I’d cut here

Hey all, new to the Sub and i wanted some opinions on the new mold i am making. Been casting for years book covers, sun catchers, but i have never made my own.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you 😊

Hello :)

I am new to resin. Have been attempting to make a rainbow that's basically of accurate dimensions - 1" wide by 1" high by 39" inches in diameter (the full arc being around 62"). I have been pouring 12 individual layers into a silicone mold, then removing before fully cured and bending around a hula hoop to achieve the arc shape. Once it's removed from the support, however, it inevitably begins to slump and bend, I think because the thin pour resins just don't get hard enough (though could be something else!).

I haven't tried using a fiberglass mesh yet, partly because of laziness but also because I'm concerned it will disrupt the transparency of the rainbow.

Including an image from before the latest attempt started to warp.

Any suggestions/ideas? Thank you!

https://preview.redd.it/xdaricyl39ge1.png?width=934&format=png&auto=webp&s=14336152909b59c9baadcbe46101dc08e7d32208

Finally had a mold that wouldn't release & ripped and maannnn does it ever suck!!!
It was a cheap walmart mold, I was warned, but did I listen? NOPE.
I had been using mold spray in most my molds, even the higher quality ones but I stopped a while back because it was leaving these little spots on my finished pieces, spots almost like water spots on a clean mirror, if that makes sense.

This brings me to ask:
-Do you use mold release?
-If so, what brand/type?
-Does it leave spots?
-Do you use polishing compounds?
-If so, what type?
-Also, any tips on removing the silicone from these pieces?

I hate sanding and avoid it at all costs, have been producing smooth finish pieces or just top coating the ones I make using 'candy' molds, but these are going to make me do some sanding :'c Just when you think you're getting good at this hobby it knocks you down a peg.

I’m obsessed with these pen molds I really wanna sell them, but I have no idea where to start

I'm working on a project that's basically a small (about 1" tall) bowl-shaped object with the top lip sloping inwards. I'm using alumilite amazing mold maker and two part epoxy resin. The problem is, the outside face and lip need to be completely smooth, so the only spot I can see to add the channels for the pour are on the inside face. However this leads to a pocket at the top edge of the lip. I have a small vacuum pump I salvaged from a toy and I'm wondering if a) pulling a vacuum will draw out the air and fill the pockets with resin, and if so b) if a small pump would be enough or if I'll need a more serious vacuum.

Thank you.

P.S. Sorry it won't let me upload a picture.

I want to make climbing holds, i have searched a lot of tutorials and am planning to 3d print molds made of tpu (so they flex). But all the guides i am seeing online link to alumilite rc-3 resin which isnt available in my country (netherlands). So i have been looking around and there seem to be a lot of different kinds of resin and i am clueless on what i would need so it would be strong enough. Does anyone know what kind of resin i would need?

These two pieces were poured from the same batch. I cannot figure out why one has so many bubbles, and the other is pretty clean. I know a vacuum would probably help, but I still want to know where I went wrong with this pour. Any advice would be appreciated.

the teexpert 2:1 deep pour says it takes about 72 hours to fully cure. (obviously its not fully cured yet but feels "rubbery" (but strong definitely NOT wet or sticky etc) but feels like hard rubber.

Is that normal?

Should I maybe wait another week?

The pour is a bit deep (4 inches) but the pour is where i filled this box and a preserved a dead beetle i found and some flowers https://www.amazon.com/Plano-Guide-3500-Polycarbonate-Field/dp/B003JFOZH2/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2E24NY7YTTR78&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.z1YhCBy4edb4U5tiIZnYnZe7PDi15JGWSh3-x3exPyCThuFkeX7WaOwUQOWJ_wkMYJOe6KIY9AP7nTJDXNyMU4pgZ1tXdYEwdxcUiKczhC3AO5NDnI3fYgD6glTGfeTxRugPA6bnkflxZbJ99-Cjl8FqHp-AXMsDRLfpbxhcuyYjQVaDCSgBobriJvksXUONGCgjnOBRLyjwWMl3NYxAq3AqsFjwa59ELmLHRoLrEsYlSa0LKu0vNbRI0yVkqXuUJX8XOzUYixaWDBbviCLwZU9t2kDh6nMbkotoywaBCC-bZs-Hcx4BGgn6mnuIH6jmGwJ-7NvfttCs4-PeiSfDSuDG5aT5DgdKJeNKCF2RqUSdqx9xGbfLA3S09jIFSK8AL5gwdznyKY68Y5NzlauZbDH1TA9n7hfGLv_iEKloGMxJuyk9EIvp89IDiOGPoYuD.ls-NBxESWWyqt7DwzGVvFtmXWlfKZUiJ74OyPwNY8pI&dib_tag=se&keywords=plano%2Bbox&qid=1738162965&sprefix=plano%2B%2Caps%2C429&sr=8-6&th=1

-is this drying normally? (in fairness i kept the lid of the box shut to prevent fumes. i just opened the box and am trying to let it offgass/dry naturally etc. )

For those of you who post cure polyurethane resin, what are you doing to support thin casted objects that will soften in the first hour or so of the post cure.
Obviously using the molds is the solution, but I can’t do this since I need to use the molds consistently and it will only support one item at a time in a 4 hour time frame in the oven when they are all post cured at the same time.
I’m wondering if there’s some other solution to support the thinner items so they don’t warp specifically from their own weight. I’ve heard something about using packed corn starch and using it almost like a sand mold for metal to hold the parts as is.

This artist is known for making resin tops and this one in particular is beautiful. Did she use hot glue on fabric then coated it with resin? I tried it and it looked bad.

a few days ago i saw this pic of a guy under the eyewash at the hospital and realize need to step up my ppe game. i’m slack with it because it’s messing with me.

the problem i have is i am, at the end of the project, always working with magnification and tweezers pulling out motes of dust and cat hairs. (i have air filtration, the cat hairs come off my body. as i do the project i emit dust and crap somehow) Anyway, my face is so close to the pour when i’m doing this i know i should be geared up doing it, but the ppe goggles do not work right with the various magnification equipment that i have. The fit is just not right, the glasses under the goggles smash against my face.

If you are working with magnification, how do you ppe? what equipment pairing works for you? or am i the only weirdo during surgery on resin for every last second of the working time?

So I made all these keys from a resin mold and I have no idea what to do with them. Anyone have any suggestions?

Finished my resin pour last night (Sunday Jan 26th) at 11:30 pm EST. I have been keeping the project curing in my basement at around 60-67 degrees F. Then tonight I tried to offgass (the resin is in a box so i opened the box to offgass ). But stupidly i left the window open in my basement too long and it dropped to 50 degrees F for several hours. (its cold where i live in DC).

I moved the project to a new room to offgass (60 degrees F rn).

-will that time fluctuation have a major effect on curing? (it was IDK 2-3.5 hours)

-did that mistake screw up the project?

-thx

So i did the resin pour and finally preserved the beetle and flowers that i have been talking about for weeks on end (yay!)

It came out GREAT! (the flowers were PERFECTLY preserved!) And the beetle looks pretty good too!

However there is a slight problem. The beetle (inevitably) floated up the surface a bit (tried to pin it down with an insect pin as best as i cud during the pour but it still managed to float up a little overnight) LUCKILY it is still COMPLETELY engulfed in resin (but a bit thin near the surface. And the resin is hard but not cured yet).

NOT a huge crisis but a bit of an annoyance (trying to preserve the beetle etc).

(see photo) https://imgur.com/a/nlqmVfL

Question: #1. how do I fix this?

I recently moved into a smaller apartment and definitely no longer have the space to use UV resin safely. The safest place available would be outside on a balcony but like...yea, no. I mainly used it for making clear keychains/bookmarks/coasters with dried flowers, and I really want to have similar glossy clarity in my projects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOfWwgghIEE

I've searched, cannot find!

Four leaf clover , can not get it to stick to the pop socket.. trying crazy glue as UV resin would not work either ideas?