A few recent items/photos from my first little market stall.

[FloWolF]

Thanks Shaun
Its really helpful to have your experiences.

This is the type Im using:
http://www.resin-supplies-shop.com/e...bProducts/scr1

I haven't had a problem with it setting even over about 6-8 months stored but I tend to keep the house at around 21 degrees so cooler than many I guess.
OTOH that doesn't exactly help the setting!
I asked my OH about setting an oven up like yours but he isn't into electrics so thats a no
Time for the wood burner to go on now though so I am hoping placing it on the mantelpiece post curing will help.
It actually sets quite quickly, its just getting it past the stage where the very outside gets smeared by fingerprints.
It doesn't appear to brittle in the sort of things Im making, I have dropped one or two and they have been fine.

Oh and I love the smell

My pleasure ',;~}~

I didn't realise you got your resin from ABL already - it will likely be of much better quality than most other polyester brands so no huge surprise you don't experience some of the problems I've seen and heard of.

If you are putting on the mantle to finish curing just be careful the warm air doesn't lift any dust/fluff onto the resin surface while it's still tacky - I ruined a few pieces and had to start again (luckily it was cast into silver and boiling the piece in a little saucepan allowed me to lift the old resin out cleanly) because of just that problem - I tend to set them aside with an upturned container over them now until all tackiness has gone.

Cheers!

Shaun.

P.s. if you love the smell, there's no hope left for you lol!

[FloWolF]

These are lovely - especially like the studs in the first set.

Thanks glad you like them ',;~}~

Cheers!


Shaun.

[enigma]

Great idea thanks Shaun,

Also like the idea of boiling in water, I currently get it out of silver by heating gently with my torch until it pops out but that tends to leave a residue which maybe the boiling water won't.

[Dennis]

I am really surprised that no one seems to do a UV light activated casting resin, because that would help to prolong its shelf life, and make the curing process faster.

Sadly I spent some time looking at UK and European sources with no success. I bet there is one in the USA, but imports would more than likely be prohibited. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

As used in SLA printers or do you mean something different?

http://madesolid.com/fire-cast-resin.html for example.

They're not wax and as such can have some quirks - hence specific burnout schedules (and often, investment compatibility)

[Dennis]

Well no Peter, the thread above as I understand it is about making decorative resin 'stones' or embedding things. I have used the term 'casting resin' as that what it seems to be called on line. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

Ah, wrong sort of casting - mea culpa.

I suspect that all of the 2-pack resins being discussed will exhibit accelerated setting with UV. A £16 UV nail curing box from Ebay would be a cheap starting point for that experiment...

[enigma]

sounds worth a try thanks Peter!

I was going to say after reading your earlier post that you have a one track mind

[FloWolF]

Great idea thanks Shaun,

Also like the idea of boiling in water, I currently get it out of silver by heating gently with my torch until it pops out but that tends to leave a residue which maybe the boiling water won't.

With the epoxy and urethanes at least, if the stuff has set past the sticky stage, it just goes rubbery and can usually be peeled out quite cleanly.

Shaun.

[FloWolF]

I am really surprised that no one seems to do a UV light activated casting resin, because that would help to prolong its shelf life, and make the curing process faster.

Sadly I spent some time looking at UK and European sources with no success. I bet there is one in the USA, but imports would more than likely be prohibited. Dennis.

The problem with this as I see it Dennis is UV penetration through the resin - with heavily coloured or opaque castings of any significant thickness, the UV can't penetrate far enough to effect a full cure, and creating a system that is merely initialised by UV light but cures fully by a following chain reaction is difficult to make stable. Not only this but I wouldn't be surprised if the UV stabilisers in the resins wouldn't add to the difficulty.


Shaun.