went wrong..... Its a alcohol wood dye I got from CSUSA and I figured what the heck.... I left it to cure over over night and broke the Melamine away from the blanks and it was stiff, firm but it was very maliable.. ( not play dough... think a stiff stretch armstrong doll) was the alcohol dye the wrong thing to have used?????
Is Michael's brand PR decent to use???
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
My thought would be that if you wait it might cure. The dye could have thrown your ratio (hardener-resin) off some. Sometimes, it makes a difference what dyes/tints you use. For me, when I use Mica tints, I have a quicker cure time than when I use the Mixol tints. If your blank seems to be halfway there, I would keep it straight and see what happens over a day or two. I would definitely try a different tint next time or more hardener.

BTW, I use Simlar41 from US Composites. I have never tried the Michaels resin.
 
Let it sit for a day or so as stated already. I used to put lots of the hardener drops in my resin. It was always very brittle and a chipping pain to turn so I put less drops in and it takes a lot longer to get hard now, stay bendable for a longer time, but it sureeee turns nice now.
 
Well, my guess is that alchohol atracts water, and water is bad for resin, so it may be the type of dye you used.

Try Mica pigments. The easiest to obtain in Pearlex from Micheals.
 
I see that you are in VA. It is still not quite perfect "casting weather" there. One suggestion is to go to the Good Will and buy a $5 toaster oven. Set the temp on the over at 150 and "post cure" the blank for 30 minutes. Leave the blank in the "off" oven for 90 minutes, then post cure again for 30 minutes.
 
+1 on what Andy says about the toaster over. I use PR from Michaels with and without coloring and have not had a problem with it. Too much activator and it is too brittle as mentioned above. Mine usually comes out hard but sticky. A 30 min stint in the toaster over and its good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom