First Casting

[Edward Cypher]

My first casting ever, with HF ultrasonic casting and scroll saw vibration. Casting pr is mass clear casting resin gel, the bottle stopper was done in a pill bottle and used 688 misty lavender pearl-ex powder it is much more purple than the picture shows. Just recieved my 6 bottlestopper mold from the penwizard :biggrin: cant wait to pour it.


Not sure why the VFW faded but not all of them. I glued to tube with glue stick let dry and then coated with modge poge then poured. Just surprised that they all did not fade. The ones at the end seemed to maintain their color.

All comments welcome, here to learn.

Thanks in advance and I will post as soon as I turn them.

The pens will be for a silent auction to benifit the Honor Flight of Northern Colorado in Ault Colorado. You can check out the program here: www.honorflightnortherncolorado.org.

Hopefully the next castings will retain the color on the VFW stickers.

ED

 

[PenMan1]

Ed:
I know others here get great results with Mod Podge. I am NOT one of those people! Every time I use Mod Podge as a clear coat, I get results similar to your VFW cast.

I just changed over to 3 coats of thin CA. I've been very lucky with that proceedure.
YMMV!

 

[Edward Cypher]

I guess I am glad it was not just my technique. (sorry it happened to you too) Odd tht they all did not fade only some. I'm going to try doing the VFW ones again and maybe letting the Modge dry for three days and see if that gives a better result. Haven't got the courage up to do CA on a spinning lathe yet.

Ed

Ed:
I know others here get great results with Mod Podge. I am NOT one of those people! Every time I use Mod Podge as a clear coat, I get results similar to your VFW cast.

I just changed over to 3 coats of thin CA. I've been very lucky with that proceedure.
YMMV!

 

[PTownSubbie]

Ed,

Sometimes PR will soak the stamps and cause a color change. I have done like Andy and started putting CA layers on my stamps before I cast them. This has stopped the color/cloudy change to the PR on my castings.

You may want to give it a try and see if it changes your results.

Looking at your results again. Is the cloudiness in the resin or did the stamps actually fade? If it is resin cloudiness, it could be caused from the water based Modge Podge. Water and resin don't mix and if you didn't let the glue dry enough, it can cause cloudiness.

Give it a turn and see if it goes away....

 

[Edward Cypher]

Thanks fred I will give it a try. This time I will leave the Modge dry for a few days instead of just overnight. The cloudiness is the sticker not in the PR it is very clear. The VFW ones were acturally return mail stickers. The stamps are just old not near as bright as modern stamps. But I plan on giving it another try this weekend. I will post the out come.

Thanks again for all your help.

Ed,

Sometimes PR will soak the stamps and cause a color change. I have done like Andy and started putting CA layers on my stamps before I cast them. This has stopped the color/cloudy change to the PR on my castings.

You may want to give it a try and see if it changes your results.

Looking at your results again. Is the cloudiness in the resin or did the stamps actually fade? If it is resin cloudiness, it could be caused from the water based Modge Podge. Water and resin don't mix and if you didn't let the glue dry enough, it can cause cloudiness.

Give it a turn and see if it goes away....

 

[bensoelberg]

I guess I am glad it was not just my technique. (sorry it happened to you too) Odd tht they all did not fade only some. I'm going to try doing the VFW ones again and maybe letting the Modge dry for three days and see if that gives a better result. Haven't got the courage up to do CA on a spinning lathe yet.

Go to your local home improvement or craft store and pick up some 1/2 inch dowels. Cut them into about 6 inch segments and mount between centers. That way you can practice putting CA on to seal stamps or to use as a finish without having to worry about messing up something valuable. Good luck!

 

[NewLondon88]

If the stamps are important or valuable, you could also scan them and
cast copies of the stamps. Of course, you need really really tiny scissors
to cut those tiny little fake perforated edges.. :tongue:

The copies are more likely to keep their color, especially if you print them
onto shipping labels that are meant to put over OTHER shipping labels.
They have a thicker white coating so they should hold up well.

 

[Edward Cypher]

Thanks Charlie (New London88) I think. The stamps are cancelled and really are worthless. But if I get some noncancelled ones I will do the scan thing. Although there is something about real stamps being in the pen.

Thanks again to everyone for all the info.

 

[NewLondon88]

that's true about the real stamps.. but if the copy is good and you're
overlapping enough it can look very good. But once it is encased in
CA or resin, how much would it really matter if they are real or copies?
(not a rhetorical question.. to some people it might matter, to others it
wouldn't matter at all)

I look at it like someone who wins a bet and when I hand them the cash,
they tell me they're going to frame it. So I take back the cash and then I
write them a check. :biggrin:

 

[MartinPens]

If the stamps are important or valuable, you could also scan them and
cast copies of the stamps. Of course, you need really really tiny scissors
to cut those tiny little fake perforated edges.. :tongue:

The copies are more likely to keep their color, especially if you print them
onto shipping labels that are meant to put over OTHER shipping labels.
They have a thicker white coating so they should hold up well.

I've been experimenting with this on some of my collected stamps (scanning and printing). What type of labels are you referring to? I would like to they them. Thanks. And thanks for the molds.

Martin

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[Gregf]

I found some glossy labels that I think do better than the regular ones.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UCT8W4/ref=wms_ohs_product_T2

 

[NewLondon88]

I've been experimenting with this on some of my collected stamps (scanning and printing). What type of labels are you referring to? I would like to they them. Thanks. And thanks for the molds.

So far, the best luck I've had has been with Staples white, matte sticker paper.
Since they're matte, they DO tend to hold air more stubbornly, so you
need to coat them and let them de-gas for longer than you might with
other materials. But they're opaque full sheets so you can print out a whole
sheet without having to worry about where the label will end (and will your
printer registration be consistent enough that you don't have to throw away
labels that fall off the edge of the label)
They take ink very well and I've been able to use them in inkjet, laser
and laminator. (no more keeping separate labels for each! and no more
melting the wrong label in the printer)

Glad the molds got there.

 

[MartinPens]

So far, the best luck I've had has been with Staples white, matte sticker paper.
Since they're matte, they DO tend to hold air more stubbornly, so you
need to coat them and let them de-gas for longer than you might with
other materials. But they're opaque full sheets so you can print out a whole
sheet without having to worry about where the label will end (and will your
printer registration be consistent enough that you don't have to throw away
labels that fall off the edge of the label)
They take ink very well and I've been able to use them in inkjet, laser
and laminator. (no more keeping separate labels for each! and no more
melting the wrong label in the printer)

Glad the molds got there.

So you are using thin CA as well? I always thought this would smudge the ink. What is your thin CA application method? I'm ready to try my first stamp pours. Hoping for some success.

Martin

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[NewLondon88]

So you are using thin CA as well? I always thought this would smudge the ink. What is your thin CA application method? I'm ready to try my first stamp pours. Hoping for some success.

It depends on what I'm casting.. CA is fine for inkjet inks, but not for the
Sharpie marker I re-color the edges with. I do inkjet, laser, sometimes
foils. So I might use CA, or resin or Modge Podge or something else Alton
came up with that works pretty well over solvent based things like Rub n Buff.