alumlite or pr

[JAG]

Hello new here justy trying to learn about this casting thingy.
I bought some alumlite and cast two blanks they came out nice just havent been able to turn yet.I was just wondering which is better and if one is easier to use I am casting things in the middle of the block and want to start trying to make my own coloreed blocks. thank in advance for the info and help.

Thanks Jim

 

[Verne]

Jim, I hate acrylic's! Love to turn Alumilite.
Just my thot's,
Vern

 

[wdcav1952]

Jim,

You will find the opinions pretty well evenly divided between the two. You will also likely find that the adherents of each are subject to strong opinions as to why they prefer one or the other. Refer to the thread I am linking to for some opinions.

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35029&SearchTerms=PR,Alumilite

 

[Modelmaker]

they both have their advantages and drawback.
Alumilite is softer than PR and easier to turn where PR is able to give a better natural shiny finish

 

[MesquiteMan]

Actually Alumilite Water Clear is harder than PR based on Shore D hardness tests. It is less brittle, though, hence some people perceive that it is softer.

 

[Jarheaded]

The Alumilite is much more user friendly, especially if you are working with it in your home. You don't have the time to play around with it as much as you would with PR, but you have the ability to mix what you want and turn it in less then an hour. That is a big plus in my opinion. You can also get a very nice shine off of the Alumilite if you are willing to wet sand and polish it.

 

[JAG]

Thanks for all the comments. Is there a easy way to figure how much alumlite is needed to fill the space. like if you do the waste wood how do you figure how much to mix so there is not much waste. I wasted enough on my first two casating to cast another couple of blanks.

Thanks jim

 

[Modelmaker]

to fill one of my molds I use 55 grams of alumilite per cavity for a 110 grams total.
this gets two 3/4 x 3/4 x 5-1/2 blanks

 

[MesquiteMan]

.554 ounce of mixed Alumilite per ci of mold space. This is by weight, btw. Measure your mold and multiply hight x length x width to get the ci. then multiply by .554 to get the amount of mixed alumilite you wil need. Then guess at how much is displaced by the wood you are casting.

 

[sbell111]

I simply make a completely off the wall guess, erring on the side of mixing too much resin. I keep my ice cube mold or stopper molds nearby just in case there is some extra.

 

[Modelmaker]

Steve bring up a good point, it's always better to use too much and have a spare mold handy that to use too little and of course that time would be when you're getting the "perfect pour"