Thread: clear casting epoxy scales

i had an idea.. since working with plastic is hard, and bakelite needs alot of equipment, i thought i would try to cast some scales with a casting epoxy resin. its clear, but transparent , and solid dye can be added. anyone ever try this? just got the epoxy from michaels. ill keep you guys posted once i get started. just looking for some input before i try this.

I've actually thought of working with this stuff myself (lots of cool applications possible) but haven't gotten any further than investigating local suppliers (what's best to use etc... ).
Keep us up to date !!

How do you plan on making the molds? How do you plan on making the casts release from the molds? This sounds very interesting.

Zacsdaddy

Originally Posted by Zacsdaddy

How do you plan on making the molds? How do you plan on making the casts release from the molds? This sounds very interesting.

Zacsdaddy

make a model in wood, sealing it with wax
and then casting it in silicones (there's varieties for that exact purpose)
using silicones should enable one to release the scales from the mold without too much trouble

There are a couple of members who do this,at least one is a real pro at it and has made hundreds.I'll let them chime in if they so wish,but thought I'd let you know it's not only possible,but done regularly.

Hard part will be bubbles. You have two ways to deal with them, a butane/propane torch or a vacuum. You can pass the torch over the mold and the bubbles will raise and pop but you do not want the flame to touch the resin. A vacuum chamber will draw out all the bubbles. You can also use a vibrating table to shake the deep bubbles to the surface.

Next problem, dust. One little speck of dust on the surface and you will have to sand them out with micromesh and buff them. You also have to make sure your mix is correct. A little to much resin or hardener and the epoxy will not set correctly. Dont forget about the heat. When resin cures, it is an exothermic chemical reaction and can generate uncomfortable levels of heat. The thicker the resin, the hotter it gets. It also takes a couple of days to cure.

Instead of making your own silicone molds, why not use one that's already made for you?

This may not be the best example but...

*click picture for amazon link*


Made to withstand high temps, and reusable. Mix up your resin, pour enough in the bottom to make a sheet, swirling in whatever colors you want and let it set. Should be easily removable...as long as the epoxy won't fuse to the silicone (I don't have any experience in this dept.)

Just a thought tho

Epoxy most likely will be too brittle. Use acrylic intead.

Other than that, I don't see why not!

Yep,I guess it is acrylic those guys are using.Sorry about that.

I have made a fair number of scales using this method, using acrylic, polyester, polyurethane, epoxy and urethane resins and pourable (aka "RTV") silicone to make the initial moulds with. If you don't use silicone you may have to use a release agent on the mould to get it to separate. Silicone is easy though - a 50:50 mix and a breeze to use. Use existing scales hot-glued to a base, or make your own that you wish to replicate, build a dam around them, and pour on the silicon (brush the scales with the silicon using a soft brush first so you can see if and where bubbles might form - gives you a fighting chance of shifting them before you pour the rest of the silicon on).

Bubbles in the resin are always a problem - if the resin sets slowly enough you can paint the first "layer" on with a soft paintbrush - this helps to avoid bubbles on the underside (the side you will see if you are pouring it into a mould). It's not foolproof, though, by any means. Using a chamber that can be de-pressurised is quite a reliable method to drive out bubbles, but costly. some people, as mentioned above, use a propane torch to make the bubbles migrate to the surface.

From my experience (and it is just that - my experience, yours may differ) the polyester resins are too brittle with hardly any give in them - unless you use additives like glass fibre strands. Then you have fibre-glass! If you must use it, don't get the laminating type.

The polyurethane resins are are more flexible and are the ones I use. They only have a pot life of around 5 mins and to get it to gel properly you have to be spot-on with the mixing: that means mixing a comparatively large amount to minimise the mixing errors. That means having a lot of moulds ready. It also limits the colour runs. A certain amount of heat is necessary else it will not set - some people put it in a box with a low-wattage light bulb in it to keep the temperature up.

The epoxies are even more pliable, but very slow setting, which may help if you want to add splashes and swirls of colour.

Urethane resins are quite flexible - perhaps the most flexible - but can be made to be rigid. They smell a lot though, and the smell lingers on.

Some uncured acrylic resins are quite toxic. Some require special equipment (ovens, pressure chambers), but some are easy to use - the clear-cast type. I haven't used them to any great extent, so cant really comment much on them.

Using special fillers gives a variety of results and solves some problems. all resins are exothermic and generate heat from the core, leading to shrinkage. fillers can be used to minimise the shrinkage.

Mixing in the correct proportions is of primary importance. Too little catalyst and it will never set. A little tiny bit under and a bit of heat may help, maybe not. Way too much and the whole lot will get really hot. It can begin to smoke and then catch on fire - I have seen it happen in boat yards! Ever seen a boatyard making fibreglass hulls go up in flames? - I have - it's like a whole town of firework parties all in one place!

Regards,
Neil