Casting Postage Stamps

[Kretzky]

First time... I'm trying clear PR casting of postage stamps & just wanted to check:
1. I've glued stamps to the tube, do I need to coat them with anything before casting?
2. How many drops of mekp do I need per ounce of PR (I think it's around 5)?
Thank you for your help

 

[its_virgil]

First time... I'm trying clear PR casting of postage stamps & just wanted to check:
1. I've glued stamps to the tube, do I need to coat them with anything before casting?

Some will say yes and others no. Some will say use mod podge others CA. Personally, I've done several stamp casts and used nothing and they came out perfect. I've used CA and they came out perfect. I am not a mod podge fan. I've used CA and nothing and they were a total failure. Be sure to allow the glued on stamps to sit for at least a day. If you coat them with something allow them to sit for another day prior to casting. Two days will not hurt. Glues must be given time to totally cure and out gas. Impatience is one of the enemies to casting.

2. How many drops of mekp do I need per ounce of PR (I think it's around 5)?

I use 3 drops per ounce. I also heat the resin.
Have fun.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[Kretzky]

Thanks for the advice Don!
I did read four of the library articles, but I could only find one that gave drops/ ounce (7) which I thought seemed high.

 

[JohnU]

As Don said, some days they work and other times they dont. Ive noticed in some stamps the ink bleeds in the CA and the resin. One I can recall is a brown moth stamp. Every time Ive used it, bad results. I now coat them with a clear laquer spray, then after 24 hours, I give them a couple coats of thin ca, then after 24 hours I'll cast. My biggest complaint with stamps is when turning and sanding, Ive had the stamps seperate from the clear cast, leaving a shiny air pocket against the stamp image. Good luck!

 

[Tage]

I'll give you my advice based on one failed test. I cast a couple of stamp blanks, they were old stamps. I'm thinking that may have made a difference. I glued them on the tube with white glue. After it dried, I sprayed with the Testors spray sealer used for sealing waterslide decals (two coats). I cast in the clear stuff from Michael's, no pressure pot. The colors ran a bit on the stamps, so I'm thinking the Testors was not the right thing to use. I'll be looking forward to the responses.

 

[alxe24]

This are my first two that I turned http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/postal-stamps-107025/ and I just cast two more (waiting for the gouge) and those so far look great.
I used alumilite inder pressure. The tubes were sprayed in black and the stamps were glued with Mod Podge and coated with it a few times.
I can't tell this is the best or only way but so far I had success from the first one. The only thing I did noticed so far is that when wet sanding I did get some water zipping into the edges (not both nor all around) but when they dry they look good again.
Good luck with them. They sure look good once done.
Alex