Did I make a "Mistake"??????

[toyotaman]

I tried a "Trashwood" blank this evening and I'm thinking it's not going to go well. Please tell me if I'm wrong. I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a Blue and Green bottle of "Alumnite" Dye. I mixed 6oz of "Poly Resin" from US Composites and 4 drops of Blue Alumnite dye and then added 10 drops per oz of catalyst. 3 hrs later its still not set at all. I'm going to guess there is a difference between the Alumnite dyes and the Castin craft dyes. I think I just wasted 6oz of resin,60 drops of catalyst, some nice trashwood pieces, some pearl x powder, and a brand new 4x5x1" mold. It's still in the pressure pot. I'm going to check on it in the morning. Is this a lesson to be learned????????????????????? PR and Alumnite dyes "DO NOT" go together.

 

[toyotaman]

Well, I checked it after 12hrs and it was still as thin as when I put it in the mold. I had a large plastic container nearby and tossed it all in there with a bunch of sawdust(to soak up the mess) and it's all headed to the dumpster. A thought for any newcomers out there, "DO NOT" use any Alumnite dyes with Poly Resin. For some reason it will not set up. With Poly Resin use Castin Craft Dyes or other dyes that are made for "Poly Resin". Alumnite dyes must have something in them that will not set with poly resin. Expensive mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Phunky_2003]

While you can use alumilite dye in PR resin it takes extremely small amounts.

Like sticking in a toothpick and wiping it off and using the toothpick to stir. The colors also react differently and wont be what you'd expect. Blue will look purple.. or red looks purple, I forget, I do remember the colors are off....

As far as the 10 drops per ounce of resin, I would think that would be too much catalyst.

 

[sbell111]

I probably wouldn't chunk the entire mess in the trash, either. I'd likely dump out the PR and wipe down the wood pieces and mold and start over. Next time, use just a toothpick of dye and about half the catalyst.

 

[glycerine]

I don't know how the alumilite reaction occurs, but I have had that happen with PR and had to apply some heat to "kick start" it. I used a halogen work light.

EDIT: Sorry, I see that you WERE using PR, just the dye was alumilite. Yes, next time, if the reaction doesn't start on it's own, apply some heat, BUT REMEMBER THAT THE FUMES AND THE PR ARE FLAMMABLE, SO USE CAUTION!!!

 

[PenMan1]

Nothing hurt, you just used too much dye. I never use Alumite dye even with Alumilite. If you have a small toaster oven that you can dedicate to casting (usually $3-4 at Goodwill), put the blank in the oven at 150 for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, let the blank cool for 30 minutes, then back in the oven for 30 minutes. Eventually the blank will firm up.

 

[jjudge]

"too much catalyst" -- sounds like it'd harden quickly and be more fragile?

I'm confused: it is not hardening.

So, did he use too much dye -- which countered the "too much resin"?

 

[toyotaman]

There has got to be something in the Alumnite dye that causes it to screw with the PR to keep it from setting. This is where a good chemical expert would come in handy. What does Alumnite dye have in it that Castin Craft dye does not have to cause this reaction? No big deal now since I have tossed the whole thing this morning but I hope any other newbys out there will read and learn before they try mixing Alumnite dye with PR. It does NOT work. 4 little drops screwed up everything. I did stop by Hobby Lobby today and bought some Opeque Blue,Yellow, and Green from Castin Craft made for PR. I will try it again this weekend. Should I slack off some on the Catalyst?? How many drops per oz do you use??

 

[PenMan1]

Just a recommendation:
With PR and Castin Craft dyes, I would not use more than 4 drops of catalyst per ounce.

If it doesnt gel as quickly as you like, you can speed it along by placing the curing resin under an incandescent light bulb.

The directions for catalyzing PR are often misread as "10 drops per ounce". 10 drops per ounce is for making ribbon pours 1/32 of an inch thick. As goofy as it seems, the thicker a PR cast THE LESS CATALYST IT NEEDS .

10 drops per ounce of resin using Castin Craft Opaque dye on a 3/4 inch thick blank will be so brittle it may be impossible to turn.

Respectfully submitted.

 

[toyotaman]

Thanks for the info. I was just following the drops per oz on the can. It sounded a little high but I figured they knew more than me. 4 per oz. is alot better than 10. Does Catalyst go bad like PR after time?

 

[PenMan1]

Thanks for the info. I was just following the drops per oz on the can. It sounded a little high but I figured they knew more than me. 4 per oz. is alot better than 10. Does Catalyst go bad like PR after time?

Yes, it does go bad. In fact, MEKP, is very sensitive to exposure to air and heat. Had I not had such terrible results trying to use Alumilite Dye with PR, my first thought would have been old catalyst causing your problems.

I am always hesitant to buy either resin OR catalyst from hobby stores. It seems that I have cure issues with it and I suspect that in smaller areas Catalyst may sit on the shelf for a long time. The Mfg doesnt stamp a "made date" on it either.