Resin for paperweight casting?

[thewishman]

I've got some requests for casting bugs, coins and other stuff as paperweights. I'm comfortable with pressure casting Silmar 41, but need something that will not be tacky.

Any suggestions for CLEAR, hard resin?

 

[mike4066]

I've used Silmar 41 and I think it's a bit brittle for a paper weight. I'd be afraid someone would drop it and crack/chip.

I've started using Alumilite and it's coming out super clear and easy to cast under pressure. Not tacky and has a nice feel to it.


But I think this might be good scenario for epoxy. There is a guy named Peter Brown on YouTube who casts all sorts of crazy things in epoxy.

 

[Akula]

I use Silmar 41 and castincraft and do not have a "tacky" problem. It could be your mix or weather causing the problem. You could also take it out of the mold for better and quicker air drying. I'm not in any rush, so if it's tacky at first, I would not notice.

 

[jttheclockman]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using Silmar41 for casting objects like that. Cast-n-Crafts which was the one resin most of us started with, sold in craft stores advertises this use and in fact they have a project book that shows these type things. That resin is actually harder than Silmar.

The key is not to use so much hardener to make it brittle. 3 to 4 drops per ounce is all that is needed. Yes the item will be tacky when done but that can be dealt with by placing in the sun or using a toaster oven for a few minutes at 125 degrees. Sand and polish as you would a pen blank. The tackiness is a by-product of this resin which enables other pours to adhere to it if desired.

Oh by the way the fact being spread around here that it can not be drilled and tapped is also false. It most certainly can be drilled and tapped. Do it all the time with bottle stoppers.


Here is an example of what you want to do but a different application and believe me I have dropped these props more times than I want to count. No chips or breaks. Now if you drop any resin cast items on concrete there is no guarantee and that includes Alumilite.

Good luck and look forward to seeing what you make.



Here is a thread that may interest you also when talking epoxy resins
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f43/epoxy-resin-question-136719/

 

[thewishman]

Here's the first test casts:





They're not perfect and have a line where the first and second cast layers meet, not as bad as the picture looks, but clearly visible.

Cast the first layer Tuesday and the second on Wednesday, all inside in the climate controlled shop. 35-ish psi.

The surface on each is wavy, ambient temp is about 68°. The quarter is pressure cast, the half-dollar is not. Yes, those are fingerprints, both are curing in the sun, now.

 

[jttheclockman]

Here's the first test casts:

View attachment 143328

View attachment 143329

They're not perfect and have a line where the first and second cast layers meet, not as bad as the picture looks, but clearly visible.

Cast the first layer Tuesday and the second on Wednesday, all inside in the climate controlled shop. 35-ish psi.

The surface on each is wavy, ambient temp is about 68°. The quarter is pressure cast, the half-dollar is not. Yes, those are fingerprints, both are curing in the sun, now.

You waited too long to make both casts. When one sets up pour the second on top and the line disappears. Be careful with the sun. It does not have UV protection properties so it can yellow on you if left too long.


There was a fellow here that used this technique all the time in his bottle stoppers. What he liked to do is color the bottom layer and then clear the top layer and if there was any discernible lines they were not visible at all. It gives a depth of field. I have used that method and works great. His name was Ed Davidson and went by the sign-on name of Yo Yo Spin. He was a true master and has many videos here and his yo yo's were outstanding. Have never seen anyone come close to what he did. Check his album out in the photo section and check his videos out in the library. Look in his gallery on that page and you will see his bottle stoppers with the exact look you are after. His work was tremendous. Years ago he had a web site on Yahoo that I was a member of and all it was dealt with bottle stoppers. learned alot from there and saw first hand a masters work. No longer there.


www.yoyospin.com/tutorials/

 

[Cwalker935]

The sharks tooth paper weight shown below was cast using Silmar 41 and is about 3" in diameter. It is very rugged, so rugged that it flew off my lathe hit me in the chest and face, flew across the room and hit a concrete floor without cracking. It taught me a very valuable lesson with regard to taking short cuts and doing things that are against my better judgment. In short, I do not see an issue in the durability of a PR paper weight other than taking extreme care with how you mount it if you are planning to turn it.

 

[jttheclockman]

Another example. This is Ed's bottle stopper. The item looks like it is floating.

 

[Hawkdave]

The sharks tooth paper weight shown below was cast using Silmar 41 and is about 3" in diameter. It is very rugged, so rugged that it flew off my lathe hit me in the chest and face, flew across the room and hit a concrete floor without cracking. It taught me a very valuable lesson with regard to taking short cuts and doing things that are against my better judgment. In short, I do not see an issue in the durability of a PR paper weight other than taking extreme care with how you mount it if you are planning to turn it.

View attachment 143331

Hi Cody....Was it your Chest & Face that didn't crack or.....:biggrin:

Dave.

 

[Hawkdave]

Another example. This is Ed's bottle stopper. The item looks like it is floating.



View attachment 143346

G'Day John...Thanks for the link to the great site featuring Ed's work. I will be checking this one out closely.

Dave.