Which casting resin for a new caster?

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Chasboy1

Chasboy1

Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2019
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188
Location
Morristown, NJ
Hi folks, I'm planning to try some resin casting (and then turning} of a variety of 'found objects'. I was wondering what products the more experienced users would recommend. I don't want to invest in a vacuum pot at this time, so the product that traps(?) the least bubbles would probably best for me.
I'd also appreciate any tips/advice for safe handling and ventilation when using the products.
Thank you all@
 
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The decision to use or not use a pressure pot will steer your choices pretty heavily. Alumilite manufacturers a number of different products that are different resins, but mostly user friendly. Alumilite Clear Cast is an epoxy resin that claims it does not need a pressure pot. Alumilite Clear Slow is a urethane resin that requires a pressure pot. For deeper pours of resin that do not need pressure, controlling your stirring and pouring will go a long way to prevent bubbles being embedded in the cast, and some epoxy resins allow use of a heat source along the resin surface to draw out air and give you a better casting. Your depth of pour will also need to be considered. Some resins only allow less than 1-2 inches of depth in a pour for proper flow and curing, while others allow you to pour much deeper levels of resin. MAS, Alumilite, Amazing, Silmar, West Marine, are all considered good manufacturers of different resins - read the tech specs and make some initial decisions as to how to proceed. Odor will be a problem with some - I find Silmar products to have a pretty strong odor, so I don't use them, but you may have more room to pour than I do and there are a number of folks here that love Silmar, so again, read the tech specs.

As a starter, I'd look at Alumilite Clear Cast - easily obtained, easy to mix, and doesn't require a pressure pot. You don't address depth or size in your question, so this may not be the correct choice, but it is a good introductory resin that works consistently for many folks.
 
Chasboy1 said:
Hi folks, I'm planning to try some resin casting (and then turning} of a variety of 'found objects'. I was wondering what products the more experienced users would recommend. I don't want to invest in a vacuum pot at this time, so the product that traps(?) the least bubbles would probably best for me.
I'd also appreciate any tips/advice for safe handling and ventilation when using the products.
Thank you all@
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Forgot to mention in my last post - there is a good AAW turning club in Roseland, NJ with a number of members who do resin casting. You might want to check them out and attend a meeting and ask lots of questions. NJ Woodturners - https://njwoodturners.com/
 
A lot of casters prefer Liquid Diamonds. Others use Alumilite's Amazing Clear Cast. No pressure pot or vacuum chamber required for either. Just be sure to use some source of heat (heat gun or propane torch) to pop the surface bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to gently 'persuade' the bubble to disappear.
 
Thank you. Size wise I was thinking about a cylinder the size of a Quaker Oats container. (Not the smaller one, and not the giant one), roughly 4-5" diameter and about 12" high.
I work in a typical basement with a few windows. I never spray paint or anything similar down there, so if I were to pour/mix a high odor resin it would be outside. Btw, how long does it take for the smell to disappear after it cures?
Looking at some of the products on Amazon, I did notice "pour limits" which I think could be a problem since I want to do a 'tall' pour rather than something flat.
I did notice some discussions of Liquid Diamonds and it seems to be user friendly.
NJT, thanks for the link to the NJ Group!
 
You will need pressure for anything that size no matter what resin you use. Choosing resins has alot to do with your purpose. LD is an epoxy resin and best used for light construction and also clear casting as with pens that have watch parts or things like that. It has a great adhesive value and thin enough to get in nooks and crannies before it cures. Urethane resins are more for color mixing and stronger quality pours. But it has less open time and timing is everything when mixing colors. others can answer those questions. You have to decide what it is you want to do and the answers can be more pinpointed toward that. Good luck.
 
Thanks, I have a lot to learn for sure. Are there certain coloring agents that would be prohibited/worthless? I'm familiar with powders, but I have some other coloring things like Testor's paints that I could fool with.
 
Chasboy1 said:
Thanks, I have a lot to learn for sure. Are there certain coloring agents that would be prohibited/worthless? I'm familiar with powders, but I have some other coloring things like Testor's paints that I could fool with.
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You're welcome on the reference - I am a member of the NJ Turners as well as the turning club in Howell, the Atlantic Shore Woodturners. Also was raised near you in Cedar Knolls - spent LOTS of time in Morristown, including a decent stint as a mailman there!

As for your question - you need to be careful of water in any coloring agent you use. Alumilite Clear Slow and water are violent enemies - one will destroy the other due to chemical reactions causing foaming and bubbling. Alcohol based dyes are generally fine in anything epoxy based. Powdered or paste dyes are generally fine, but insure they are compatible by doing a small test on something you can ruin. Dyes also vary between being opaque (solid color) or transparent (allow color to be seen through). For blending effects, you need to select carefully! Check these out - good quality https://divinepensplus.com/pages/divine-pigments

Most any resin (regardless of type) will be compatible with mica powder colors and highlights manufactured by a number of different vendors (like Eye Candy or PTownSubbie). You will have to be careful with open times when using coloring or mica powders as they need to be totally stirred into the resin and depending on the 'open time' (time it takes to harden up) mica and similar items like glitter or metal flakes tend to settle out. Since you are doing an exceptionally deep pour, you may need to do it in steps and maintaining consistent coloring throughout will be problematic.

Take a look at some of the YouTubes from Zak Higgins of Resin Werks Studio https://resinwerksstudio.com/ He has a good selection of videos on different types of pours using differing materials. Since we are coming into the cooler months of winter, temperature will also affect you on materials, pour / hardening times, and material selections. Pen turning is a deep rat hole, adding casting to it takes it to a whole new level!!! Have fun and ask away - lots of resources here!

Kevin - NJ Turner on IAP
Lavallette, NJ
 
As you learn to care you will find many times the project will dictate the resin you should use. I always suggest Alumilite Clear slow for beginners because it has a 12 minute working time and it will work for both large and small projects without the fear of thermal cracking. It will give you more than enough time to color, mix and pour as you learn your process. It has no odor like most Urethane resins, but you really need to use a pressure pot with it. You can make color casts without pressure but you will probably have to fill some air bubbles on the surface of your turned blank when finishing. I would not suggest pouring Any clear cast blanks without a pressure pot, no matter what the resin is, until you have some experience with them all and understand them. Epoxies are fine for adhesion qualities in clear casts but I've only found a couple blanks I make that urethane didn't work. Epoxy will take several days (5-10) to fully cure before you can turn it. Most urethanes are good after 1-2 days.

As mentioned above, there are many brands and sizes of pressure pots. The investment can range from $100 on up to several hundred. My last tank cost me $499 but it's a 10 gallon tank. You can get. 2.5 gallon tank from Harbor Freight for $80 on sale with their 25% coupon. You'll be in it for about $100 after you fit it with a shutoff valve and air hose fittings. You'll be able to use some of the accessories like the fudge it comes with. They work just fine as long as you keep them under the 60lb pressure recommendation. I don't feel the need to pressurize any of my tanks over 55 lbs. for straight resin pours you will be fine around 40 lbs. harbor Freight got a bad rep after someone modified the tank and had a failure. Just done modify it. They are designed that way for a reason. Without a pressure pot you will probably waste more in resin value than what the tank costs. As you learn and grow as a caster you can buy more expensive or larger tanks if you want, but a harbor freight is a good affordable tank to learn on.
 
I disagree with John's assessment of HF pots. yes if you keep pressure under 50lbs you will get by. I have used one for well over 10 years. But over time I just kept getting worried that the clamps will break or slip off the lid. Look at the pro pots and you will see no chance of that. Why take a chance. The pot will be you least expense. There were instances of clamps breaking on the HF pot. The other thing was HF pots seemed to always leak because of warped lids. People always said put vaseline on rubber gasket but many times this did not fix the problem. I am just voicing a concern when I hear people wanting to take up casting. there is enough dangers in a shop that one that can be avoided should be. I have the 2.5 pot and it is all I need for what I do.
 
Damage to a pot can happen no matter what brand and with use, nothing lasts forever. I don't over tighten them and I clean the threads on the clamp now and then so they don't gum up and cross thread. If you take care of them they will work just fine. I've never see one with a warped lid but if I did I would return it and ask for a replacement. If the seal leaked I would inspect it and if all was good, use pliers and put a quarter turn on the clamp to compress the seal more. We can all dispute which brand is better on just about everything out there and we don't always know the knowledge or care used by the person posting an issue.
I always say… work within your budget. If you're just starting out you might not want to invest a lot of money until you know if it's something you're going to enjoy or do more of. I've been using Harbor Freight Pots for about 16 years and Im a full time resin caster for the last 5 years. I suspect they have been on the market and being used by casters longer than most of the other brands we see now. I'm not saying they are the best but they work just fine and you shouldn't be afraid to buy and use one if that's what you can afford. Clearly there are better designs out there and I have a few of them also but only because they are larger tanks (5 & 10 gal.) but they cost much more. Work within your budget. Keep it fun!
 
JohnU said:
Damage to a pot can happen no matter what brand and with use, nothing lasts forever. I don't over tighten them and I clean the threads on the clamp now and then so they don't gum up and cross thread. If you take care of them they will work just fine. I've never see one with a warped lid but if I did I would return it and ask for a replacement. If the seal leaked I would inspect it and if all was good, use pliers and put a quarter turn on the clamp to compress the seal more. We can all dispute which brand is better on just about everything out there and we don't always know the knowledge or care used by the person posting an issue.
I always say… work within your budget. If you're just starting out you might not want to invest a lot of money until you know if it's something you're going to enjoy or do more of. I've been using Harbor Freight Pots for about 16 years and Im a full time resin caster for the last 5 years. I suspect they have been on the market and being used by casters longer than most of the other brands we see now. I'm not saying they are the best but they work just fine and you shouldn't be afraid to buy and use one if that's what you can afford. Clearly there are better designs out there and I have a few of them also but only because they are larger tanks (5 & 10 gal.) but they cost much more. Work within your budget. Keep it fun!
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We can agree to disagree but will tell you when we both first bought pots back some 15 years ago they are definitely not the same today. I am saying for another $100 be safe and do not trust some China made product. Having to fit it out adds to the cost. A true casting pot is the way I would go. If I would have known and someone on here promoted the better pots I would have listened. But to each their own and they have been warned. I know you have been casting a long time and that is also your business but you are experienced and know what to look for. When a newbie asks that question I try to steer them away from HF now adays. Just my feelings. They can do what they want but in my heart I know I did the right thing.
 
Fortunately, even tho' retired, I can err on the side of quality for some extra bucks. This is also why I ask lots of questions!
its_virgil said:
Alumilite Clear and Clear Slow are urethane resins.

The Alumilte resin that is the epoxy is Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast or Amazing Clear Cast Plus.
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Regarding the two 'types' mentioned here, which would be best for a rank beginner who will get a vacuum pot before embarking on this type of project? Btw, I'm looking to make some larger things like vases, etc, if that helps. Thanks again folks.
 
I would use the Alumilite Clear Slow Urethane resin because it's made for larger castings and is a more durable resin than epoxy. As for the pot… make sure it's a pressure pot and not a vacuum pot. Thats a different process and set up all together.
 
Woodchipper said:
I ran across a few YouTube videos where molds are PVC pipe.
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Yep....works great - just spray with mold release before pouring. I cork one end with silicone plugs and use a holder to keep everything vertical in the pot and pour. John U also sells a set that uses a lighter plastic that you don't put release on and simply turn the mold off instead of reusing it. I vary between vertical silicone gang molds and PVC pipe depending on what I am casting.
 
As for molds, also any plastic container or cups that are not #6 recycling code will work great. Things that food come in, pop cans, prescriptions bottles, laundry or cleaning containers, hdpe, and wood build molds with a layer of "Tuck Tape" or a thick clear packing tape (3m) will all work. If you use epoxy, put a layer of masking tape on the outside of your molds seams. It takes longer to cure and is often thinner and may leak.
 
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