Cheap and locally available clear resin: Any ideas?

[GuntahKela]

I want to leave the $50.00+ Smooth-on option as a last resort, so, please, I'm thinking art-store shelf, here.

I need to cast very small pieces. In fact, 1/3 of the resin bottle will go to waist, since I hardly do any clear casting. I'm using blue RTV molds. Saw the Craftin'craft can ($20.00 somthing) with catalyst sold separately.

Also saw this:

Resin - Resins Colorants - Easycast Clear Casting Resin 8 Oz

Having said the above, what good-enough clear resin is available at Michael's, Pearl's, or even the local Hobby shop? Would you recommend any of the resins showed above?
Thanks.

 

[shenphong]

Easycast is the only one that I know Michaels carries. If you have a tapplastic near you, they also have resin there in smaller quantities but honestly, the smooth-on online prices still beat them if you go any larger. I don't know anyone who's used Easycast before and would love if someone chimed in here about it as it may be the best alternative for something cheap and local. I know that Michaels sends out 40-50% off coupons all the time so that'd make it even cheaper. I do hear that CastNCraft's molding stuff was junky though from a number of model builders.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

I've found Castin' Craft 1:1 clear resin at Michaels and AC Moore, and got so-so results. I was making small items in rubber molds. Some of them were decent, some were kind of soft, but eventually hardened, and some stayed gooey and all but ruined the molds. I bought the other Castin Craft clear resin once - the kind that comes in a metal container and you buy a separate dropper of catalyst. On the advice of members here, I actually never opened it and returned it a day or two later. I was warned that it's dangerous to use in smaller spaces and still difficult to get great results.
I've never used Smooth-on clear resin, but I would trust their products over anything available in a craft store. I ordered their white resin from Dick Blick's and it was inexpensive and shipped quickly.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Oh, I just thought of another option. I bought some kind of filler resin at the hobby shop, just a little mom'n'pop place. I got comparable results to the Castin Craft resin, but you might do better if you're more experienced. It was called "20 minute Finish Cure Epoxy." It was a 1:1 ratio, and the bottle says to warm it up first. I just heated water and sat the bottles in for a short time. I think it was $20 or less, so if you go to a shop that sells modeling supplies you might find something similar. At the very least, the fumes weren't overly bad when I kept the window open.

 

[starbuckcylon]

Alumilite - Products - Casting Resins - Alumilite Clear

I just bought some Alumilite as a test and its worked great and much cheaper than Smooth-On.

Also it helps to heat up your mold before casting.

Jim

 

[exoray]

How small and what kind of stress will they be put under?

For real small parts and if you have a pressure pot you can use 5 or 10 minute epoxy... If you want crystal clear you will need to find a brand that doesn't shift towards the yellow side when curing, but if you are going to tint then just about any brand will work as the yellow shift can be hidden...

Note that it will be a brittle part, and I would only suggest it for small detail pieces...

You can also try counter top epoxy, again the parts will exhibit brittle characteristics so the smaller the better...

In the end I have to this date not found anything more reliable or that produces the results I get with Smooth-On Clear, Alumilite comes in a close second... But, your really need to stay focused when mixing and measuring as you can get a bad batch real quick... I actually just ordered up another clear resin that claims to perform very well, it wasn't cheap and I don't have it in hand yet but if it works out I'm be sure to recommend it...