Casting banksia pods

[tpuskar]

I'd like to make some pens using banksia pods filled with colored polyester resin. Several questions:

1. What dyes should I use?
2. Should I cast under pressure or vacuum or just room temp?

Thanks,

Tom Puskar
Howell, NJ

 

[alankulwicki7]

Casting is done under pressure and stabilizing is done under vacuum. Sometimes I will heat the resin slightly but usually I just cast at room temp.
I use mica powders from coastal scents and pearlex powders from Michael's...

 

[KenV]

Most who are using resin to fill use alumalite rather than PR.

Epoxy is also effective --

There is a history of challenges with the use of PR to cast into cavities.

 

[MarkD]

As Ken said, Allumilite is better than PR for this application. Allumilite does not shrink. I use Alumilite with pressure to collapse the air bubbles, when casting Banksia Pods.