Any different effects using mica powder in PR and Alumilite

[PSNCO]

I haven't used my Alumilite, yet. So I need some input from those that cast using PR and Alumilite.

I got frustrated trying to remember what my mica powders look like once mixed into the resin. So, I grabbed some tiny plastic paint jars from Michaels (The kind that you get in the paint by number kits.) I poured a 1/8" ounce of PR, a drop of MEKP and a pinch of each of my green micas into the "jars" tonight. Now, I have all of my green mica powders mixed into PR in a visable color palette. (Only 80 mica powders to cast!) I'll post pics as soon as all of them are cast.

Anyways, the heart of my question.. Do the mica powders look identical when cast into Alumilite clear as they do in Poly Resin? Or, is there a a noticeable color difference when cast into Alumilite compared to cast in Poly Resin? And along with that question, do those of you that use both products find that more power is needed in one product over the other?

Mark

 

[BSea]

They are close, but not identical. I think the colors are pretty much the same, but they don't react the same. I think the mica powders look better in PR. Not that they don't look good in alumilite too. But I like to use more dyes in alumilite.

I use the same amounts of mica powder for both PR & alumilite. I try to color the resin so that it will hide the color of the stir stick when it's removed from the resin. If you can see the color of the stick in a second or two, then you might need more powder. But even that is not a rule more than a guideline. Some powders just hide better than others. Some colors don't set up well if you use too much.

The best thing you can do is take really good notes. You can't have too much information about your casts.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

I haven't used my Alumilite, yet. So I need some input from those that cast using PR and Alumilite.

I got frustrated trying to remember what my mica powders look like once mixed into the resin. So, I grabbed some tiny plastic paint jars from Michaels (The kind that you get in the paint by number kits.) I poured a 1/8" ounce of PR, a drop of MEKP and a pinch of each of my green micas into the "jars" tonight. Now, I have all of my green mica powders mixed into PR in a visable color palette. (Only 80 mica powders to cast!) I'll post pics as soon as all of them are cast.

Anyways, the heart of my question.. Do the mica powders look identical when cast into Alumilite clear as they do in Poly Resin? Or, is there a a noticeable color difference when cast into Alumilite compared to cast in Poly Resin? And along with that question, do those of you that use both products find that more power is needed in one product over the other?

Mark

I did this and then glued each of the sample plugs to the top of the mica bottles. Seemed like a good idea at the time. It does make it easy to pick out the bottle I want quickly, but now the bottles don't stack on top of each other very well. In retrospect, it would have been better to glue the plugs to a labelled sheet / board and attach that to the cabinet door where I store my casting stuff.

The other thing is that many of the powders will look very different depending on whatever other colors they are mixed with (or used for backgrounds). I decided I didn't want to try and create an infinite number of sample plugs.

I started keeping written formulas for casts that came out particularly well and saving a sample rod of that material. This seems to work better for me. Both in remembering what I've done (that worked) and in guessing what else might look good as future experiments. I tried keeping samples of what didn't look good, but there were just too many of those to keep track of. :biggrin:

I haven't noticed a big difference between alumilite and PR. Although I've cast much much more PR than alumilite. My theory on the small difference is that the quicker set time in the alumilite doesn't give the mica as much time to move around and for all the little particles to achieve a common alignment. To me this gives a slightly broader and smoother sheen to the mica in PR. The alumilite seems just a tiny bit more granular.

Then again, it could all just be my imagination....

Ed

 

[PSNCO]

Ed, I appreciate the info there. I thought of the "mixing of this green with this blue will get this color" and cast a sample, but then I realized I was going overboard. I'll be doing that with only a couple. An example is I will make blanks with a copper/rose gold color to compliment a copper pen or a rose gold tip pen and I make and remake blanks that looks similar to the colors in black hills gold jewelry. And a certain shade of purple that is dead on with my son's school colors as he has gotten quite a few sales and requests from the school with the school colors.

It was quite interesting to see that a Pearl-Ex color was EXACTLY the same as a mica powder from tkbtrading.com and the tkbtrading color is 1/2 the cost of Pearl-Ex.

 

[BSea]

I tried keeping samples of what didn't look good, but there were just too many of those to keep track of. :biggrin:

Me too! I have saved a few. Who knows when I'll need to win an "ugly Pen" contest.

I haven't noticed a big difference between alumilite and PR. Although I've cast much much more PR than alumilite. My theory on the small difference is that the quicker set time in the alumilite doesn't give the mica as much time to move around and for all the little particles to achieve a common alignment. To me this gives a slightly broader and smoother sheen to the mica in PR. The alumilite seems just a tiny bit more granular.

Then again, it could all just be my imagination....

Ed

I think that's about the best explanation I can think of for the difference between the 2. I couldn't have said it better . . . . . . . . In fact I didn't.:wink:

 

[PSNCO]

I put my "mistakes" or "this didn't cast nicely" or "this is a fugly blank" on slimlines or very inexpensive pens. A majority of the time they turn to a beautiful pen. Then I moan, "Why didn't I put this on a $20-$30 kit!"

 

[Marko50]

I use Alumilite exclusively. It's just a very high quality resin and the set up time is amazing. I can go from pour-to pot-to-lathe in less than three hours and have something marketable in just a short time.

As far as color goes, I use Pearl-Ex mostly but I also use Alumilite's powders as well. If you're using Alumilite Clear, remember that it will come out somewhat transparent, meaning you'll have to back paint or paint the tube the corresponding color if you don't want the tube to show.
….Just my .02¢:wink: