Alumilite clear resin - brittle/tacky/good/bad?

[hydin]

I have a project in the woiks and i was curious if anyone has used it before. im talking about the clear stuff here, not the super casting kit. i also need to know if castincraft dyes would work with it or if its not a good idea to mix em.

also, does this stuff mix by volume or by weight? volume i can eyeball, weight i gotta get a scale.

i know itll leave bubbles in the resin if i dont pressure cast, and im ok with that. the stuff im casting is pretty tiny anyway.

i know its a lot of questions for it, but the main page for it doesnt tell me much about it other than it needs to be pressure cast, otherwise its tiny bubbles without don ho .

its going to be under a little bit of pressure (assembly wise) to finish the project out, but after that it should be ok. no sense in using it if its mega brittle and snaps apart though.

thanks guys
chris

 

[exoray]

Originally posted by hydin@Mar 26 2006, 10:18 PM
I have a project in the woiks and i was curious if anyone has used it before.

Yep...

i also need to know if castincraft dyes would work with it or if its not a good idea to mix em.

They have worked fine for me in the past...

also, does this stuff mix by volume or by weight? volume i can eyeball, weight i gotta get a scale.

Weight...

i know itll leave bubbles in the resin if i dont pressure cast, and im ok with that. the stuff im casting is pretty tiny anyway.

And the Alumilite clear is pretty thick and doesn't de-gas well on it's own... You will probably have more issues with trapped air pockets in a smaller part, as well as bubbles throughout the resin...

otherwise its tiny bubbles without don ho .

Tiny bubbles is relative, they are quite visible if you don't pressure cast...

no sense in using it if its mega brittle and snaps apart though.

Not much more brittle then regular resins, it will crack if thin...

 

[Jedirick]

Can't remember ever not finding bubbles in it. been 3-4 years.

Dang site better than Clear Cast and other off the shelf chain hobby store product.

IIRC it sets in maybe 5 minutes/ plus it is thicker and pours slower than other alumilite products so pressure pots are pretty much out.

Also believe it comes in pint size kits which aren't too expensive so if you don't get best results you aren't out much more than Cast Craft.

 

[exoray]

Originally posted by Jedirick@Mar 27 2006, 12:10 AM
IIRC it sets in maybe 5 minutes/ plus it is thicker and pours slower than other alumilite products so pressure pots are pretty much out.

You get about 10-15 minutes work time from my experience, just enough to pressure cast... Put it in the fridge to chill and you will get about another 5+ minutes work time For me I have even got a 1-2 minute vac de-gas, and then switched over to pressure, with ok results...

 

[hydin]

awesome. this is what i like to hear

the project is pretty simple really, and i think itll handle itself pretty well. the resin pieces will be between 1/4" and 1/2" diameter, and about a half inch or so long, so the bubbles shouldnt be a problem if i stir carefully.

appreciate the feedback on this guys, everything helps

how long does this stuff take to set enough to demold anyway? 5~ mins or so? and is there anything i should watch out for (i.e. sticks to silicone like crazy, smells like horrible wet death on a humid day, will bond instantly to skin, etc)?

chris

 

[blufive]

Alumilite is good. It's my "Number Two" choice in clear resins.

 

[exoray]

Originally posted by hydin@Mar 27 2006, 02:40 AM
so the bubbles shouldnt be a problem if i stir carefully.

I believe you might be surprised, at the amount of bubbles even if you are anal about stiring...

how long does this stuff take to set enough to demold anyway? 5~ mins or so? and is there anything i should watch out for (i.e. sticks to silicone like crazy, smells like horrible wet death on a humid day, will bond instantly to skin, etc)?

Wait overnight or 24 hours to demold, and post curing won't hurt...