r/ResinCasting Oct 09 '13

What the heck is Resin Casting anyway? What can it do for me?

250 Upvotes

Welcome, acolytes, to the most ancient and reverred craft of the resin caster!! This won't be a technical article, just a quick Q&A introduction to the process and what it means to those who do it.

Useful Link: An excellent introduction to some of the technical processes, by Michal Zalewski

Introductory Q&A:

Q: So, what is resin casting?

A: Very simply, resin casting is the process whereby we take an object we wish to duplicate, make a mould of it in flexible silicone rubbers and then cast copies of the original object from that mould as many times as we like.

Q: Why would I want to do that?

A: Because casting the object may be quicker and easier than making another copy from scratch. It can also be less costly.

Q: What industries use this process?

A: A huge number, but the ones it's likely that you'll have seen every day include film and TV props, scale models and figures, even some medical process use resin casting tchniques.

Q: Is it hard to learn?

A: Not really, but you will progress to a professional level much more quickly if you're part of a community like this one. Lucky you!

Q: It expensive?

A: It depends. You can buy starter kits like this one for not much and get started right away. if you want to produce large number of copies of complex objects, then there is some specialist machinery you will need that requires some investment. But we'll cover that later.

Q: Can I do it at home or in my garage?

A: Absolutely!! Many multi-million dollar companies with whom I have worked started off in spare rooms or garages. The beauty of resin casting is that it's cheap to get started and you can make money quickly if people like what you make. It isn't smelly or messy if you do it properly, just make sure your work area is well ventilated.

Q: Can I only use Epoxy Resins in silicone moulds?

A: No there are lots of other materials you can use to cast. You can cast in plaster, wax - almost anything that turns from liquid to solid at more or less room temperature - you can even cast chocolate in food grade rubbers (yum!!) Also you can add metal, ceramic, rock and all sorts of other poweders to resin to achieve some really cool effects. Using high temperature silicone you can also cast in pewter and other similar metals. But pewter and resin casters generally do one or the other, as each requires a lot of practice and skills to get right.

Q: Can I make stuff and sell it?

A: You bet your gosh darned rear end you can! If you're good at making things, and want to make copies to sell then this process will allow you to do that quickly and economically. I personally know many people who have doubled their income just by casting a few evenings a week - though most can't resist the tenptation to go full time and start their own business selling what they make.

Q: So this could be a real source of income?

A. Yes, once you're good enough to cast quickly, consistently and to a high standard you're ready to go and find people who want to buy what you've made. The internet means that the whole world is your marketplace, and personally sell things I make to nearly a dozen countries. This is GREAT especially if you want to work from home and live where you want, and it's also removes your dependence to your local economy to a large extent.

Q: Ok I've made stuff, where do I sell it?

A: Anywhere. Ebay, your own website, events and shows, retail shops - someone will want what you're selling somewhere.

Q: I just want to do ths for fun, I don't want to turn it into a business.

A: That's also fine. Do with it whatever you will!

Q: I have items that I bought that I want to copy, can I?

A: If you're going to sell the copies, then you may be breaching copyright. If you are recasting something that another maker/caster has made then you are a bad person. Don't recast. Ever.

Q: I'm a wargamer, I want to copy my Space Marines so I don't have to buy more, can I do this?

A: Bad recaster! Bad!! Also, to cast to the same quality as the plastic you get in the box requires serious casting gear - in the end you won't save any money and it's easier to buy more originals. If you can do it, you're better off making your own minis anyway.

Q: Can I cast large objects like gun props?

A: Yes, but the amount of material you need can make it expensive to do. But it's perfectly possible.

Q: What's this special equipment you mentioned?

A: When you wan to take your casting to the next level, you'll need a vacuum degassing chamber and vacuum pump to draw air bubbles out of your moulds and casts when they're wet. Some people use a pressure pot to crush air bubbles in the resin when they cast - both vacuum and pressure casting has pro's and cons which I'll go into one day.

Well folks that's as much as I can think of on the fly, please ask if you have any more questions - think of it as an AMA. I'm also happy to answer questions about myself and my business.

Cheerio :)


r/ResinCasting 2h ago

How would I cast something intricate like a Wii mote shell?

1 Upvotes

Hi I know very little about resin casting but from all I've seen it seems like the best way to achieve what I want for a project I'm doing. I want to make custom controller shells for my Wii motes but I want them to be colored translucent plastic like those old colored N64's or like the atomic purple Gameboy. I do get the basic principal of pouring silicone over the item in two different layers but I have seen people use clay to block off the button holes in similar projects but i don't really understand when and why I should do that. I would really appreciate if someone could shed some light on the proper process for molding something like this. Any Info/Help is appreciated thank you in advance.


r/ResinCasting 1d ago

Resin warping colors?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

53 Upvotes

Hi i am in need of some advice: i am making an eye out of air dry clay, acrylic paint, and two part resin

On the left is an example of it where it turned out correctly, the colors are details are visible and nothing is blurred or warped or anything.

The one on the right is the one im struggling with, why is it warping the colors like that? Do i need to sand it more? Should i restart without the clay?

Please give me any advice as i am on a time crunch THANK U FOR READING (and any advice yall have)🫶🫶🫶


r/ResinCasting 1d ago

Best place to buy PPE?

3 Upvotes

New-ish to casting! I've been pouring my resin outdoors during the summer, but I'd like to move inside as the weather gets colder. I'll be opening the windows and using a fan, of course, but I know I also need a proper respirator.

Where do people buy their PPE? I've seen some cheapish ones on Amazon, but they don't seem to have the right filter pads. Any help appreciated!


r/ResinCasting 1d ago

Starting up a resin youtube Channel!

Thumbnail reddit.com
2 Upvotes

r/ResinCasting 1d ago

Confusion

2 Upvotes

Hey there! Just started getting into making resin with jewelry molds like the gems and such. I have an idea of what I want it to look like but not knowing the method to get there. I want a mix of colors maybe 2 or 3 tops. I want to have both colors on either side and I want to make swirls in the middle where they connect. I hope I'm explaining it well enough. Feel free to ask questions or help me with any tips to get there please! Cause what ends up happening is i put them in the molds and they spread out and then I have to mix them. But I want it to be clear there are two colors and they make swirls in the middle once combined. Thank you!!!!! ā˜ŗļø


r/ResinCasting 2d ago

i used clear cast epoxy resin.. what happened?

Thumbnail
gallery
61 Upvotes

to be fair this is my second time using resin, i followed all the directions very strictly and put it in the silicone mold with a pretty cicada i found. it was supposed to be clear with glitter but its matte and very foggy. i don’t assume theres any way to fix this 😢


r/ResinCasting 1d ago

First time casting molds and figures.

Post image
0 Upvotes

I am about to start my journey in molds and casting figures and so.

I have an idea for a present for a friend, he loves one piece lore and wanted to gift him an incense burner inspired in one piece poneglyphs as shown in the picture.

My planning is to use polymer clay to make the prototype and from that casta a silicone mold so I can reproduce it easier in order to make more gifts and so.

I am planning on using Jesmonite for the final result.

My doubt is mostly with how to do the silicone mold, so the poneglyph is like a vase or pot, four walls and the top part, opened in the bottom.

I'm not very sure on how to make the silicone mold since it has texture all around it and on top.

Thank you in advance for all the help and tips given.

If need more info about it, just ask.


r/ResinCasting 2d ago

Cleaning Alcohol availability

Thumbnail
2 Upvotes

r/ResinCasting 2d ago

Total noob needing advice on fixing my favorite necklace charm

Post image
25 Upvotes

I got this from hobby lobby on clearance and can't find it anywhere online, and want to make duplicates but I'm thinking it would be easier for me to try and repair this one. Any advice on how to fix the scratches and chips on his face? I'm a total beginner with resin.


r/ResinCasting 3d ago

Can’t seem to get rid of the air bubbles.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

200 Upvotes

I can’t seem to get rid of the bubbles and air pockets that appear on the edges and the tip of the crystal. I used a degassing chamber before pouring the resin. This is the second try and I even tried to use a syringe to fill the very tip first before closing the mold and I still got an air pocket.


r/ResinCasting 2d ago

SMALL DOTS IN FINISHED RESIN PROJECT

0 Upvotes

Hi guys, i have a project with Resin and my trials before going to the end piece isn't working out.

Simply I pour and pop bubbles till 50 mins, it looked really good and promising. Next I checked 2 days later and I was disappointed.

When i had a peek at 40 hours I see small dots.

I made a box with cling wrap lining is to prevent airborne particles or dust

Temperature indoors 19c

I've tried to photograph or make a video but my camera won't pick it up.

I'm using the Art ā¤ļø Resin brand btw

I did scuff up the surface before pouring the Resin (400grit) (400+1200 grit) turned out best. I removed the dust before pouring the Resin, and the green rattle can paint i used was not glossy

Pic below of what it looks like

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img921/8439/qD9Zlo.png

Hopefully I can get this fixed


r/ResinCasting 2d ago

Looking for quality TRANSPARENT epoxy dyes

0 Upvotes

Hey there, I'm making some thin castings in Smooth On Epoxacast 690 and was looking for reccs on which dye/pigment brands to use to get bright colors that are fully transparent. I have some Totalboat alcohol inks but they seem a bit inconsistent and the color shifts drastically in this particular epoxy, although it looks correct once the material has fully cured. I'd like to move away from alcohol inks as it seems like some of them fall out of suspension and look too tie-dye.

I'm aware of So Strong liquid pigments, which should work, although they are mainly marketed as a urethane colorant. The issue is that I need to approximate a few transparent colors that are very close to screen/process colors including a bright cyan and magenta. I'd like to get something more professional/consistent than all the miscellaneous Amazon brands. I'm especially interested in finding good cyan, magenta, and cool yellow colors. I looked at BJB as well, but I don't think their color range would hit what I need.

I appreciate any advice you have!

Edit: I'm in the USA


r/ResinCasting 4d ago

Can’t figure out what happened.

Thumbnail
gallery
43 Upvotes

I used acrylic glow in the dark paint mixed with resin. I have used it before but it had a weird reaction and 24 hours later it looked like this. The rest of the pours I did turned out fine.


r/ResinCasting 3d ago

Resin casting a macaron

0 Upvotes

Is it possible to resin cast a macaron, like a real food item. When I Google it I just keep getting how to make fake macarons out of resin.


r/ResinCasting 4d ago

Questions about the effects of pressure pot.

3 Upvotes

Hi all.

Firstly, thanks in advance for any replies, and apologies if this is basic stuff.

I have zero experience and am looking for real world experience and f my hypothesising.

I understand that the pressure chamber compresses air bubbles. At what size of air bubble does this effect stop having a noticeable effect? For example, if a mold has poor flow, or bad design and parts are above the pour point, for example, and air pockets are present, does a pressure pot compress these larger pockets and draw resin into these areas? Does this happen to a limited degree?

Google tells me air at standard pressure subject to 40 extra psi is compressed to 27% volume, which—to me—implies you won’t get rid of any significant ā€œbubblesā€ with pressure alone.

Are there any tips/tricks to utilise pressure to ā€œfillā€ molds?


r/ResinCasting 5d ago

First cast ever: thoughts?

Post image
7 Upvotes

I want to make a custom tray to hold two pieces of equipment together. My current plan is to cut thin PVC board to match the bases of the two pieces in their desired position as my pattern. Using a pattern means I can go deeper than the thickness of the two steel bases.

The image is a cross section of my plan. I intend to use 30A silicone, and an inverted silicone mold to make the resin tray. I purchased a two part resin epoxy that doesn't need UV curing.

What do you think of this plan as a first time cast? What are some things you'd adjust or change? What are some pitfalls I can avoid as an inexperienced user?

I've read to pour high and slow to help prevent bubbles, as well as vibration to help bubbles rise out of the liquid resin. I'm also planning to hot glue the PVC both to the steel and to a craft cutting board to get a better cut.

Edit: the tray will be asymmetrical, but I've already taken that into account and the resin should be the correct orientation so long as I put the pattern in as if it was the steel plates.


r/ResinCasting 5d ago

Contacting cast urethane professionals

1 Upvotes

Hello resin casters, I’m hoping you could lend me some guidance here. I’ve been tasked with getting in touch with folks in the urethane casting industry to learn more about their process. I head up development for a tool intended to make urethane casting operations work easier faster and more profitable, and we really want to make sure the tool is something people in the industry would actually like to have. We want to make sure we truly understand the process from the potential buyers point of view, and you can only do so much without talking to someone in the space.
My question is, what would be the best way for me to get on a short phone or video call with a professional in the cast urethane space? I want to make it as easy and convenient for them as possible to talk to me, and cold calling seems like it could be unwelcome. Any suggestions?


r/ResinCasting 6d ago

How do I get bubble-free casts without a vacuum chamber?

Thumbnail
gallery
22 Upvotes

I’m trying to cast a few Gunpla pieces so I can install LEDs into the kit, but the casting process is really disagreeing with me on it. The molding went mostly well (though I had to cut apart the silicone since I guess I did the two-part thing wrong lol), but actually casting has resulted in giant air gaps and bubbles in every attempt. I’ve tried poking and prodding the resin into place with a toothpick to try and get rid of the bubbles at the bottom, I’ve tried to use a paint shaker to dislodge the bubbles so they can be shaken to the surface, I’ve even just tried to squeeze the mold a bit to force the bubbles out, but nothing seems to fully work, out of 3 attempts so far, all 3 have failed to varying degrees.

Should I recast the parts with different angles or venting holes? Bite the bullet and get a cheap vacuum chamber?


r/ResinCasting 7d ago

First time casting a butterfly and it went very wrong. Can I fix it?

Thumbnail
gallery
8 Upvotes

My friend gave me a butterfly and I braided with acrylic so I can put it in resin without it blanching. I put resin at the bottom of the container and place the butterfly in it cured it and it looked good from where I was standing. I poured another layer on top of it. It said it was bubble free resin so I just smacked it a couple times to get what bubbles I can see out of it along with the needle to poke any. I came back after curing and the Butterfly wings had created huge bubbles. Along with some little ones. I popped it out of the container and the feet of the butterfly were Exposed on the back. I ended up pouring some resin on that to cover it up which worked moderately well I just need to smooth it out. So here's the question: can I drill out these bubble holes and carefully refill them with resin without causing damage or is it a lost cause?


r/ResinCasting 6d ago

Project ,help and or someone with experience to answer questions for me

1 Upvotes

I have a project that i was looking to do and im not sure if its realistic or not and i was wondering if anyone could help me. I have a OG Ds ntr-001 phat model that i want to get a translucent green shell for ,,,, is that something that could be achieved through resin? would it be suitable or strong enough idk i have questions


r/ResinCasting 6d ago

Looking for a Deep-Pour (~2in) clear resin with HALS UV inhibition.

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/ResinCasting 6d ago

Looking for a Deep-Pour (~2in) clear resin with HALS UV inhibition.

1 Upvotes

Hey gang! First time poster here, and my title says it all really. I'd like to find a craft resin for a pendant that has active UV inhibitors like HALS since it's got better longevity than blockers alone. I've tried ArtResin, but can only pour 8mm at a time, and even then I seemed to get microbubbles.

I don't have the luxury of many specialized tools like a vacuum or pressure pot :( So beginner friendly and small volume is preferred!


r/ResinCasting 8d ago

Red and black lion

Thumbnail
gallery
32 Upvotes

r/ResinCasting 8d ago

Cast 305, Task 4, Task 5, or Task 8 for 2mm shell parts?

2 Upvotes

Newbie here (Only a few times experience and those were years ago) and have a couple of questions.

First things first (the problem):

I want to create a pipeline for making one of my current products that I currently make through: resin 3dprinting > sanding > priming > painting > Assembly. The process is fine, but it's more time consuming that I'd like it to be for the next stage (let's call it batch production). Hopefully, I'd like to have more items made at a time and have more control over the colors and surface finishing during the process, resulting in reduced hand-on post-processing times.

The items in question:

These are 2-4 mm thickness shell parts, about 150-250 grams in total resin each, and don't experience any mechanical forces while in use.

Some other notes:

I already have most of the basic equipment except for a vacuum (PPE, sprays for different finishes and helping with cure inhibition, A compressor).

And since I have mostly used Smooth-on products in the past, my questions are narrowed down to the 4 items that I mentioned; however, I'm open to other suggestions including non-urethane resins (but not thermoplastics that require injection molding mostly because of budget).

Here's my questions:

1- I'm shopping for a resin (or resin/silicone combo) for durability, ease of use, and color/finish customization (mainly pigments, and glossy and matte surface finishes).

Which one of these resins would you recommend for this application and based on the criteria that I have, or even other things that I haven't considered.

2- Since every component will have its own two (multi) part mold, is a 25A platinum silicone (which I already have) a good option or should I consider going up in shore hardness for the mold?

3- Edit: Forgot to ask this one: Is it better to make a glossy master for making the mold or making a semi-matte master for the mold and turn the final cast glossy with post-processing (glaze spray for example)?

Thank you very much for reading through this.