Do you know the difference ?

[Kenny Durrant]

Does anyone know the difference between the Casting Craft resin and the Silmar 41. I've used the casting craft since I've started casting. So far I've had pretty good luck with everything I've done except the snake skins. I have a lot of failures do to seperation between the skin and resin. My question is, do you think the silmar is a better product or just cheaper to use? I've cast feathers,coins,stamps, football tickets and copies off the printer with out any unexpected problems. I'm hoping a different or better product, Silmar 41, might help things go a little easier. On the other hand I don't want to get my hopes up that this is a much better resin. Thanks Kenny

 

[NewLondon88]

I hope you got some answers since posting this.. but I'll throw in my $.02
I feel the Silmar is a better resin to use than the CastN Craft even if it is only
for my own peace of mind. I have gotten old resin from Michaels before and
it isn't even the very high price of the resin that bothers me so much as the
fact that it's a 2.5 hour round trip to go get the resin to begin with!
Pre-cat resins have shelf life from the date of manufacture, not from the date
you open the can. And I have little/no faith that employees who have no experience
with the product are going to understand how important stock rotation is. This
means at the distribution center and at the store level. They carry too many
products to have experience with everything.

Silmar comes fresh and it comes with catalyst. For me, it seems to have set
quicker, but that's so subjective when you're not keeping everything exactly
the same. (weather, humidity, temps etc.) It also turns easier for me, less
prone to chip out, less brittle and doesn't yellow as much over time as the
CastN Craft does.

Or I could be all wrong..

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Thanks for the reply. I called U.S.Comp. and asked them and expected them to put down casting craft. My hats off to them because they didn't say anything bad about the other resins. They asked what and how I was using the resin and said it was all ok. The main thing they said was the same as you mentioned was that there is a 3 month shelf life and it does make a difference. I hope I'm not jumping the gun but I ordered a quart on monday recieved it on friday and cast 2 snake skins and they look great. I have a snakeskin slimline in the pot now with 4 more pens waiting for the glue to dry. I've made a lot of nice pens with C.C. resin but in the last month I've had a lot of problems with the skin casts. Now it's a whole new ballgame. Thanks again and I'll post pictures of some of the new pens.

 

[NewLondon88]

I think you'll like it.

Good idea letting the glue dry. if you can, give it a couple of days.
Even though the glue is dry, it can still off-gas for a while and there
are lots of clouding/bubble issues with casting. So it makes sense to
eliminate as many of them as you can. Fully cured glue is one that
tends to get overlooked.. especially when you're trying something new.
You just want to get to it! RIGHT NOW!! :tongue:

 

[its_virgil]

The main thing they said was the same as you mentioned was that there is a 3 month shelf life and it does make a difference.

There is a shelf life because (all that I have used) they come prepromoted or, precatalyzed and are in effect curing from that time. The MEKP we add gets the curing really going. Seamus and I just redeived a 5 gallon can to split and marked on the side was a notice that it was catalyzed to 1%. I agree with Charlie that who knows how long PR has been on the shelf or in the warehouse before that with hobby/craft stores. I prefer to purchase from sources that move a lot of PR.

I hope I'm not jumping the gun but I ordered a quart on monday recieved it on friday and cast 2 snake skins and they look great. I have a snakeskin slimline in the pot now with 4 more pens waiting for the glue to dry. I've made a lot of nice pens with C.C. resin but in the last month I've had a lot of problems with the skin casts. Now it's a whole new ballgame. Thanks again and I'll post pictures of some of the new pens.

I have used 5 different brands of PR and had success with all of them. I have also had failures with all of them. The success rate has been nabout equal between all of them. Just when I am cruising along and all is working great then failures happen. I do everything the same each time. Those casting grimlins just roam the country seeking out the odor of PR and visit all of us from time to time. And they always seem to know when I have an order I need to mail tomorrow. Happy casting.
Do a good turn dailuy!
Don

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Thanks Don for your comment. The last thing I wanted to do was give Casting Craft a bad rap. Like I said it has done well for me most of the time. It's just the snake skins thats giving me trouble and it still could be something I'm doing and not the pr. I also know some products are more forgiving in some areas than others. Thats why I think some people have better luck than others with different items. I think and hope that I'm getting close to finding the nitch to getting a better turn out on my skins. Thanks again for all the comments.