Mixing Cup?

[nvillerod]

I'm a rookie at casting...have used about a half gallon of resin with some good, some bad, and some marginal looking blanks (colored type, I have not tried casting any covered tubes yet).

A couple of questions...

1. I've used several different types of "cheap" plastic cups to mix in...work fast or they disintegrate. What type cups do you experts use to mix?

2. How many gallons of resin did you go through until you were getting consistent results with color, etc?

Thanks

Rod

 

[bobkeyes]

Rod,

The CLEAR plastic high ball cups is what I use. They seem to hold up well. They are the stiff kind that will crack if you squeeze them too hard.

When casting I find it helpful to write down everything I do. Put down how much resin used, catalyst used, the amount of color either in drops of tsps. How long you mixed it how it was poured and into to what it was poured. This lets you go back and "tweek" or duplicate exactly what you did before.

I probably went through a couple of gallons of resin before I felt comfortable. And I still get failures.

Good luck and if I can be of help just let me know.

 

[nvillerod]

Bob:

Thanks for the information. I know of the cups you refer to. I need to keep better notes...just winging it is not working.

Rod

 

[MesquiteMan]

I use paint mixing containter available at Lowes and then rinse them out with acetone and re-use them. They are 1 quart cups I believe. I like the larger size becasue it allows me to mix easier and I usually am pouring 18+ ounces of resin.

On your second question...I use a different resin than you are using. I use Alumilite clear which is a 1:1 2 part system where there is no guessing on the amount of catalyst to use. It is much easier to get consistent results right from the start and I have yet to have a failure, at least in the setting of the resin. It also does not smell up your entire shop like PR.

 

[nvillerod]

Curtis:

I have seen your work with Alumilite and am always impressed with the quality of your blanks. I may "pony" up the extra dough and try this type next time.

Mixing colors: This is the area I have been experimenting in most so far. I am having trouble getting consistent color mix throughout the thickness of the blank, like the store bought ones are able to do. I wonder if the properties of Alumilite would make this easier, or if I just need to keep working on my techniques?

Rod