Totally new – first try with resin any input appreciated

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Totally new – first try with resin any input appreciated

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CampbellSA	C CampbellSA posted 6 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
C Group: Forum Members Posts: 12, Visits: 15	Hi, I am totally new to working with resin but am very enthused to get into resin art. It all looks so easy on You Tube but I do not want to assume.To start out I am planning to start small and get the feel for working in this medium. I am planning to create some small tiles (may not be the correct term) 200 x 200 by pouring into a 9mm MDF board with 60mm x 12mm pine around the edges to create the mould. My aim is to remove the wood after curing leaving just a resin tile. I am hoping to get a 12 – 15mm thick tile . I am hoping to utilise these small tiles as practise to get the feel of working with the product so I will make some just creating design with the pigments etc. I also intend to cast some small objects in on of the test tiles, maybe like seashells and possibly a layer of sea sand I have a few questions: • What is the best product resin for the above ? • Is it better to pour once or better to build up in layers (to get to maybe 15mm thick)? • What pigments do you recommend? • What preparation should I do to the wood mould before pouring the resin to get it to come apart easily after curing ? • Can I drill into the resin after curing? Many thanks for any input / advice .
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Warren (Staff)	Warren (Staff) posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Administrators Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 7.9K	For those kind of tile projects, we would generally suggest our GlassCast 10 Clear Epoxy Casting Resin as it is a great product for that kind of tile work. It can be cast in a single layer around 10mm thick or in multiple layers depending on the look and finish you are trying to achieve. In essence, the number of layers is down to your artistic desires and limitations of the resin itself. With the GlassCast resins, the number loosely relates to intended casting thickness. In your case the GlassCast 10 is perfectly fine in multiple pours. For much thicker pours, GlassCast 50 is the one to go for. (it is basically the same resin as GlassCast 10 but with a slower cure hardener to prevent heat damage from exotherming). Pigments is again, down to personal choice for the effect you are trying to achieve. We have a range of solid colours, tinting pigments and also Pearl Ex Metallic effect pigment powders . You can also go for metal cold casting with real metal powders or even a mix of all the effects. This picture is a sample piece we did and is only touching the surface of what can be achieved (in this case with multiple layers): Any surface for a mould needs to ideally be smooth to give a good finish. Most surfaces will need a release agent to prevent the resin sticking, so we generally tend to recommend using mould materials that are non-stick suck as Polypropylene sheeting and/or premade silicone moulds. You can drill the cured resin no problem using a HSS drill bit and carefully start using a pilot hole and open it up. Warren Penalver Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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CampbellSA	C CampbellSA posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
C Group: Forum Members Posts: 12, Visits: 15	+x Warren (Staff) - 7/18/2018 12:33:49 PM Thanks for your response Warren, Couple of further questions if that is okay. Not sure if this is the correct place for me to fire all these questions? Would it be better via email? • The Glass Cast 10 – what is the minimum layer depth you would pour in a layer-building scenario? • Is Glass Cast 10 okay with adding items such as – beach sand, shells or small stones? • You say it is best to use silicone moulds for releasing. Is there a material I can line the mould I am going to make to get the type of finish to the edges as in the tile in your photo? Many thanks for your input, greatly appreciated. For those kind of tile projects, we would generally suggest our GlassCast 10 Clear Epoxy Casting Resin as it is a great product for that kind of tile work. It can be cast in a single layer around 10mm thick or in multiple layers depending on the look and finish you are trying to achieve. In essence, the number of layers is down to your artistic desires and limitations of the resin itself. With the GlassCast resins, the number loosely relates to intended casting thickness. In your case the GlassCast 10 is perfectly fine in multiple pours. For much thicker pours, GlassCast 50 is the one to go for. (it is basically the same resin as GlassCast 10 but with a slower cure hardener to prevent heat damage from exotherming). Pigments is again, down to personal choice for the effect you are trying to achieve. We have a range of solid colours, tinting pigments and also Pearl Ex Metallic effect pigment powders . You can also go for metal cold casting with real metal powders or even a mix of all the effects. This picture is a sample piece we did and is only touching the surface of what can be achieved (in this case with multiple layers): Any surface for a mould needs to ideally be smooth to give a good finish. Most surfaces will need a release agent to prevent the resin sticking, so we generally tend to recommend using mould materials that are non-stick suck as Polypropylene sheeting and/or premade silicone moulds. You can drill the cured resin no problem using a HSS drill bit and carefully start using a pilot hole and open it up.
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