Any feedback on specialtyresin.com?

[DethBecomesYou]

I've been looking at Specialty Resin's products, and will likely try them after hearing about your success. But I want to point out a few things. First, the 25T silicone that you used compares to Smooth On's Mold Max 25. The cost difference between these, for a gallon, is a dollar and a half. And, the 25T is twice the viscosity of the Mold Max 25 when mixed, so it will not de-gas without vacuum quite as well.

Also find that the Mold Pro Slow Black resin is comparable to Smooth On's Onyx Slow. A gallon kit of Onyx is $94.08 vs. a gallon of Mold Pro at $48.99. However, and I'm not sure why this is (but I will find out) the gallon kit from Smooth On is 16.5 pounds of material vs. the gallon kit from Specialty Resin at 8 pounds. Maybe the Onyx is twice as dense? (I doubt it). Something is not adding up. I'll call around and check it out.

So, as far as I can tell, while Specialty Resin's stuff looks really nice, it's not quite yet a "no brainer."

The weight difference is:
The "gallon" kit from specialtyresins.com is one gallon total for part A and part B. Smooth-on has it as a gallon for each part. So it looks like the prices are the same, basically. I was not aware that Smooth-on had the Onyx resin as a gallon for each part. :facepalm

Glad you brought this to my attention. Unfortunately I cannot buy from Smooth-on (I have the one cc they don't accept).

 

[vistaVision]

The weight difference is:
The "gallon" kit from specialtyresins.com is one gallon total for part A and part B. Smooth-on has it as a gallon for each part. So it looks like the prices are the same, basically. I was not aware that Smooth-on had the Onyx resin as a gallon for each part. :facepalm

Glad you brought this to my attention. Unfortunately I cannot buy from Smooth-on (I have the one cc they don't accept).

I wondered about this, but wanted to check it out myself. If this is the case, Smooth On is doing itself a dis-service by not labeling their kit as "2 gallons." The other thing I noticed, and this could be important, the Onyx is better than 1/2 the mixed viscosity vs. the material from Specialty Resins. For many applications, the thinner the better!

You might want to check in with one of their local distributors, they might take the CC you have?

 

[DethBecomesYou]

I wondered about this, but wanted to check it out myself. If this is the case, Smooth On is doing itself a dis-service by not labeling their kit as "2 gallons." The other thing I noticed, and this could be important, the Onyx is better than 1/2 the mixed viscosity vs. the material from Specialty Resins. For many applications, the thinner the better!

You might want to check in with one of their local distributors, they might take the CC you have?

*disclaimer* I am only basing the 1 gallon each part based on the size of the containers and the weight of the product.

Wish I could find a distributor here in the Springs. Closest may be in Denver but it isn't worth the drive to me. For now this resin works for my needs. The price plus shipping makes it worthwhile. For me at least.

 

[Beaker]

Yes, Onyx is a gallon of A and a gallon of B... most of our 1:1 systems are that way, including the mold rubber... there are a couple of things to look at when comparing apples to apples... one is the price per pound of material, the other is the cubic inches per pound the material takes up... obviously the lower the price per pound vs the highest cubic inches per pound is the best scenario... when it comes to resins, the thing also to consider is if it is a filled system or not... filler is cheap, filler displaces actual resin so a filled system will always be cheaper than an unfilled system... just thoughts on how to stretch a buck...

 

[vistaVision]

Thanks for clearing that up, Beaker! I had wanted to check into this as earlier in the thread folks were getting excited that Specialty Resins was somehow half the cost of Smooth On for comparable stuff. Not so! Now Specialty Resins might have some great products, but the cost difference is not significant. In fact, the full 2 gallons of Onyx is a few dollars less than the same amount of the comparable Mold Pro black resin.

 

[Triton]

I've been looking at Specialty Resin's products, and will likely try them after hearing about your success. But I want to point out a few things. First, the 25T silicone that you used compares to Smooth On's Mold Max 25. The cost difference between these, for a gallon, is a dollar and a half. And, the 25T is twice the viscosity of the Mold Max 25 when mixed, so it will not de-gas without vacuum quite as well.

Also find that the Mold Pro Slow Black resin is comparable to Smooth On's Onyx Slow. A gallon kit of Onyx is $94.08 vs. a gallon of Mold Pro at $48.99. However, and I'm not sure why this is (but I will find out) the gallon kit from Smooth On is 16.5 pounds of material vs. the gallon kit from Specialty Resin at 8 pounds. Maybe the Onyx is twice as dense? (I doubt it). Something is not adding up. I'll call around and check it out.

So, as far as I can tell, while Specialty Resin's stuff looks really nice, it's not quite yet a "no brainer."

Actually numbers to numbers, the Specialty Resins RTV is the equivalent to Rebound 25. Also, while the resin may equal out in price if the Smooth On indeed comes at a total of 2 gallons of product, the 48.99 price tag is a much easier pill to swallow for someone first starting out with mold making and casting, and wants to try their hand at it. And, the quality seems to be on par with the Smooth On product. The speed and cost of the shipping, and the general entire experience I had with this company, is two thumbs up from me should any newbies want to try it out without coughing up all the cash.

 

[vistaVision]

Actually numbers to numbers, the Specialty Resins RTV is the equivalent to Rebound 25. Also, while the resin may equal out in price if the Smooth On indeed comes at a total of 2 gallons of product, the 48.99 price tag is a much easier pill to swallow for someone first starting out with mold making and casting, and wants to try their hand at it. And, the quality seems to be on par with the Smooth On product. The speed and cost of the shipping, and the general entire experience I had with this company, is two thumbs up from me should any newbies want to try it out without coughing up all the cash.

You've overlooked one major difference between Rebound 25 and the Specialty Resins Cast A Mold 25T silicone. The Rebound is a platinum cure rubber and the 25T is a tin cure. All other things being equal, the platinum cure rubber will almost always be a superior product. Of course, the higher-end platinum cure rubbers are not always necessary. I myself am working right now with tin cure Mold Max.

You are absolutely right when saying that smaller quantity kits are often perfect for small projects or beginners. I suppose that's why Smooth On offers those "trial" kits, but I'd say that Specialty Resins does have a better selection with pint, quart, 1/2 and 1 gallon packaging of their rubber.

 

[Triton]

You've overlooked one major difference between Rebound 25 and the Specialty Resins Cast A Mold 25T silicone. The Rebound is a platinum cure rubber and the 25T is a tin cure. All other things being equal, the platinum cure rubber will almost always be a superior product. Of course, the higher-end platinum cure rubbers are not always necessary. I myself am working right now with tin cure Mold Max.

You are absolutely right when saying that smaller quantity kits are often perfect for small projects or beginners. I suppose that's why Smooth On offers those "trial" kits, but I'd say that Specialty Resins does have a better selection with pint, quart, 1/2 and 1 gallon packaging of their rubber.

VERY good point VistaVision, I HAD overlooked that. :facepalm

 

[NSStudios]

Any news on their Pro-Black resin? I'm looking to buy some and want to know how it works. Thanks!