EDIT - 4/27
Ok, time to share some pics of the good and the bad that happened with this project.
We will go in order, so you can really appreciate the weirdness this project included.
First up, we have CastinCraft 2 part clear epoxy, and a yellow rose with red trim. It actually started boiling the flower when the stuff started to cure. As you can see, it didn't turn out very well...
I actually carted that off to the back room and covered it with a cardboard box because I was SURE it was going to explode and throw glass everywhere. Nasty stuff.
Next up is the "flower water" stuff you buy at the florist shop. We got this stuff at hobby lobby (same place as the castincraft). This actually turned out REALLY well, except that it is a gel, not a solid plastic. It's currently got a seal of plastic wrap on the top and I am having a small piece of plexiglass laser cut to glue to the top. I want to keep it dust free. The flower is holding up astoundingly well though.
Last up was one I did the other night, and finally got polished up. I have some alumilite clear resin, and cut down one of my donner crystal display tubes and glued a sealed base onto the end. This stuff sets pretty quick, so it captured some air, and it did start to get pretty hot, but it didn't boil anything. I think if it would have been a bigger jar it would have been a repeat of the original. Still, it turned out pretty nice.
The water gel turned out the best of them all, but with the "gel" effect, it's hard to not put it in a sealed container. The alumilite was a good second to this, as it sealed perfectly, but it did catch a few bubbles. That stuff cures FAST. The castincraft did cure well, but man it did a number on that poor rosebud.
Everyones pretty happy with it though. My mom opted for the water gel one, and I will be mailing her a disk to cover the top of the candle holder she used. I am going to have one made for me to cover my candle holder, but I am also going to hang onto the alumilite one as well. It came out pretty nice
Dunno how long they will last, but I hope it's a long time.
Chris
Quick check with the prop gods and gurus on the board.
I have a few flowers that my mom wants to keep from my dads funeral today, and I was thinking of setting them up in a single block per flower.
I know they won't be bubble free as I don't have a pressure pot, but I am hoping I can swing by a hobby lobby here (I think there is one local), and pick up some castin craft clear and some kind of mold making material.
This is what I am assuming:
1: need to seal the flower somehow, gloss clearcoat or something.
2: Need to do at least a 2 part casting. One to get the stem in place to hold it, and then follow it up with the rest to have it all centered and not lopsided in the block.
3: need to buy some test flowers to use before I use the only ones she wants to save.
Now... before everyone starts telling me what website to order from and what silicone or alumilite clear and vacuum chamber to get, I am in MS so getting silicone or alumilite is going to not be happening unless I get REALLY lucky and the hobby store has it. I am pretty sure I can buy some mixing sticks and we have some plastic cups to mix stuff in. I haven't thought of the mold material yet but I am kinda hoping and praying they have some kind of silicone kit at the store. If not, I need an idea of a good mold material that I can use that will probably be at the store.
These will just be put through the house, not in sunlight, just up on the bookshelf or something, so I know I can finish it off with a clearcoat spray to avoid that "tack" feeling.
So, anyone have some cool ideas on this? I want to tackle it in a day or so before they start to either bloom bigger, or start to wither and die.
Thanks guys and gals.
Chris
Ok, time to share some pics of the good and the bad that happened with this project.
We will go in order, so you can really appreciate the weirdness this project included.
First up, we have CastinCraft 2 part clear epoxy, and a yellow rose with red trim. It actually started boiling the flower when the stuff started to cure. As you can see, it didn't turn out very well...
I actually carted that off to the back room and covered it with a cardboard box because I was SURE it was going to explode and throw glass everywhere. Nasty stuff.
Next up is the "flower water" stuff you buy at the florist shop. We got this stuff at hobby lobby (same place as the castincraft). This actually turned out REALLY well, except that it is a gel, not a solid plastic. It's currently got a seal of plastic wrap on the top and I am having a small piece of plexiglass laser cut to glue to the top. I want to keep it dust free. The flower is holding up astoundingly well though.
Last up was one I did the other night, and finally got polished up. I have some alumilite clear resin, and cut down one of my donner crystal display tubes and glued a sealed base onto the end. This stuff sets pretty quick, so it captured some air, and it did start to get pretty hot, but it didn't boil anything. I think if it would have been a bigger jar it would have been a repeat of the original. Still, it turned out pretty nice.
The water gel turned out the best of them all, but with the "gel" effect, it's hard to not put it in a sealed container. The alumilite was a good second to this, as it sealed perfectly, but it did catch a few bubbles. That stuff cures FAST. The castincraft did cure well, but man it did a number on that poor rosebud.
Everyones pretty happy with it though. My mom opted for the water gel one, and I will be mailing her a disk to cover the top of the candle holder she used. I am going to have one made for me to cover my candle holder, but I am also going to hang onto the alumilite one as well. It came out pretty nice
Dunno how long they will last, but I hope it's a long time.
Chris
Quick check with the prop gods and gurus on the board.
I have a few flowers that my mom wants to keep from my dads funeral today, and I was thinking of setting them up in a single block per flower.
I know they won't be bubble free as I don't have a pressure pot, but I am hoping I can swing by a hobby lobby here (I think there is one local), and pick up some castin craft clear and some kind of mold making material.
This is what I am assuming:
1: need to seal the flower somehow, gloss clearcoat or something.
2: Need to do at least a 2 part casting. One to get the stem in place to hold it, and then follow it up with the rest to have it all centered and not lopsided in the block.
3: need to buy some test flowers to use before I use the only ones she wants to save.
Now... before everyone starts telling me what website to order from and what silicone or alumilite clear and vacuum chamber to get, I am in MS so getting silicone or alumilite is going to not be happening unless I get REALLY lucky and the hobby store has it. I am pretty sure I can buy some mixing sticks and we have some plastic cups to mix stuff in. I haven't thought of the mold material yet but I am kinda hoping and praying they have some kind of silicone kit at the store. If not, I need an idea of a good mold material that I can use that will probably be at the store.
These will just be put through the house, not in sunlight, just up on the bookshelf or something, so I know I can finish it off with a clearcoat spray to avoid that "tack" feeling.
So, anyone have some cool ideas on this? I want to tackle it in a day or so before they start to either bloom bigger, or start to wither and die.
Thanks guys and gals.
Chris
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