Easy Cast clear resin - good? bad? fugly?

[hydin]

I was talking to someone today while trying to track down some parts i need for a project, and she mentioned easy cast resin.

apparently (im working with just guesswork here) its a 2 part epoxy resin that is 1:1 (logic says so, because there are 2 same size bottles in each kit) that is low odor and ... well, clear.

has anyone used it? does it suck? is it pretty cool, etc etc?

just looking for some info. have some ideas that i can use for this, and would like some feedback before lobbing 20 bucks into the ether
chris

 

[moffeaton]

Is this the Castin' Craft stuff? It's kinda scudly - never seems to harden fully...

 

[hydin]

nah. it might be the same company that makes it, but its a 1:1 mixture and its a low odor (which castincrap ain't).

i may have to take the plunge and give it a shot though.

they do have a finishing spray for castincraft though, to sorta "clear coat" it and keep it tack free.

guess next time i head into town ill swing by and grab a bit.

chris

 

[exoray]

Yes, it's made by Castin' Craft but it's not the polyester stuff you normally see, I know it's avertised as an all purpose casting resin, but it's really geared more towards use as fake water in floral arrangments and the sorts...

I don't know if I tried the Castin' Craft version of the epoxy 1:1 as several of the bottles I have laying around are generic non branded bottles (so they could be Castin' Craft), but with all the competitors versions I have tried were hit and miss, very tempermental on the mix ratio, they didn't dry real hard, you could still dent them with a finger nail after 2 weeks, and they do have a slight yellow/orange cast to them, that darkened over time...

The only real positive thing about them is they degassed damn good even outside a vac chamber...

IMO after trying MANY clear casting resins, Smooth On is the far in front leader, with Alumilite being a distant second (mostly because it has a much higher viscosity and is harder to degass) everything else fell way short for in mold casting... For fake water in model scenery Polytranspar 'Artificial Water' is top notch and used almost exclusively by taxidermist... But, I wasn't real happy with the in mold results from Arificial Water...

 

[Jedirick]

Originally posted by exoray@Feb 24 2006, 06:17 PM



IMO after trying MANY clear casting resins, Smooth On is the far in front leader, with Alumilite being a distant second (mostly because it has a much higher viscosity and is harder to degass) everything else fell way short for in mold casting...  For fake water in model scenery Polytranspar 'Artificial Water' is top notch and used almost exclusively by taxidermist...  But, I wasn't real happy with the in mold results from Arificial Water...

Agree 100% on Smooth-on. Steady predictable results. I too was pretty disappointed in Polytranspar 'Artificial Water' . It looks awesome in train dioramas but even when I tried it in a single piece open mold the resulting clarity and surface finish were disappointing. I though for sure I'd hit a winner. <sigh>

 

[Noeland]

Have to chime in with support for smooth-on. Very user friendly stuff, if you have a Pearl art store near you, give em a call, see if they have what you are looking for. The pearl here in Tampa has tons of smooth-on products.

Njc-------------

 

[hydin]

guys, i know smooth on makes awesome resin :lol

i was curious about this stuff though. lots cheaper, and was wondering if it would work for quick/dirty clear props for the collection. not mass production stuff.

if anyones worked with it before, and can give me any info, i appreciate it.

YES SMOOTH ON MAKES GREAT RESIN. just making sure yall knew i was paying attention :lol. hell, virtually every thread on this board concerning resin has a smooth on recommendation (did i miss out on some commision thing where if you mention them you get a dollar? :lol)

however, to me, smooth on is a bit more irritating to get as i have to order it and wait for it to come in the mail. i was wondering about this particular stuff as i have seen it in a few hobby shops, and noticed the 1:1 bottles in the pack. needed to know if it was worth the 8-10 bucks it ran for the resin . some nights ya just feel creative and wanna create. hard to do with with a 4-5 day waiting period. (yes, im impatient)

thanks.
chris

 

[exoray]

Originally posted by hydin@Feb 24 2006, 08:02 PM
if anyones worked with it before, and can give me any info, i appreciate it.

I already did... It's not that good.

Recap

very tempermental on the mix ratio, they didn't dry real hard, you could still dent them with a finger nail after 2 weeks, and they do have a slight yellow/orange cast to them, that darkened over time...

There are several companies that market this product under their own rebranded name, several of the bottles I have lack any and all company info, just instructions and all are identical even though they were purchased and braned different...

 

[hydin]

i knew you had posted up experiance with it, and i really do appreciate it.

but, considering every other post on here seems to be about how great smooth on is, that doesnt help me out much when i dont want to order smooth on resin :lol

its cool, and i do appreciate the feedback about it. i was just hoping for a few more "i tried it and it" opinions about the actual resin, and not about what other great products are on the market.

thanks
chris

 

[blufive]

In my opinion, anything that is "over the counter" will be fugly. You know the Smooth On is good stuff. Invest in a compressor and pressure pot and use the Smooth On. I know you know it's the best.

 

[replicaprops]

Ya Smooth-on
Dude I use Crystal Clear 202. You can not go wrong. Demold in 3 hours and polishes with diamond coated bits for the sprues. If you spray Tire shine into the mold before casting, it will come out glossy and perfectly clear. Along with the pressure pot, you need a digital gram scale. 90-100 ratio mix is very important.

They don't advertise on the web site but the stuff is available in pint units, so you don't have to pay over $100 for a gallon. I order from Reynolds and it is here the next day.
Oh and for colors, get the so-strong tint. It is awesome.

 

[hydin]

anyone know of a place/way to check to see if i can order the pint?

i have a project in the woiks and i kinda wanna give this a shot if i can keep the price point on the low side.

thanks
chris

 

[damon5973]

so if this stuff is so good, why arent the people making the holo chess pieces from it? can you add a purplish tint to it? Or is this already being done and I am out of the loop.........which is probably the case :unsure

 

[exoray]

Originally posted by damon5973@Mar 20 2006, 08:16 PM
so if this stuff is so good, why arent the people making the holo chess pieces from it?  can you add a purplish tint to it?  Or is this already being done and I am out of the loop.........which is probably the case :unsure

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I guess that would be better asked of the person making them... But, I would guess it boils down to the simple fact, that getting perfect clear castings is a lot more work then getting a workable regular resin one that will be painted...

 

[hydin]

that and the clear stuff is more expensive than the normal stuff.

id imagine cost plus the work involved makes regular resin a lot easier to finish the project out with.

chris

 

[MR BARLOW]

YOu got that right
Ive been doing tests with a number of clear resins. Most are double or more the cost of regular resins, have really extended cure times, and sometimes castings need to be baked after demolding. Also the success rate of some of these pieces even having to pressure pot them isnt 100 %. Aside from that Ive already molded my #8 piece I did twice because I got better reference and changed it to be more accurate. Id have to remold a 3rd time with platinum silicone

Honestly I dont think many people could justify the cost of clear pieces, especially times 8, to have the whole set.

I do have a couple ideas that might be an alternative and look cool.


B

 

[Darth Cross]

Mr. B, one thing you could try is Smooth-On's Color Match 325. It's pretty clear without any pigment added. With just a very small amount of pigment it coud possibly give a transucent casting. And it aslo costs about the same as their 300.

Just an idea.

 

[MR BARLOW]

Thats one that Ive tried it is fairly yellow/clear, even if I add slight tint to offset the yellow, a main problem is the thickness of the characters body. The heat buildup and concentration of material still makes the body more opaque than clear, even down to the legs where the heat is trying to escape.
We also have a textured sculpt, so even if I crystal clear it , the sculpt itself still obscures the transluscent effect.

B

 

[damon5973]

I understand now....being that I have NO experience in resin it is clearer now...no pun intended.

I have seen the other pieces out there and they look great even as just the resin castings.

good job guys....