2 Color Pours

[Eric1075]

When casting PR or Alumilite using 2 colors, ideally I want the 2 colors to remain distinct and separate. I'm finding the colors have a tendency to blend together. For example I did a blue and white and the white got a little bluish. If I wait to pour the 2 colors into the mold until it thickens, will this help to keep the colors independsnt of one another? Then I guess the greater challenge will be getting the timing down so it doesnt set up in the cups!

 

[JohnU]

Yea, or is much harder to keep deepest in pours. Timing is everything. One option is to stir the hardener in one to thicken up before the second color. It's the nature of PR to mix together. Alumilite is easier to keep separate because it cures so much quicker.

 

[mecompco]

I've been doing two color pours to get our school colors (blue and grey). I'm using ptown-subbies horizontal molds. I mix up both colors with MEKP, pour the first color and put it under a 60watt bulb. Once it no longer "moves" in the mold, I pour the second color. Seems to work well with little mixing of the colors. I suppose the same effect could be done by holding off on the MEKP for the second pour until the first pour sets up.

 

[JohnU]

Yea, or is much harder to keep deepest in pours. Timing is everything. One option is to stir the hardener in one to thicken up before the second color. It's the nature of PR to mix together. Alumilite is easier to keep separate because it cures so much quicker.

Sorry, auto correct got me on this one. What I meant was its hard to keep PR separate in pours.

 

[Eric1075]

I cast my pen blanks in pvc pipe so i guess that qualifies as a deep pour. I made a few HPDE casting molds whichi can pour more shallow. Good call on the PR being harder to keep separate. That became painfully obvious pretty quickly. I have gotten into using Alumilite but it was a mild day today so i figured I'd do a few PR pours outside. One was a 2 color swirl (which now may be a blend) and the other was scrap wood cast in PR. I hope that one works out because I recall seeimg a post saying wood and PR doesnt really work as well as Alumilite and wood. We shall see.......

 

[mecompco]

Hmm-don't know how you'd get two colors horizontally oriented in a vertical mode unless you were able to do the first pour, lay it down, then later do the second pour.

Here is one of my two color pours in the horizontal mold. Blue poured first, let to partially set up, then the grey poured. This is PR with mica powder and no pressue, BTW.