First Attempt - "BLOW OUT" & 2nd pours

[JohnU]

This is the first pour and attempt on coffee beans. Im learning as I go and came to this conclusion... I dont think pr is the choice of cast for these beans. I dont have the correct coloring yet so I tried some white ink. It colored the resin ok but I think I should have stirred the mix as it thickened so all of the beans would not have been so close together. I knew I would have problems turning but decided to try anyhow. Especially after I survived 3 days of resin smell in the shop! I noticed without the pressure pot, the resin did not inhabit the beans like the alumilite blanks Ive seen on here. I guess it can only get better from here.

I decided to try something else and used the scrap from the bean pour to break up and put in the pink. I call it "Pink Ice". The blue blank has a lufa broken up in it but I think I put more color powder in that I needed. The orange is a mix of yellow and red powder with some white pearl and left over shavings from an orange acrylic I turned already. Im hoping it will show the shavings more when turned. The other is my attempt at the shredded money. I'll post pics when I get them turned.

Suprisingly my wife doesnt mind the resin odor, but Im guessing she expects me to make her more pens! Any and all comments appreciated!

 

[karlkuehn]

Actually, I think PR is better for casting beans and such than Alumilite. Having the time to use vacuum and pressure really gets the resin inside the beans and helps hold them together. PR is a little softer than Alumilite, too, so sanding is easier to keep from getting bumpy where it runs over the softer bean material.

Nice to see so many people putting on the chemist hat! hehe

Way to go, thinking about how to use up your scraps, too. Resin ain't cheap!

 

[R2]

They are nice looking blanks.I'm sure the pens will lok even better![]

 

[JohnU]

Thanks for the comment Karl. I will have to get a pressure tank and try it again.

 

[sbell111]

So far, I've only made one attempt each of beans and money. I'm thinking that the more beans (or money) in the mold, the better. Also, I placed a piece of UHMW on top of the mold to keep my beans from floating out.

 

[JohnU]

my problem was they all gathered together to make a weak area in the blank. to many beans and not enough resin in that area caused no holding strength. i think[?]

 

[sbell111]

I assume that you know that you had good glue coverage between the tube and blank and that your tools were razor sharp. I would look at those two suspects before I worried about too many beans.

Also, if you had any air bubbles clinging to the beans, it would be more likely to esplode.

 

[JohnU]

Thanks for the help. I'll give it another try.

 

[JohnU]

I think I had pretty good glue bond. It was covering the tube well after the acrylic left. I might have had an air bubble in the resin or behind the bean though. I'm going to get a pressure tank for next time.