Hi Zac, I'm a relatively new woodturner and decided to try casting to accent my turnings. I am extremely happy that I found you first to begin my learning process. I've watched three of your videos including the HF Pot mods and looked over your many playlists as well. I feel like I won the information lottery 😄 It is heartwarming to find yet another highly experienced artist who is so willing to share their vast knowledge. I've ordered and downloaded your ebook and became a "belled" subscriber. Thanks a Million for your many submissions.
Thank you for this video. I was able to cast my first resin blanks this week. I went for the first (cheap but stinky) option. It really wasn't as bad as I was expecting and cost me almost nothing to try (just $6 in tubing, $18 in a ton of mica powders and $15 for the resin). I casted outside with a cheap mask and didn't find it any worse then applying a CA finish in smell. It drilled and cut easier then the cheap blanks I have bought before, it may have been a bit more prone to chipping with the roughing tool but my finished pen has no chips in it.
I love your videos. Very informative. I havent worked with resin/epoxy in 12 yrs and I only used it ever when I worked in a boat shop for sealing and repairs. But I really wanna get back in woodworking and start playing with resin casting. So thank you for this.
I used this stuff back when I was in junior high sumner school when I ask people today about casting resine they say they never heard of it. I recently bought some glaze coat so going to put it on mahogany wood for a pony wall bar hopefully turns out nice..
Hope it turns out great for you! It is pretty interesting how resin casting has grown in popularity, just depends on if people have been exposed to it or not
Hi Zac I had no idea there were so many rabbit holes to jump down after i turned my first acrylic pen. After turning several slimline pens I branched out into cigar pens then Sierra pens and spiral pens. Then I started on wood pens. That was totally different set of skills. Next I am going to make are "Lock and Load" pens. Then I am looking at casting some labels on a pen. The only thing that has stopped me is what are the costs, pressure pot resins molds and more. Anyway I started looking at prices already. Thank you.
Thanks for putting this out. I've got two large blocks of cypress that need to be stabilized before turning. I'll need something that will be slow setting.
Thanks brother for your honesty brother and you in general there is something about you that puts me at ease when you explain things probably the serious face thing and the way you talk. Thanks for share very cool
Great video, thanks for sharing. I want to apply a layer of slightly soft resin to a thin hooped earring, 3 - 4 inches in diameter. What kind of resin should I use, and should I dip or brush it on?
i live in the high desert at the moment i can not get around to well my back has ben busted some i love to see all the wonderful things that turners make i love olive wood it is just so beautiful
+William Howard Sorry to hear that your back is messed up William! That's no fun at all. I'll have to get some more videos up so you can see some fun things to make!! Should have a project/how to video posting soon on how to make "ribbon" blanks. Plan to start doing more project videos too, just need to plan a little better so I can get them made :)
I poured some resin into a glove in an attempt to make a ring holder. I like how it's turning out. There are areas that I might need to sand and since it's a small project im wondering if I should do this by hand or use something electric. Also same line of thinking..can it be polished? I have a dremmel tool that has A polishing attachment. Just seeking some advice. Thanks for your time
Hi thanks for video, I need to cast crystal clear pieces, let me know which one is best product, and which pressure machine should I use to get rid of bubbles
I just discovered your UA-cam channel and it is so awesome. I’m a beginner Artist looking for info about casting with resin, technics and tips so this info was so useful. Thanks a lot! Going to start following your channel. Cheers from Venezuela.
Very informative and helpful vid.. I`m in the UK and have just ordered a pressure pot and resin for the New year.... this vid has helped me alot.. cheers
Thank you for your info on resin. Helpfull. If you have a low budget owen, and you want to bake Polymer Clay in it, you can add one or two pizza stones or some other heavy material, that can stand the heat. Maybe a thick metal plate will do the trick. Heat the owen for a long time before the baking, so the pizza stones or metal plate are as hot as the air in the owen. This will make the owen keep its temperature even after opening the door or when the heating elements are turning on and off. And to get the best result you must bake your clay for at least 60 minutes. This will make it realy great.
Thanks Zac, I'm new to resin casting (want to use this for making artwork) - I have been everywhere looking for information about differences between resins and pros/cons of each and your video and comments/answers below have really helped.
Emma Louise Hey Emma, I'm glad it was helpful. It was all very confusing to me when I got started, so once I figured some things out I wanted to pass that on. Let me know if you have any other questions, I mainly use Alumilite but have a little knowledge using the others.
Zac I use clay all of the time, ruff up the tube, use clay glue on the tube, roll on the clay, bake per instructions, a little longer for thickness, then once cooled in 10mins, continue as you would if it was wood or resin. I use floor polish in final step.
Hi Lionel, I tried polymer clay once but didn't get very good results. Is that the product you're talking about? I'd like to give it another try one day, but I just haven't had time to focus on it.
lionel wainford I'll give it another shot one of these days. I have a better oven that I can use now too, so it should be a more even bake. I see people making them with ornate patterns using the "canes", really awesome stuff!
I don't know if you can get it in the US, but Milliputt is a brilliant opaque epoxy putty. It's the sort of thing you let kids play with, because it works like Playdoh, cuts and sands like wood, sets harder than wood and it isn't brittle after it sets. Jimson's Stuff channel has lots of vids using it.
I need to cast a blank 1" x 10”. I have my HF pressure pot set up. Using PVC for mold. The blank need to turn out hard so it will not bow when worked on lathe like my first cast. Which casting resin do I need to buy?
Hi there, I was wondering if you could tell me what would be the best epoxy for making coasters. I just started out and have tried a few diff. But have had some still ticking to heat and apparently so have other people. Thanks so much. I have been using super Magic fly, Magic resin and Easy Cast epoxy resin . If you have any suggestion without super toxic Fumes that would be great. 😊
+Every-Day Joe Yeah that UV cure stuff is interesting. Not sure how it turns though. I won't use Polyester Resins though, stuff stinks and we can't vent it out of the shop. Acrylic acetate is not something you can work with in the garage, from what I understand it requires a pretty industrial setup, so nobody I know of is using it. A complex glue-up would be something that involves many glue joints.
This was a great video. You are a fine communicator on your chosen field. I am 3 decades into software engineering and am planning serious forays into all kinds of dynamic systems prototype and development. I've subscribed to your channel.
I just started using solorez polyester uv resin, so far its pretty neat! it doesn't have the heat restrictions needed that epoxy has, plus it doesn't have the UV issues epoxy does.
I haven't got into using dyes yet. Currently I only use it for wood projects, and casting rocks into counter tops, However, I have been thinking of mixing some color into the resin but then again the whole reason i use it is to create a 3D illusion so painting the surface below the resin is likely a better choice in most of my scenarios. Finally, I recommend calling Solarez directly for those questions. The owner and formulation expert is on site and will take calls.
This was a great video, in just feeding my interest at this point, and I got a bunch of information. i will definitely be looking to your channel for more. Thank you
+Jesse peña Thanks Jesse! I'm glad it was helpful. I have lots more in the video library. Let me know if you have any questions when you get started. I'd be glad to help out :-)
great info Zac, I'm looking into casting for my step dad, retired, mom says needs something to do. I turn pens and stoppers, thought it would be something for both of us to do together.
I bought some glasscast epoxy resin, in the UK, and also some pigments. When I got home I saw they were translucent and I don't think they are suitable for pen making unless you like seeing brass tubes wrapped in glue, I was offered opaque pigments but I don't think they are suitable either. Somebody suggested mica colours but the only ones, I see, have pearls or glitter in them and are cosmetic. Any suggestions what I can use? Thanks for the videos with their no frills advice. James
I use UV resin a lot in my projects. It's great for small casts, but you really need a transparent mold. Under a UV light, the chess pieces I make will fully cure in roughly 3-5 minutes, but there is no pressure to rush since it won't start to cure until you expose it to the UV light. I've left resin in mold while working for over an hour and was still able to add some dye before casting it.
discovered a cool way to make bottle stopper blanks with alumilite, use the empty paper towel cardboard, it's already round, cut off to the length you need, put blue tape at one end, add alumilite, pressure pot, and voila,turn off the cardboard, shape as desired. thought I would share since you got me hook on alumilite casting.
Just wanted to say, thanks for the video! Lots of good stuff here. As for the clay, the brands you showed and mentioned are the low-end clays that are brittle and will be problematic. Look up videos on brand comparison. You’re right about the cooking and oven temps too. The toaster ovens spike as the temp cycles. Test brands there too. As for resin, I’m excited to add that aspect to my clay work! Thanks again!!!
Thanks Yvette =D I think you'll have a blast with resin too, it's a hoot =D Thanks for the tips too. I learned a bit more about clay and gave it another shot. Just need to find more time to experiment with it, it's really fun though!
My pleasure! I hope it helped out. I go a little more in depth comparing the different types in my ebook The Beginner's Guide to Resin Casting. Check it out if you'd like to dive in a little deeper: nvwoodwerks.com/product/the-beginners-guide-to-resin-casting/
@Zach Higgins. I'm looking to do my floors in my bathroom with 1-2inch thick resin. I want to have the ability to color it like swirls etc. What should I use? I obviously want it to be solid and hard..
Hey Kevin, I'm not certain what the best product would be for that application. Technically, any of them will take dyes and pearl powders. I would probably try to find one with a long working time that's reasonably priced. I'd contact a few manufacturers to discuss it, they'll be able to point you to the best one for you
When mixing wood and metal and epoxy/resin. Are you working with mostly wood tools to shape? Basically what kinds of tools should I invest in more than others if you had to start over?
I'm glad it was helpful Chris. I think that heat would probably just make it cure faster, but it could help a bit. It literally starts hardening in a minute or two once I'm done mixing and pouring it into the mold. Pressure is the only quick way to go. You can try to keep the bubbles to a minimum by not stirring very fast and pouring slowly in one corner of the mold, but you're racing the clock. Best way to go is with a pressure pot with Alumilite. Vacuum could work as well, but I haven't tried it that way. One other trick that I know of to slow the hardening down is to put the two parts in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you cast. That could possibly slow it down enough to try and use a heat gun to get the air out. Might be worth a shot at least.
Hi Zac. Thanks for the hints. Since you replied I've gotten my shipment and tried out the mold making rubber and the resin. I liked the results from both. The Alumilite was much easier to use than I expected and gave me good results. I botched by first mold due to inexperience and had to make another but the second one worked great. It had some minor flaws but they won't be an issue. I do highly recommend the Fabri-Cast 50; it would be especially good for beginners. It's easy to mix, has very low viscosity, is relatively inexpensive as resins go (at least from what I've seen) and does indeed harden to a bright white. It sands, saws and bonds easily with cyanoacrylate. I haven't tested other properties like how well it drills or carves, etc. But it does cure into a very resilient tough white plastic and it reproduces fine details. It also has very little to no odor. The firs time I used it I detected a very faint epoxy like odor from the part A which is yellow. It did quite well in the Alumilite mold. I'm curing a second mold currently. One thing I noticed is that with very thin layers the resin is brittle and can slap or chip easily. This is probably true of most resins I would imagine. The first object I molded had a thin flange around the bottom which chipped off. I chalked that up to having added too much catalyst making it brittle. further castings were satasfactory as to durability. One interesting thing I noticed is that when it's under mixed slightly low on the catalyst side it cures to a slightly milky translucent color. This was was very slight mis measure, hard to quantify. The molded objects too longer to fully harden but seem to be quite tough none the less. I found out the milky resin scatters light from an LED quite attractively. Perhaps this could be exploited as a technique? I've had 3 such results all accidental. I'm not sure how this resin would do for a pen blank. It would depend on the thickness of the tube wall. A couple milimeters or so should be plenty durable would be my guess. Well, Sorry to write an essay here but I thought the information I gained might be interesting/valuable to you or your viewers. I would definitely recommend the Fabri-Cast 50 for its ease of use and its satisfying properties. You can get it from Amazon.com or Specialty Resins and Chemicals. Speciality Resins also makes some other brands I may try in the future. Thanks again!
Chris Melvin Thanks for the update Chris, it seems to be pretty similar to Alumilite for the most part. I'm sure it would work for pen blanks and other turning blanks. Out of curiosity, did you measure by weight or volume when you mixed it up?
Hundred Acrylic acetate is different than the three I mentioned, but it's a large scale industrial process. Not something you'll be doing in your garage. Many of the commercially available blanks are made with acrylic acetate, which is where the term "acrylic" pen blank came from. We sometimes call any plastic blank acrylic, but that it technically not the correct terminology.
Can u make a video on how to turn a log mabye 1.5-2 inches in diamiter (how to chop it up to where it would look good to cast for KNIFE SCALES) and cast some knife scales if so that would be sweet!
I have a piece of 1 inch or so in width iron wood and a piece of unknow wood 1.75 inches in width that i found in the AZ desert and i wana make some scales
+Grussing Custom Knives I haven't made too many blanks like that before, I can give it a try and see what I come up with. I'll add it to the list of videos to shoot.
i own a few woodworking tools the necesities tablesaw bandsaw jointer plainer drillpress dust system it is just hard to stand for any time ialso have some other odds and ends just no wood lathe yet what do you think of the 12x33 at harbor freight i can save my money to get one it is acording as to what hapens with all the stuff going on with the feds
+William Howard The only lathe I've really used is the Comet, haven't really done any turning on anything else. My buddy Braxton has a Harbor Freight model (not sure which one), and he does some great work with it. Main thing to make sure about is that the head and tail stocks line up true. If standing doesn't work too well for you, there are some lathes out there made to use seated. I think you could even modify a regular lathe using the right stand or a custom made one. I ran across this stand that's made to use a Jet or Delta midi lathe: www.iluv2turn.com/sit--turn-lathe-stands.html Also, Robust, OneWay, and VicMarc have seated lathe options as well. No need to turn in pain!!
Was at a craft show recently and talking to one of the artists about resin. She said she used Alumilite for her jewelry pieces and that she puts them in the fridge for a few minutes to get rid of the bubbles. She said it slowed the cure time of the resin but did the job. No idea if that works or not...was kind of hoping to find a video about it but no luck so far finding one.
I don't think it would remove air bubbles completely, but it will cool the resin off a bit. I find that it just makes it thicker though and doesn't save that much time overall.
One technique I've found is to lightly, and quickly brush over the resin with a butane torch. I've only worked small projects, but so far i've had great results.
thanks for the info. Have you ever used water transfer stickers to the pen tubes and if so did you have to seal them before the alumilite was poured? The only reason I want to use the water transfer is that I can get it small enough and if using vinyl i can't get it cut small/thin enough. thanks
Hey thanks for watching and subscribing! I have only tried stickers once or twice, and I got so-so results. I will definitely be doing some experimenting with stickers after the holiday season because the sky's the limit with what you can add to the tubes. I do think I can pass on a couple recommendations to you though. If the sticker is made out of paper or anything porous, you definitely need to seal it. You can seal it with Mod Podge, Elmer's glue, or they sell sealants specifically for resins too. I believe most of the vinyl stickers will work fine without sealing. I successfully poured clear Alumilite over a sticker that I'm pretty sure is vinyl without any sealant, and it worked fine. I wasn't sure what water transfer stickers were, so I did a little research and found a UA-cam channel that showed how to use water transfers and doming resins to make jewelry: ua-cam.com/video/j_9R_B7IqBw/v-deo.html The short answer based on that video is yes, you'll probably have to seal it. It's always better to use sealant any time you're unsure. If you don't seal it and it needs to be sealed, the project is ruined. If you seal something that doesn't need it, then the only thing you've lost is some time. Hope that helps out, sorry I don't have much experience with it yet, but I'll be doing testing soon. Let me know if you try it out and how it works for you.
Thanks. That link was just what I was looking for. Already have my hounds tooth ready to go onto the tubes. Was just wanting to make sure before I wasted my supplies. thanks again. Roll Tide!!
that's the thing. experimenting can be expensive for an amateur like me. I've got a few live edge tables I'd like to fill cracks and knots in. so not a lot of product needed. would west systems or incredible solutions epoxy be a good 1st purchase?
which would you recommend for restoring a car emblem. something that when it cures it will not shrink of the sides and also I want it crystal clear and that I can dye red so it's red translucent.
I think you'd probably want to go with a polyurethane resin like Alumilite since it shrinks the least out of all the resins. I'd probably go with Alumilite Clear, however you will need to cast that product under pressure to ensure there are no air bubbles trapped in the resin. I'd probably go with a slow setting epoxy resin if you don't have a pressure pot
brilliant . thanks for your speedy reply. I just ordered a slow setting resin Polycraft FC6600 Slow-Set Water Clear Polyurethane Liquid Plastic Casting Resin and some red dye Polytek Polycolor Dye / Pigments. thanks for your advice
I tried sending you a message from your website form and got back message saying "Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method." Is their way to contact you?
Zac, Can you make Alumilite Clear as opaque as the Alumilite White and if so, how would I do it? I don't want it to be translucent at all, but I like the working time of the Alumilite Clear. Is it even possible or should I use the Alumilite Slow Set?
Hi Zac, I am getting tons of bubbles when trying to use my pressure pot. I set the vacuum pump at around 20 psi. It foams right out over the top of my containers. Can you advise me please? Thank you!
melanieheinrichstudios sounds like what you have is a vacuum pot ( opposite of a pressure pot )A vacuum pot removes air and decreases pressure where a pressure pot adds air and increases pressure. If it has a see through lid I suggest keeping an eye on your resin and when it gets close to bubbling over open the bleed off valve which will let some air back into the chamber and the bubbles will collapse. Do this a few times and your resin should be degassed.
Yes, I meant to say vacuum pot. Since my question I have purchased a pressure pot so hopefully things will go better next test I make. Thanks for replying!
I’m looking for a clear polyethylene resin which has the consistency of acrylic paint. Most of these type of resins seem to have a low viscosity which is not ideal for what I would be using it for. I’m gluing down laminate shapes onto MDF, and it’s important that the resin doesn’t drip on the surface of the MDF. And being able to control the flow is also important so that I avoid inadvertently pooling too much resin in one place which can happen if you hover over a certain spot for too long. I have tried using PVA glue but I need something with more adhesion and a slower drying time. I’d be using a large amount so these casting resins are more cost effective compared to those small tubes of epoxy resins you can buy. Casting resin does work perfectly so it’s just a case of finding one that is less fluid. Putting something like colloidal silica into the resin would work but ideally I want something that dries clear and which doesn't require adding anything. Hope you can help.
This is a tough one Anthony, most people are looking for super thin rather than thick resin. I do know of one that is pretty darn thick. I'd say it has the consistency of molasses, and it's called "Amazing Clear Cast" made by Alumilite. It's an epoxy resin that is typically used for bartop coatings. You can find it on Alumilite's website
Planning on using poly resin mixed with fiberglass shreds to do a transom pour 1.5 inches thick on my speedboat. Which type is best for me to use? Rigid and strong
***** I'm really not that knowledgeable when it comes to that type of application. I would suggest talking to Andy over at Boatworks Today . He'll be able to give you a much better recommendation than I can. His channel is ua-cam.com/users/boatworkstoday or you can find him on his website: boatworkstoday.com/
What about Alumilite’s Amazing Clear Cast product? Their website has it in the “casting” section, whereas the Clear and Clear Slow are in the “woodturning” section. Is the Amazing product not turnable?
I see you are using a pressure pot with aluminite. Can you also use the cactus juice in the pressure pot or do you need a vacuum chamber? Am I confusing stabilization with hybrid blank "making".
No unfortunately you have to use vacuum when stabilizing. Some of the big stabilizing companies do use pressure, but you have to overcome atmospheric pressure to get the resin inside the blank. From what I understand, it takes thousands of pounds per square inch for it to work. Once the wood is stabilized, you can cast it in resin to make a hybrid blank. That would be done under pressure.
You would want to use one of the slow setting resins. I'd contact resin manufacturers to figure out the exact product that will work best for what you plan to make.
If you are planning to produce Solid surfaces, I'd suggest to use Poly(Methyl Methacrylate Resin with Alumina trihydrate) the final product would have best Fire retardant and excellent Mechanical properties.
+Michael Carter I'd recommend using pressure with casting, it works instantly and for all types of resins. Vacuum is slow and definitely won't work with Alumilite since it sets faster than the vacuum pump can pull the air out. The other issue you'll have with vacuum is it will tend to want to foam up the resin since the air bubbles are expanding under the vacuum. I'd just stick to pressure for casting to avoid problems.
I am wanting to cast a orgonite pyramid with a resin that is crystal clear but is also very durable and that will also not turn yellow in uv exposure what do you recommend?
+Daniel Cason That's a good question, and I don't know for sure. I'd probably contact Alumilite, Smooth On, TAP Plastics and US Composites to find out which product will do the best for you. To be honest, I'm not sure if there are any casting resins that will be guaranteed not to yellow with UV exposure over time though.
Any resins will work fine in a pressure pot, the faster setting resins like Alumilite require pressure to remove air bubbles though since they don't have enough time to free themselves on their own
Amazing! Thank you so much. I was looking for a relatively inexpensive, quick setting clear casting resin and had not heard about alumilite. Can't wait to give it a try.
I'm glad you found the video!! I really like using Alumilite myself, it's so fast you get to see the results within an hour or so! Let me know how it works for you :-)
+Ragnar! Thanks for checking it out. If you decide to upgrade your vac chamber, you won't be disappointed with the TurnTex. Product works excellent and the customer service is outstanding!
+Ragnar! Oh no!! You definitely need to get one. Actually, for casting you'll want to use a pressure pot. I use vacuum for stabilizing wood only. Good news is, pressure pots are cheaper :) Harbor Freight pressure pots work fine and are the cheapest out there. If you want to skip up to the cadillac of pressure pots, go with the CA Technologies. I have videos for both of them showing how to set them up to do casting in.
+Laura Toth Sure! Most people are trying to get rid of them, so just use Alumilite Clear and don't use pressure. You might have some surface bubbles that you need to fill with CA, but it should work perfect. That's a great idea!!
+Robert Caines Yeah there's no problem with that. If I do stack them, I like to put them on a little shelf system that I built to go in the pot. Here's a link to the plans from the TurnTex website for the rack: www.turntex.com/images/stories/Curtis/PPRackPlan.pdf I have gotten away with just stacking the molds on top of each other though too.
very informative.... thank you. maybe you could show finished examples of each product you used in the first half of your video? what did you use to color the white alumilite and make it blue? just curious...
Glad it was helpful. I've got quite a few videos that show Alumilite resins in use, don't really use PR or epoxy for anything but they generally look similar in the end. Mainly the choice depends on working characteristics/workability of each type of resin. The toxic fumes and overpowering smell of PR makes it something I don't want to mess with, and the really long cure period of both PR and epoxy are undesirable to me, so I use Alumilite. I use Alumilite dyes to impart color in the resin, and I also use powder additives like Pearl Ex for sparkly/pearly effects (the powders only work in clear base resins though FYI, not the opaque White resin)
Hi I need a resin or urethane to case some action figure accessories. Something rigid, but flexible enough to bend without breaking. Anything that you might suggest?
I don't have any experience with those types of products, but I do know that Alumilite has a ton of products specifically for fishing lures. You should check them out
Phenolic resins are less costly and polyester too, the company you mentioned may stock them, what exactly is aluminite as per price when compared with other resins
Anything that has moisture in it can cause problems, all embedded objects need to be fully dried out. There are dyes and pearl powders galore that you can use in PR, epoxy or Alumilite. Check out WoodNWhimsies.com, they have all the dyes, powders and PR resin too
It all depends on the specific characteristics of the resin you are comparing it to. They are all slightly different. In general, they are about the same hardness, but PR is a much more brittle resin when cured compared to most other resins. Less elongation and tensile strength
Good afternoon friend.I'm Brazilian, my name is HudsonI am a cutler, I have accompanied some of his videos, I would like to know if besides cactus juice I can use outeo type of resin to stabilize wood, because in Brazil there is no cactus juice.
Hi Hudson, the only stabilizing resin I've used is Cactus Juice. Contact Curtis at www.turntex.com. He sells Cactus Juice, and I believe he ships internationally.
That's caused by moisture in the wood, you need to dry it out completely or stabilize it before casting. I have a video that covers drying wood out prior to casting or stabilizing it: ua-cam.com/video/v-jwrEhtn20/v-deo.html
Glad it was helpful for you. It can be tough deciding which resin to use off the bat, but the good news is they all will produce pen blanks for you. Just a matter of which one's working characteristics you prefer
Good video. I just casted my first blank. I used the poly acrylic and the PVC tube. I'm going to try turning pipe stems. I really didn't get the bad fumes you talked about. Thus stuff won't be toxic after it cures will it?
bushbosh Thanks for watching! That's something that I don't have too much knowledge about, but I would imagine that you could use any type of resin as long as you first apply a sealer of some type over the painting. You need to find a sealer that will not interact with or disturb the paint. Once it is totally sealed, it should be fine to cover with resin. Again, I really don't have any experience with that though, so I would definitely suggest researching it more before attempting.
+Grizzly-Outdoors You are literally shooting for 0% moisture content for best results. You want to bake it for a minimum of 24 hours, maybe longer to get all the moisture out.
Hey Zac, since this is 4 years old, any chance of an update on different resins, specific for turning? I've been using Alumilite Clear Slow, but on some of my deep pours I'm noticing it's very slightly yellow and am looking for a more clear casting, but allows for deep pours. It's not horribly yellow, but it's not glass clear either, so what is a good recommendation for crystal clear in color, but still turns as smoothly and cleanly as Alumilite, with a decent curing time (the thing I love about Alumilite is the fast curing time, and the ease in which it turns...)
Hi thanks so much, I love using resin and have been playing with Epoxy, which is too expensive to waste when practising. Can you tell me please must I leave the polyester resin out doors to set? Are the fumes more potent only when mixing? I would really appreciate your advice.
Hey Alison, I think the fumes are probably most potent when it's liquid, but it still smells while it's setting up and still has an odor to it when it's cured. To be honest, I've really only used it a couple times and tossed the rest in the trash. It just wasn't worth dealing with the fumes for me
Yeah, I find that epoxies and polyurethanes are much nicer to work with. I just couldn't stand that smell, and actually the fumes of polyester resin are much more toxic than many of the other types of resins. I think it's worth the extra money to go with a resin that is nicer to work with. There are lots of brands out there, some are cheaper than others. You might be able to find a cheaper brand of epoxy that will work well for the types of projects you plan to make
Hi Zac, I'm a relatively new woodturner and decided to try casting to accent my turnings. I am extremely happy that I found you first to begin my learning process. I've watched three of your videos including the HF Pot mods and looked over your many playlists as well. I feel like I won the information lottery 😄 It is heartwarming to find yet another highly experienced artist who is so willing to share their vast knowledge. I've ordered and downloaded your ebook and became a "belled" subscriber. Thanks a Million for your many submissions.
OK, so I'm watching this years after it was posted and I want to thank you for this comparison - noting the pros and cons with each. Many thanks!
Finally! I needed a proper video about casting resin. All I keep finding are videos about table top epoxy.
Thank you for uploading!
Thank you for this video. I was able to cast my first resin blanks this week. I went for the first (cheap but stinky) option. It really wasn't as bad as I was expecting and cost me almost nothing to try (just $6 in tubing, $18 in a ton of mica powders and $15 for the resin). I casted outside with a cheap mask and didn't find it any worse then applying a CA finish in smell. It drilled and cut easier then the cheap blanks I have bought before, it may have been a bit more prone to chipping with the roughing tool but my finished pen has no chips in it.
I love your videos. Very informative. I havent worked with resin/epoxy in 12 yrs and I only used it ever when I worked in a boat shop for sealing and repairs. But I really wanna get back in woodworking and start playing with resin casting. So thank you for this.
I used this stuff back when I was in junior high sumner school when I ask people today about casting resine they say they never heard of it. I recently bought some glaze coat so going to put it on mahogany wood for a pony wall bar hopefully turns out nice..
Hope it turns out great for you! It is pretty interesting how resin casting has grown in popularity, just depends on if people have been exposed to it or not
Hi Zac I had no idea there were so many rabbit holes to jump down after i turned my first acrylic pen. After turning several slimline pens I branched out into cigar pens then Sierra pens and spiral pens. Then I started on wood pens. That was totally different set of skills. Next I am going to make are "Lock and Load" pens. Then I am looking at casting some labels on a pen. The only thing that has stopped me is what are the costs, pressure pot resins molds and more. Anyway I started looking at prices already. Thank you.
Thanks for putting this out. I've got two large blocks of cypress that need to be stabilized before turning. I'll need something that will be slow setting.
Thanks so much for all the information you share on your videos. Really helpful.
Very informative! Would you do an updated version of this please?
Thanks brother for your honesty brother and you in general there is something about you that puts me at ease when you explain things probably the serious face thing and the way you talk. Thanks for share very cool
regarding Polyester Resin...how do you get it out of pvc pipe if you cast in it?
Great video, thanks for sharing. I want to apply a layer of slightly soft resin to a thin hooped earring, 3 - 4 inches in diameter. What kind of resin should I use, and should I dip or brush it on?
When using thin silicone molds what pressure is used in a pressure pot. Thin I mean a jar mold.
i live in the high desert at the moment i can not get around to well my back has ben busted some i love to see all the wonderful things that turners make i love olive wood it is just so beautiful
+William Howard Sorry to hear that your back is messed up William! That's no fun at all. I'll have to get some more videos up so you can see some fun things to make!! Should have a project/how to video posting soon on how to make "ribbon" blanks. Plan to start doing more project videos too, just need to plan a little better so I can get them made :)
I poured some resin into a glove in an attempt to make a ring holder. I like how it's turning out. There are areas that I might need to sand and since it's a small project im wondering if I should do this by hand or use something electric. Also same line of thinking..can it be polished? I have a dremmel tool that has A polishing attachment. Just seeking some advice. Thanks for your time
Hi thanks for video, I need to cast crystal clear pieces, let me know which one is best product, and which pressure machine should I use to get rid of bubbles
I just discovered your UA-cam channel and it is so awesome. I’m a beginner Artist looking for info about casting with resin, technics and tips so this info was so useful. Thanks a lot! Going to start following your channel. Cheers from Venezuela.
Thanks! I'm glad that my channel is helpful for you. Thanks for following =D
Thanks for the tips, link and discount code!
Very informative and helpful vid.. I`m in the UK and have just ordered a pressure pot and resin for the New year.... this vid has helped me alot.. cheers
Hey Heath, glad to hear that you're getting started! The fun is just beginning =D Glad the video helped out
Thank you for your info on resin. Helpfull.
If you have a low budget owen, and you want to bake Polymer Clay in it, you can add one or two pizza stones or some other heavy material, that can stand the heat. Maybe a thick metal plate will do the trick. Heat the owen for a long time before the baking, so the pizza stones or metal plate are as hot as the air in the owen. This will make the owen keep its temperature even after opening the door or when the heating elements are turning on and off.
And to get the best result you must bake your clay for at least 60 minutes. This will make it realy great.
+hfranke07 Thanks for the tips! I'll have to try that pizza stone out.
Learning about this GREAT JOB ! DO MORE !
Thanks Zac, I'm new to resin casting (want to use this for making artwork) - I have been everywhere looking for information about differences between resins and pros/cons of each and your video and comments/answers below have really helped.
Emma Louise Hey Emma, I'm glad it was helpful. It was all very confusing to me when I got started, so once I figured some things out I wanted to pass that on. Let me know if you have any other questions, I mainly use Alumilite but have a little knowledge using the others.
Zac I use clay all of the time, ruff up the tube, use clay glue on the tube, roll on the clay, bake per instructions, a little longer for thickness, then once cooled in 10mins, continue as you would if it was wood or resin. I use floor polish in final step.
Hi Lionel, I tried polymer clay once but didn't get very good results. Is that the product you're talking about? I'd like to give it another try one day, but I just haven't had time to focus on it.
Zac Higgins Sculpey or SculpeyII both work, baking 5 mins longer does not hurt the clay, once cooled is hard as a rock
lionel wainford I'll give it another shot one of these days. I have a better oven that I can use now too, so it should be a more even bake. I see people making them with ornate patterns using the "canes", really awesome stuff!
I don't know if you can get it in the US, but Milliputt is a brilliant opaque epoxy putty. It's the sort of thing you let kids play with, because it works like Playdoh, cuts and sands like wood, sets harder than wood and it isn't brittle after it sets. Jimson's Stuff channel has lots of vids using it.
Yeah, I've seen it used on Jimsons Stuff too, I didn't know about it when I made this video unfortunately. Really cool stuff!!
I'm looking to cast and then make block heels for shoemaking. Do you think the clear epoxy would be strong enough for that?
Which one would you say is best for casting cubes and pyramids?
I need to cast a blank 1" x 10”. I have my HF pressure pot set up. Using PVC for mold. The blank need to turn out hard so it will not bow when worked on lathe like my first cast. Which casting resin do I need to buy?
What's the best resin for making robot toys
Hi there, I was wondering if you could tell me what would be the best epoxy for making coasters. I just started out and have tried a few diff. But have had some still ticking to heat and apparently so have other people. Thanks so much. I have been using super Magic fly, Magic resin and Easy Cast epoxy resin . If you have any suggestion without super toxic
Fumes that would be great.
😊
What kind of polishing paste or oil or powder useing for polishing resin thank
Glad I could help. Hate seeing people wasting money!
Hi, I was wondering if you could give an example of a complex glue-up? which is what you referred to in the West System section.
+Every-Day Joe Yeah that UV cure stuff is interesting. Not sure how it turns though. I won't use Polyester Resins though, stuff stinks and we can't vent it out of the shop. Acrylic acetate is not something you can work with in the garage, from what I understand it requires a pretty industrial setup, so nobody I know of is using it.
A complex glue-up would be something that involves many glue joints.
This was a great video. You are a fine communicator on your chosen field. I am 3 decades into software engineering and am planning serious forays into all kinds of dynamic systems prototype and development. I've subscribed to your channel.
Hey Eric, thanks for the kind words! I really appreciate it =D
I just started using solorez polyester uv resin, so far its pretty neat! it doesn't have the heat restrictions needed that epoxy has, plus it doesn't have the UV issues epoxy does.
what types of dyes did you use in the solarez? do they have to be petroleum or oil based? will water based work? regular food coloring? thanks
I haven't got into using dyes yet. Currently I only use it for wood projects, and casting rocks into counter tops, However, I have been thinking of mixing some color into the resin but then again the whole reason i use it is to create a 3D illusion so painting the surface below the resin is likely a better choice in most of my scenarios. Finally, I recommend calling Solarez directly for those questions. The owner and formulation expert is on site and will take calls.
This was a great video, in just feeding my interest at this point, and I got a bunch of information. i will definitely be looking to your channel for more. Thank you
+Jesse peña Thanks Jesse! I'm glad it was helpful. I have lots more in the video library. Let me know if you have any questions when you get started. I'd be glad to help out :-)
great info Zac, I'm looking into casting for my step dad, retired, mom says needs something to do. I turn pens and stoppers, thought it would be something for both of us to do together.
I bought some glasscast epoxy resin, in the UK, and also some pigments. When I got home I saw they were translucent and I don't think they are suitable for pen making unless you like seeing brass tubes wrapped in glue, I was offered opaque pigments but I don't think they are suitable either. Somebody suggested mica colours but the only ones, I see, have pearls or glitter in them and are cosmetic. Any suggestions what I can use?
Thanks for the videos with their no frills advice.
James
I use UV resin a lot in my projects. It's great for small casts, but you really need a transparent mold. Under a UV light, the chess pieces I make will fully cure in roughly 3-5 minutes, but there is no pressure to rush since it won't start to cure until you expose it to the UV light. I've left resin in mold while working for over an hour and was still able to add some dye before casting it.
Hey Zac, this is just what I was looking for today! Question...Can you use a heat gun to eliminate bubbles in the alumilite like with other resins?
Zac, what about tinsel strength of these different resins? I am interested in bend & break of 1/4 - 3/8" material.
Are there any food safe castings out there that you could recommend?
discovered a cool way to make bottle stopper blanks with alumilite, use the empty paper towel cardboard, it's already round, cut off to the length you need, put blue tape at one end, add alumilite, pressure pot, and voila,turn off the cardboard, shape as desired. thought I would share since you got me hook on alumilite casting.
+lionel wainford Great idea Lionel, thanks for sharing that. I'm glad you're having fun with casting :-) it's addicting!!
Just wanted to say, thanks for the video! Lots of good stuff here. As for the clay, the brands you showed and mentioned are the low-end clays that are brittle and will be problematic. Look up videos on brand comparison. You’re right about the cooking and oven temps too. The toaster ovens spike as the temp cycles. Test brands there too. As for resin, I’m excited to add that aspect to my clay work! Thanks again!!!
Thanks Yvette =D I think you'll have a blast with resin too, it's a hoot =D Thanks for the tips too. I learned a bit more about clay and gave it another shot. Just need to find more time to experiment with it, it's really fun though!
I'm pretty new at pen turning. Not that interesting to me until now. Here I go down the rabbit hole. Inspirational to say the least. Thanks.
Can all of these resins you are talking about be put in the pressure pot to eradicate bubbles ?
4:19 this is what i was looking for! Thank u
Thank you, I've been looking for some info about different resins.
My pleasure! I hope it helped out. I go a little more in depth comparing the different types in my ebook The Beginner's Guide to Resin Casting. Check it out if you'd like to dive in a little deeper: nvwoodwerks.com/product/the-beginners-guide-to-resin-casting/
@Zach Higgins. I'm looking to do my floors in my bathroom with 1-2inch thick resin. I want to have the ability to color it like swirls etc. What should I use? I obviously want it to be solid and hard..
Hey Kevin, I'm not certain what the best product would be for that application. Technically, any of them will take dyes and pearl powders. I would probably try to find one with a long working time that's reasonably priced. I'd contact a few manufacturers to discuss it, they'll be able to point you to the best one for you
Thank you VERY much! I really appreciate your speedy response..
What about acrylic resin?
When mixing wood and metal and epoxy/resin. Are you working with mostly wood tools to shape? Basically what kinds of tools should I invest in more than others if you had to start over?
Ha. I just found your “tools I use” section sorry
I'm glad it was helpful Chris. I think that heat would probably just make it cure faster, but it could help a bit. It literally starts hardening in a minute or two once I'm done mixing and pouring it into the mold. Pressure is the only quick way to go.
You can try to keep the bubbles to a minimum by not stirring very fast and pouring slowly in one corner of the mold, but you're racing the clock. Best way to go is with a pressure pot with Alumilite. Vacuum could work as well, but I haven't tried it that way.
One other trick that I know of to slow the hardening down is to put the two parts in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you cast. That could possibly slow it down enough to try and use a heat gun to get the air out. Might be worth a shot at least.
Hi Zac. Thanks for the hints. Since you replied I've gotten my shipment and tried out the mold making rubber and the resin. I liked the results from both. The Alumilite was much easier to use than I expected and gave me good results. I botched by first mold due to inexperience and had to make another but the second one worked great. It had some minor flaws but they won't be an issue. I do highly recommend the Fabri-Cast 50; it would be especially good for beginners. It's easy to mix, has very low viscosity, is relatively inexpensive as resins go (at least from what I've seen) and does indeed harden to a bright white. It sands, saws and bonds easily with cyanoacrylate. I haven't tested other properties like how well it drills or carves, etc. But it does cure into a very resilient tough white plastic and it reproduces fine details. It also has very little to no odor. The firs time I used it I detected a very faint epoxy like odor from the part A which is yellow. It did quite well in the Alumilite mold. I'm curing a second mold currently. One thing I noticed is that with very thin layers the resin is brittle and can slap or chip easily. This is probably true of most resins I would imagine. The first object I molded had a thin flange around the bottom which chipped off. I chalked that up to having added too much catalyst making it brittle. further castings were satasfactory as to durability. One interesting thing I noticed is that when it's under mixed slightly low on the catalyst side it cures to a slightly milky translucent color. This was was very slight mis measure, hard to quantify. The molded objects too longer to fully harden but seem to be quite tough none the less. I found out the milky resin scatters light from an LED quite attractively. Perhaps this could be exploited as a technique? I've had 3 such results all accidental. I'm not sure how this resin would do for a pen blank. It would depend on the thickness of the tube wall. A couple milimeters or so should be plenty durable would be my guess. Well, Sorry to write an essay here but I thought the information I gained might be interesting/valuable to you or your viewers. I would definitely recommend the Fabri-Cast 50 for its ease of use and its satisfying properties. You can get it from Amazon.com or Specialty Resins and Chemicals. Speciality Resins also makes some other brands I may try in the future. Thanks again!
Chris Melvin Thanks for the update Chris, it seems to be pretty similar to Alumilite for the most part. I'm sure it would work for pen blanks and other turning blanks. Out of curiosity, did you measure by weight or volume when you mixed it up?
Sure thing! I hope this helps somebody out there..I'm thinking I'll be sticking with the Fabri-Cast for some time.
Zac Higgins hi zac， what about acrylic resin？or its another name for one of these 3？
Hundred Acrylic acetate is different than the three I mentioned, but it's a large scale industrial process. Not something you'll be doing in your garage. Many of the commercially available blanks are made with acrylic acetate, which is where the term "acrylic" pen blank came from. We sometimes call any plastic blank acrylic, but that it technically not the correct terminology.
Can u make a video on how to turn a log mabye 1.5-2 inches in diamiter (how to chop it up to where it would look good to cast for KNIFE SCALES) and cast some knife scales if so that would be sweet!
I have a piece of 1 inch or so in width iron wood and a piece of unknow wood 1.75 inches in width that i found in the AZ desert and i wana make some scales
+Grussing Custom Knives I haven't made too many blanks like that before, I can give it a try and see what I come up with. I'll add it to the list of videos to shoot.
i own a few woodworking tools the necesities tablesaw bandsaw jointer plainer drillpress dust system it is just hard to stand for any time ialso have some other odds and ends just no wood lathe yet what do you think of the 12x33 at harbor freight i can save my money to get one it is acording as to what hapens with all the stuff going on with the feds
+William Howard The only lathe I've really used is the Comet, haven't really done any turning on anything else. My buddy Braxton has a Harbor Freight model (not sure which one), and he does some great work with it. Main thing to make sure about is that the head and tail stocks line up true.
If standing doesn't work too well for you, there are some lathes out there made to use seated. I think you could even modify a regular lathe using the right stand or a custom made one. I ran across this stand that's made to use a Jet or Delta midi lathe: www.iluv2turn.com/sit--turn-lathe-stands.html Also, Robust, OneWay, and VicMarc have seated lathe options as well. No need to turn in pain!!
Was at a craft show recently and talking to one of the artists about resin. She said she used Alumilite for her jewelry pieces and that she puts them in the fridge for a few minutes to get rid of the bubbles. She said it slowed the cure time of the resin but did the job. No idea if that works or not...was kind of hoping to find a video about it but no luck so far finding one.
I don't think it would remove air bubbles completely, but it will cool the resin off a bit. I find that it just makes it thicker though and doesn't save that much time overall.
One technique I've found is to lightly, and quickly brush over the resin with a butane torch. I've only worked small projects, but so far i've had great results.
thanks for the info. Have you ever used water transfer stickers to the pen tubes and if so did you have to seal them before the alumilite was poured? The only reason I want to use the water transfer is that I can get it small enough and if using vinyl i can't get it cut small/thin enough. thanks
Hey thanks for watching and subscribing! I have only tried stickers once or twice, and I got so-so results. I will definitely be doing some experimenting with stickers after the holiday season because the sky's the limit with what you can add to the tubes. I do think I can pass on a couple recommendations to you though. If the sticker is made out of paper or anything porous, you definitely need to seal it. You can seal it with Mod Podge, Elmer's glue, or they sell sealants specifically for resins too.
I believe most of the vinyl stickers will work fine without sealing. I successfully poured clear Alumilite over a sticker that I'm pretty sure is vinyl without any sealant, and it worked fine.
I wasn't sure what water transfer stickers were, so I did a little research and found a UA-cam channel that showed how to use water transfers and doming resins to make jewelry: ua-cam.com/video/j_9R_B7IqBw/v-deo.html
The short answer based on that video is yes, you'll probably have to seal it. It's always better to use sealant any time you're unsure. If you don't seal it and it needs to be sealed, the project is ruined. If you seal something that doesn't need it, then the only thing you've lost is some time.
Hope that helps out, sorry I don't have much experience with it yet, but I'll be doing testing soon. Let me know if you try it out and how it works for you.
Thanks. That link was just what I was looking for. Already have my hounds tooth ready to go onto the tubes. Was just wanting to make sure before I wasted my supplies. thanks again. Roll Tide!!
Where are you getting the gallon Allumilite? Y
You have a part # for the 2 jugs? Thanks again.
Never mind I found it
www.alumilite.com/store/p/933-Alumilite-Clear.aspx.
Now we can get busy making pen blanks. RTR
how would i make acrylic sheets? would i just poor the resin in a silicone mold or wood? please help
Hi, one more question, What about casting with Acylic Resin? I have zero experience in acrylics but i read it is the most durable and resist UV.
that's the thing. experimenting can be expensive for an amateur like me. I've got a few live edge tables I'd like to fill cracks and knots in. so not a lot of product needed. would west systems or incredible solutions epoxy be a good 1st purchase?
hi , I wanna cast low cost fishing lures , which is better PVC or molten plastisol or resins ?
Which resin would you recommend for a clear glass like finish? I want something almost transparent
most helpful video of all i have seen, loaded with great ideas
Thanks Tony! Glad it was helpful for you =D
which would you recommend for restoring a car emblem. something that when it cures it will not shrink of the sides and also I want it crystal clear and that I can dye red so it's red translucent.
I think you'd probably want to go with a polyurethane resin like Alumilite since it shrinks the least out of all the resins. I'd probably go with Alumilite Clear, however you will need to cast that product under pressure to ensure there are no air bubbles trapped in the resin. I'd probably go with a slow setting epoxy resin if you don't have a pressure pot
brilliant . thanks for your speedy reply. I just ordered a slow setting resin Polycraft FC6600 Slow-Set Water Clear Polyurethane Liquid Plastic Casting Resin and some red dye Polytek Polycolor Dye / Pigments.
thanks for your advice
where is the best place to get a pressure pot for small to medium size blanks?
I prefer using the CA Technologies pots myself, I get them here: www.finishsystems.com/resincastingpressurepots.html
Zac Higgins Thanks!
good info. what do you use to get colors that create different swirls. can it be use with any resin?
I tried sending you a message from your website form and got back message saying "Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method." Is their way to contact you?
Which one is perfect for making climbing holds
Zac, Can you make Alumilite Clear as opaque as the Alumilite White and if so, how would I do it? I don't want it to be translucent at all, but I like the working time of the Alumilite Clear. Is it even possible or should I use the Alumilite Slow Set?
+Tim Michael Hey Tim, you sure can and I have a video that covers it... ua-cam.com/video/xJ0tWuOpsjg/v-deo.html
Hi Zac, I am getting tons of bubbles when trying to use my pressure pot. I set the vacuum pump at around 20 psi. It foams right out over the top of my containers. Can you advise me please? Thank you!
melanieheinrichstudios sounds like what you have is a vacuum pot ( opposite of a pressure pot )A vacuum pot removes air and decreases pressure where a pressure pot adds air and increases pressure. If it has a see through lid I suggest keeping an eye on your resin and when it gets close to bubbling over open the bleed off valve which will let some air back into the chamber and the bubbles will collapse. Do this a few times and your resin should be degassed.
Yes, I meant to say vacuum pot. Since my question I have purchased a pressure pot so hopefully things will go better next test I make. Thanks for replying!
Thanks Zak, I was wondering what to use. Alan.
I’m looking for a clear polyethylene resin which has the consistency of acrylic paint. Most of these type of resins seem to have a low viscosity which is not ideal for what I would be using it for. I’m gluing down laminate shapes onto MDF, and it’s important that the resin doesn’t drip on the surface of the MDF. And being able to control the flow is also important so that I avoid inadvertently pooling too much resin in one place which can happen if you hover over a certain spot for too long.
I have tried using PVA glue but I need something with more adhesion and a slower drying time. I’d be using a large amount so these casting resins are more cost effective compared to those small tubes of epoxy resins you can buy. Casting resin does work perfectly so it’s just a case of finding one that is less fluid. Putting something like colloidal silica into the resin would work but ideally I want something that dries clear and which doesn't require adding anything.
Hope you can help.
This is a tough one Anthony, most people are looking for super thin rather than thick resin. I do know of one that is pretty darn thick. I'd say it has the consistency of molasses, and it's called "Amazing Clear Cast" made by Alumilite. It's an epoxy resin that is typically used for bartop coatings. You can find it on Alumilite's website
Planning on using poly resin mixed with fiberglass shreds to do a transom pour 1.5 inches thick on my speedboat. Which type is best for me to use? Rigid and strong
***** I'm really not that knowledgeable when it comes to that type of application. I would suggest talking to Andy over at Boatworks Today . He'll be able to give you a much better recommendation than I can. His channel is ua-cam.com/users/boatworkstoday or you can find him on his website: boatworkstoday.com/
What about Alumilite’s Amazing Clear Cast product? Their website has it in the “casting” section, whereas the Clear and Clear Slow are in the “woodturning” section. Is the Amazing product not turnable?
I see you are using a pressure pot with aluminite. Can you also use the cactus juice in the pressure pot or do you need a vacuum chamber? Am I confusing stabilization with hybrid blank "making".
No unfortunately you have to use vacuum when stabilizing. Some of the big stabilizing companies do use pressure, but you have to overcome atmospheric pressure to get the resin inside the blank. From what I understand, it takes thousands of pounds per square inch for it to work. Once the wood is stabilized, you can cast it in resin to make a hybrid blank. That would be done under pressure.
Thanks, Zac. I just picked up the HF pressure pot. I plan on ordering a vacuum chamber soon.
which would be the best resin for large casts meant to be clear, when you have no vacuum chamber or pressure pot?
You would want to use one of the slow setting resins. I'd contact resin manufacturers to figure out the exact product that will work best for what you plan to make.
If you are planning to produce Solid surfaces, I'd suggest to use Poly(Methyl Methacrylate Resin with Alumina trihydrate) the final product would have best Fire retardant and excellent Mechanical properties.
Just what I needed! Thank you!
will my vacuum that i use for stabilizing pull out the air bubbles from my casting resin ? or do i have to buy a pressure pot ?
+Michael Carter I'd recommend using pressure with casting, it works instantly and for all types of resins. Vacuum is slow and definitely won't work with Alumilite since it sets faster than the vacuum pump can pull the air out. The other issue you'll have with vacuum is it will tend to want to foam up the resin since the air bubbles are expanding under the vacuum. I'd just stick to pressure for casting to avoid problems.
I am wanting to cast a orgonite pyramid with a resin that is crystal clear but is also very durable and that will also not turn yellow in uv exposure what do you recommend?
+Daniel Cason That's a good question, and I don't know for sure. I'd probably contact Alumilite, Smooth On, TAP Plastics and US Composites to find out which product will do the best for you. To be honest, I'm not sure if there are any casting resins that will be guaranteed not to yellow with UV exposure over time though.
Okay, I appreciate man.
which is the best for casting in a pressure pot thanks watched some of your channel really inforative
Any resins will work fine in a pressure pot, the faster setting resins like Alumilite require pressure to remove air bubbles though since they don't have enough time to free themselves on their own
Amazing! Thank you so much. I was looking for a relatively inexpensive, quick setting clear casting resin and had not heard about alumilite. Can't wait to give it a try.
I'm glad you found the video!! I really like using Alumilite myself, it's so fast you get to see the results within an hour or so! Let me know how it works for you :-)
Thanks for the vid. Alumilite works pretty well. Wish I had a vac chamber like yours though.
+Ragnar! Thanks for checking it out. If you decide to upgrade your vac chamber, you won't be disappointed with the TurnTex. Product works excellent and the customer service is outstanding!
Zac Higgins I don't have one at all! I'm in bubble alley.
+Ragnar! Oh no!! You definitely need to get one. Actually, for casting you'll want to use a pressure pot. I use vacuum for stabilizing wood only. Good news is, pressure pots are cheaper :)
Harbor Freight pressure pots work fine and are the cheapest out there. If you want to skip up to the cadillac of pressure pots, go with the CA Technologies. I have videos for both of them showing how to set them up to do casting in.
Is there a way to have lots of small bubbles in a blank? I want to make a beer pen.
+Laura Toth Sure! Most people are trying to get rid of them, so just use Alumilite Clear and don't use pressure. You might have some surface bubbles that you need to fill with CA, but it should work perfect. That's a great idea!!
when your putting the molds in the pot can you stack them
+Robert Caines Yeah there's no problem with that. If I do stack them, I like to put them on a little shelf system that I built to go in the pot. Here's a link to the plans from the TurnTex website for the rack: www.turntex.com/images/stories/Curtis/PPRackPlan.pdf
I have gotten away with just stacking the molds on top of each other though too.
I want to try casting in resin, what we have locally available is clear resin. Can I use this for slush casting for masks with a silicone rubber mold?
+wilmon abiera I'm not familiar with slush casting, but if it's anything like what I do it should probably work.
very informative.... thank you. maybe you could show finished examples of each product you used in the first half of your video? what did you use to color the white alumilite and make it blue? just curious...
Glad it was helpful. I've got quite a few videos that show Alumilite resins in use, don't really use PR or epoxy for anything but they generally look similar in the end. Mainly the choice depends on working characteristics/workability of each type of resin. The toxic fumes and overpowering smell of PR makes it something I don't want to mess with, and the really long cure period of both PR and epoxy are undesirable to me, so I use Alumilite.
I use Alumilite dyes to impart color in the resin, and I also use powder additives like Pearl Ex for sparkly/pearly effects (the powders only work in clear base resins though FYI, not the opaque White resin)
i see a lot of resins have part A and part B, but no one says what part is the hardner and ive watched tons of videos. how do you know which is which?
It's usually part B
Your videos are amazing, thanks so much.
Hi I need a resin or urethane to case some action figure accessories. Something rigid, but flexible enough to bend without breaking. Anything that you might suggest?
can I use phenolic resins like maleic hylak resins for fish lures ?
I don't have any experience with those types of products, but I do know that Alumilite has a ton of products specifically for fishing lures. You should check them out
Phenolic resins are less costly and polyester too, the company you mentioned may stock them,
what exactly is aluminite as per price when compared with other resins
Are there any particular things you cannot cast in PR? What kinds of color agents should/can I use?
Anything that has moisture in it can cause problems, all embedded objects need to be fully dried out. There are dyes and pearl powders galore that you can use in PR, epoxy or Alumilite. Check out WoodNWhimsies.com, they have all the dyes, powders and PR resin too
How does the hardness of cured polyester resin compare with that of epoxy resin?
It all depends on the specific characteristics of the resin you are comparing it to. They are all slightly different. In general, they are about the same hardness, but PR is a much more brittle resin when cured compared to most other resins. Less elongation and tensile strength
Good afternoon friend.I'm Brazilian, my name is HudsonI am a cutler, I have accompanied some of his videos, I would like to know if besides cactus juice I can use outeo type of resin to stabilize wood, because in Brazil there is no cactus juice.
Hi Hudson, the only stabilizing resin I've used is Cactus Juice. Contact Curtis at www.turntex.com. He sells Cactus Juice, and I believe he ships internationally.
thank you
After opening the cans, how long do the cans last?
Depends on the product. Each one will have a different shelf life. Plus it depends on temperatures that you are storing them at
I have tried alumilite in my pressure pot but get small bubbles at the wood resin interface. What do you think my problem is?
That's caused by moisture in the wood, you need to dry it out completely or stabilize it before casting. I have a video that covers drying wood out prior to casting or stabilizing it: ua-cam.com/video/v-jwrEhtn20/v-deo.html
Liked the overall view. Been thinking about this since I got into turning pens. You've answered a lot of questions.
Glad it was helpful for you. It can be tough deciding which resin to use off the bat, but the good news is they all will produce pen blanks for you. Just a matter of which one's working characteristics you prefer
Good video. I just casted my first blank. I used the poly acrylic and the PVC tube. I'm going to try turning pipe stems. I really didn't get the bad fumes you talked about. Thus stuff won't be toxic after it cures will it?
thank you very much for your video and would like to ask you what kind of resin to use after printing a canvas?
bushbosh Thanks for watching! That's something that I don't have too much knowledge about, but I would imagine that you could use any type of resin as long as you first apply a sealer of some type over the painting. You need to find a sealer that will not interact with or disturb the paint. Once it is totally sealed, it should be fine to cover with resin. Again, I really don't have any experience with that though, so I would definitely suggest researching it more before attempting.
how dry would the wood have to be before casting it
+Grizzly-Outdoors You are literally shooting for 0% moisture content for best results. You want to bake it for a minimum of 24 hours, maybe longer to get all the moisture out.
Hey Zac, since this is 4 years old, any chance of an update on different resins, specific for turning? I've been using Alumilite Clear Slow, but on some of my deep pours I'm noticing it's very slightly yellow and am looking for a more clear casting, but allows for deep pours. It's not horribly yellow, but it's not glass clear either, so what is a good recommendation for crystal clear in color, but still turns as smoothly and cleanly as Alumilite, with a decent curing time (the thing I love about Alumilite is the fast curing time, and the ease in which it turns...)
Hi thanks so much, I love using resin and have been playing with Epoxy, which is too expensive to waste when practising. Can you tell me please must I leave the polyester resin out doors to set? Are the fumes more potent only when mixing? I would really appreciate your advice.
Hey Alison, I think the fumes are probably most potent when it's liquid, but it still smells while it's setting up and still has an odor to it when it's cured. To be honest, I've really only used it a couple times and tossed the rest in the trash. It just wasn't worth dealing with the fumes for me
Thanks so much for your time, sounds like the other resin is not worth the bother.
Yeah, I find that epoxies and polyurethanes are much nicer to work with. I just couldn't stand that smell, and actually the fumes of polyester resin are much more toxic than many of the other types of resins. I think it's worth the extra money to go with a resin that is nicer to work with. There are lots of brands out there, some are cheaper than others. You might be able to find a cheaper brand of epoxy that will work well for the types of projects you plan to make