ARRRGGGG what a frustrating day!

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gketell

gketell

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I decided I would try my hand at the first colored blank today. While I was at it I figured I might as well retry my mallee + Black PR again (last time the PR never set).

You may remember the hellacious time I had doing black last time. If not, see above. :D This time I added less black and was planning to add much more catalyst. Since the black was the most "critical" for the blanks I was making I mixed it up first: just the color, no catalyst. I set it aside in its plastic cup and started mixing the three colors for the other blank.

As I was mixing the second color (about 5-6 minutes since I didn't know what I was doing) I looked over and notices that there was a large puddle of black PR sitting round the base of my cup. I KNOW I didn't spill that much. Quickly pour it into a new cup and scoop the spill using two pieces of cardboard and get most of it into the new cup. Look at the bottom of the original and there are holes all the way around the bottom. Just my luck, a bad cup. Put all the black into a cardboard box (Murphy lives here, block what I can).

Back to mixing the other colors. Can't get them to look the way I want no matter what I try. Mixing red and yellow makes mud. *sigh* Whatever! I'm going to make a blank!!

As I go to start adding catalyst I see that the black is yet again leaking through the bottom of the cup!! ARRRRG. Quick add catalyst and pour.... Bottom of the cup falls open as I stir. FRACK! Pick up entire box and go to put it in the trash.... Box leaked too: PR all over the cement walk way.

Alrighty then, time for the color. The red is starting to leak out the bottom too. DBL FRACK!! New cup, mix all the catalyst and pour. Hmmmm they looked like different colors in the cups.... One big red blank. *sigh*

Tomorrow I'll post how that blank looks. Provided it hardens.

I may just stick to buying them from Ed/Jeff/heck anyone but me.

GK
 
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stevers

stevers

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Sorry you had such a bad day Greg. This should help. I had exactly the same thing happen to me. Wanted to mix two batches at once. Pour the PR into two cups and set one aside, add catalyst to the other. Mixing, mixing, look over and there is a puddle of PR at the bottom of the cup. Grab another cup and put the eaten one in it, meanwhile, the cup with the catalyst is starting to eat through the cup. Eventually I got them in molds and in the pot.
But my worst was when I tried my first pour. Put 6 ounces of PR into a mixing cup, add catalyst, put in pot and apply vacuum to de-gas resin. 10 minutes later I open the pot and lift out the cup with the resin in it and it's hard as a rock. Too much catalyst. Wound up with a 6 ounce cup shaped block of clear resin.
So don't feel too bad, your not alone.
Oh, and did I mention that the last batch of plastic cups I bought would hold resin for about 90 seconds before melting. Finally found some plastic mixing cups at my local hobby shop for .05 each. Bought 40 and will go back for the rest real soon.
 
S

Shane

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Been there, done that so I know what ya went through.
When I researched casting I read several posts were they said they used Solo plastic cups to mix resin in. I tried it and it ate right through the bottom ... resin all over the place. I now use glass measuring cups. [:D]

Happy Turning,
 
alamocdc

alamocdc

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NOTE to all: PR will EAT disposable plastic cups. There may be some brands that are immune from this, but I haven't found them yet. This means you have to work quickly, and I've gone to double cupping just in case. Once I get my batch of cups used up, I may start using paper cups. I have cut the tops off of a few large plastic pill bottles (I have cast in these and they don't dissolve) and will try these next. I'm thinking I "should" be able to reuse these, but time will tell.
 
gketell

gketell

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OK, I pulled my 4-color orange blank.

The good news is it set up beautifully and turned beautifully.
The bad news is that there was no layering of colors in the final result.

2007953587_IMG_4896.jpg


What you are seeing is a rough-turned and polished blank back-lit so you can see the colors. And back-lighting it is the only way to see the colors. [:(!]

I don't know what I did wrong but all the four colors blended together. I poured each color in "swirled" layers making S and Z patterns as I poured. Then I dragged a bamboo skewer through the layers from one end to the other. Had Light-Orange, Orange, Orange-with-glitter and Dark-Orange. Looking at the pen blank you maybe kinda see the dark-orange swirls. All the glitter passed through all the layers and settled at the bottom.

So, was I supposed to let the stuff start to set before I poured it so it would stay more stable? Was I supposed to add some gelling compound? Clue me in. Please!!

GK
 
stevers

stevers

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I've tried a couple times when I had a little left that wouldn't go in the mold. I'd pour the left over into a cup just to see what would happen. They pretty much just blended together. Someone will let us know. I think it has to do with when you pour the diff colors.
 
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