Need another resin supplier.

I've tried Vagabond, and I wasn't happy with it. too many imperfections and it was too unpredictable and sensitive to the Florida weather.

Trust me. With Smooth-on, you get what you paid for. I've use it for the last 6 years, and I won't look back.
 
I guess the question is what you are doing with it?

I currently use 4 different resins, as I tailor them to the casting job I'm doing and find some work better under certain circumstances...

1st I use Alumilite for a factory Black resin and I also use regular Alumilite for quick small castings as I find it doesn't get stuck in the rubber like stage as say Smooth On resins... I really like the fact it sets a gets 'stiff' a little quicker as there is less chance of deformation... Not real fond of their white resin I stick to the bone colored stuff...

2nd I use Smooth On 320/325 for parts where humidity might be an issue because of additives, embeded items, or on rainy days as I find it has the least foam reaction to humidity... But because of the cost I only use it selectively...

3rd I use the John Greer resin for a bulk of my stuff as I find it very suitable in most cases, it has a decent work time and I generally vacuum degass it after mixing and before pouring this really helps reduce bubble issues, both on the surface and in throughout the casting... Sometimes it sweats if pulled from the mold too fast so I generally leave it in the mold for 60 minutes or more regardless of the claimed demold times... I also find that when I vacuum degass it almost never sweats...

4th and last but not least I use a industrial grade resin that the local supplier rebrands (so I have no idea what it actually is), it's a GREAT resin but it stinks all to hell, and continues to stink for a long time after casting... And when I say stink I mean don't use it in the house or even bring in the castings until they have had time to air out... It also seperates very quick so it needs constant stiring or shaking... But for certain things it works very well, and like Smooth On it has very little reaction to humidity...
 
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What rotocasting resin alternatives are there besides smoothon? Or can I use the Greer product for that?
 
Walter said:
What rotocasting resin alternatives are there besides smoothon? Or can I use the Greer product for that?
Click to expand...

I knew a company that used Vagabond resin for that. Probably all sorts of resins you can use for rotocasting.
 
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exoray said:
---I use Smooth On 320/325 for parts where humidity might be an issue because of additives, embeded items, or on rainy days as I find it has the least foam reaction to humidity... But because of the cost I only use it selectively...

3rd I use the John Greer resin for a bulk of my stuff as I find it very suitable in most cases, it has a decent work time and I generally vacuum degass it after mixing and before pouring this really helps reduce bubble issues, both on the surface and in throughout the casting... Sometimes it sweats if pulled from the mold too fast so I generally leave it in the mold for 60 minutes or more regardless of the claimed demold times... I also find that when I vacuum degass it almost never sweats...

4th and last but not least I use a industrial grade resin that the local supplier rebrands (so I have no idea what it actually is), it's a GREAT resin but it stinks all to hell, and continues to stink for a long time after casting... And when I say stink I mean don't use it in the house or even bring in the castings until they have had time to air out... It also seperates very quick so it needs constant stiring or shaking... But for certain things it works very well, and like Smooth On it has very little reaction to humidity...
Click to expand...


Anyone working with urethane resin in humid locales should stock up on aerosol Nitrogen, usually called a Nitrogen Blanket. Every time resin is removed from a jug, a small squirt of Nitrogen will displace the humid air from the container and prevent moisture contamination. You can also pot the resin off into smaller containers, so the volume of air that comes into contact with the material is much less.

Any resin that weeps is simply bad resin-- unless it is not mixed properly. Resin is usually measured by volume, not weight, so mixing the material at the correct ratio can be way off depending on which resin it is. For instance, I use Vagabond 36XXX. The A side is 10% heavier than the B side. Since I weigh my resin on a gram-scale, I have to do a mental calculation to get the correct amounts poured into the cup. Another thing to note is that tan resins are less sensitive to improper mixture ratio than white resins. White resin must be mixed to the EXACT prescribed mixture ratio or it will always weep. It might weep right away, or it might weep a year later-- but it will weep if the mix was off.

Really stinky resins have an inert component that is supposed to separate. The component is usually diesel oil. It is added to the resin for two reasons. First, it acts as a filler so that any given volume actually has less resin in it. Second, it acts as a barrier between any moist air and the resin component. I have used a turkey baster to remove the oil in the past, but you can't get rid of all of it. It is a good idea to remove as much of this oil as possible because it will reduce the odor in the cured part and reduce the possibility of the oil percolating out of the part down the line. This usually happens when the cast object is left in the sun for an extended amount of time, usually producing bubbles in the paint job. Some resins use mineral oil instead of diesel oil, but you'll find the same separation problem.

Degassing resin can be harmful to the material, with varying results depending on the brand/type of resin. When atmospheric pressure is reduced, the chemistry that is being degassed can actually vaporize and the result is that the material is slightly altered (this is called Boyle's Law). This is why pressure-casting is the way to go-- if you can't make a mold that doesn't trap the air. I should say that the thinner a resin is, the more likely the chemistry will be effected by degassing. A thicker resin will be less effected, so probably safer to degas.

Scott
 
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I have tried them all at one time or another, and still like my Smooth On. It is easy to use and works 99.99% of the time...Kev
 
runnriottt said:
Currently trying out Smooth On Task 6. Industrial resin. I get the vibe though you aren't looking Smooth On... :lol
Click to expand...

:confused

Actually...

We used the Task 6 when I worked at McFarlane Toys because of it's low shrink rate. How is the viscosity of the Task 6. I did not work in the mold shop so I never got to try it out.
 
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Its far thicker than the others from Smooth On or any other I have used so far. The B part is like snot. The A thins it, but still, thick. I have had air entrapment problems.

Stuff is pretty bullet proof though. :)
 
The only time I had it stick to to the molds is when I mixed it wrong, no joke. Plus to me you get what you pay for.

I have had no problem with Smooth Ons people, in fact for me they have bent over backwards and sent me free stuff to help me out.

Now, I do not use thier rtv, but do love the resin. I use for the most part 325 or 321, but dont get the 322. I have also used all the other resins the offer in the little kit forms to see how it works....Kev
 
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