alumilite clear resin question

[hydin]

just curious, i got a pack of this stuff earlier in the year, and i am having some trouble with it.

the casts, no matter size or shape, dye or no dye are coming out very tacky.

ive been mixing the resin 1:1 as it states, and heating the molds before i pour (again, as it states), but for some reason i cant escape the tacky.

any ideas on it? just once i would like resin to become a nice hard plastic as opposed to "sticky goo" :lol

chris

 

[GeneralMayhem]

Is it past it's expiration date?

I've been using Por-A-Kast Clear Cast for a while now, and after the quart containers had been sitting for a few months, I noticed my castings were taking days before they were completely tack free. Then I noticed the "B" part was getting "cloudy". Kind of little floaties and some crystalization. I took what was left and filtered it through a piece of fine nylon mesh into a new container. The next time I did a casting, they hardened up tack free in just one day.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[hydin]

nah, its still got about 8 months on that date iirc.

i did get some semi tack free castings, and fixed em by popping em in the oven at 150 for about a half hour. let em cool down and they came out water clear.

maybe its just to damned cold to play with the stuff...

chris

 

[blufive]

It may be too cold. I've never had problems with Alumilite's products. Their stuff is top notch.

How cool is it where you are doing your castings?

 

[hydin]

well, inside last night was about 60 or so, and outside was in the low 40s.

the best batch came out of a heated mold, poured inside, and then put in the oven a few minutes after it started to "kick".

it had to be the heat (or lack of it).

chris

 

[blufive]

Absolutely. Resin turns hard through a thermal reaction. If it's 60 degrees where you're casting, either don't cast or find a way to make the room warmer.