Resin Addict Forum

If FW does use Smooth-Cast® 65D how in creation do they do vacuum degassing with a pot life of 2.5 min.

I use black dye from alumilite takes 3-4 drops at most to shade an entire gallon, very potent stuff. I've been on the same 8 ox bottle for almost two years as it goes a super long way.

I find the grey really helps with Q&C and it also fits with people's expectations. Although there's no real functional differance what color the reisn is once it's been primed. I think that the resin companies don't pre-dye stuff because everyone prefers differant level of shade and also the dye settles pretty quickly.

They usually just draw their stuff from 55 gallon drums and repack it in gallon or smaller containers, it'd be a bitch to shake or stir a 55 gallon drum everytime you needed to pump out a gallon of resin for a customer. Also you'd need a seperate drum for each color, an unpopular color might go bad long before it's sold, so it's much easier to just let the customer muck about with colors.

I pre-dye each gallon of my resin and shake it up every time I have to refill one of the squeeze bottles I use for the daily casting. Even with doing that each time the stuff at the bottom is always noticeably darker than the earlier batches of resin from the same gallon.

Several companies do make pumps that can be set to pre-measured volumes, so if you really want to maintain an exacting standard of dye across differant containers you could get one of those to control the dye used in identical quantities. I've bought a lot of differnat FW pieces over the years and their tint can vary pretty heavily so I'd assume they are basically aproximating the dye use like most people. And it's of course even if it's all pre-measured it's still impacted by settling so it's difficult to get every batch to be perfectly the same color.




You can use a 3 min pot life with vaccuum but you have to be quick about it and have all the molds in the pot already. It also means having molds that don't require any fiddiling with or squeezing out bubbles.

It's also very helpful to have a high capacity vaccuum pump so it can vacate the air faster. I bought a cheap pump so it takes 30-60 seconds to get a vaccum but if I'd been willing to spring $200-$300 for a higher volume pump I could have the pot de-aried in less than 10 seconds. I would also assume that since they are a sizeable commerical caster that they have pro-grade pots with a lever controlled lid/door rather than screw down bolts like we paint pot users deal with.

Also the more you do casting the faster you get at it. If I am quick about it I can do both vaccuum and pressure within that 2.5-3 minutes window, although typically I prefer to use a slower resin with 7minute life, takes long to cure but not having to be in a lightning fast pace definately helps.

I had to look around several places before I could find condiment bottles basically like the ones they have for ketchup and mustand at hot dogs stands. For some reason hardly anybody stocks them, I called 4 differant resturant supply shops and none of them carried any..

They carry some at Bed Bath and Beyond, which have a kinda of flat top with a snap on and off lid, they are only 8oz bottles so they are on the small side. Sam's Club had 32oz ones with a pointed spot hot dog cart style. (the pointed spout really helps with measuring out small amounts)

A lot of makers apprently don't add caps on their spouts for some reason, not sure why as I know that ketchup BBQ sauce etc shouldn't be left open to air all the time...

I'm sure you can track them down on ebay or with online vendors.

Here's some from ebay with caps





Make sure to pick up a couple small plastic oil funnels to help pour the large containers into the squeeze bottles as it helps with spillage. Just make sure you use a seperate funnel for each resin half or you will get ruined/ cured resin if you share the funnel for both halves.


As long as they have caps you can store the resin in the pour bottles indefinately as moisture won't get in and wreck it. Just make sure when you go to shake them up you keep a finger over the cap or you'll spray resin all over. In between casts I've left some of my resin in these bottles for weeks or even a couple months and had no problems, it does settle a bit but that's the same with the large jugs.


I also do a simular process with the silicone, I have several 64oz containers (.5 gallon) with a snap top lid on them that way I can use them as opposed to the heavy gallon buckets which are a pain in the butt to control the flow on. The fridge cooler containers have a pour hole that helps regulate how much you pour so it's not like a tidal wave of silicone pouring over the buckets really wide mouth. The lids unscrew and are wide enough you can fit a paint stir into to mix it up before use.

Helps avoid a lot fo overspill and mess.

Awesome stuff!

Ive not poured rubber directly from the tin for a long time, even decanting into a smaller tin is a pain.

I stick my rubber mix cup on the scales, then "dollop" rubber from the gallon tin into the cup using a spatula.

Garantees no spillage and I can precicely cut the flow to get the ammount I need by flipping the spatula over and sticking it back in the gallon container, just gotta make sure it doesnt sink under the surface! :p

AH

Ouch Paulson those ebay squeeze bottles are pricey!

Im all set.. headed to a couple of my local "homeware" highstreet shop and found a couple of the sqeezy bottles cafes use for ketchup. A red one for resin and a brown one for hardener, they are perfect! and only £1.25 each!

No caps, so Im going to make some out of Rapid-Mold plastic, woop! Got a funnel as well, and a load more plastic cups.. does everyone else go through dozens of the things a week??

AH

I pull my resin out using a small syringe (one for each part, obviously) and then mix it in a large plastic cup which is a little heftier than the classic white ones. Every now and then, I have to give the cup a few squeezes to detach the accumulated resin from the inside. A quick pull and the cup is as good as new.
I used to find the white plastic cups just disintegrated.

Ah didnt realise they were bulk lots, I will see about getting in a box, I can see the two Ive got needing replacing in a few months..

I love this forum.. no where else can I have a serious discussion about somthing as seemingly trivial as plastic cup economics!

My system is thus-

Put the cup on the scales, pour resin, now with new improved squeezy bottle, until it get to the desired weight. Pour the second half straight in, stir, pour.

Must be a massive pain in the ass measuring by volume..

Paulson if you got yourself some good scales you could cut your cup usage in half and probably save time as well!

Pouring any waste into a separate cup is a great idea, will do that from now on.

I stir my resin with wire "mixers" which I make with pliars and a 10m roll of garden wire, makes an awesome quality whisk for about 1p each!

I cast about £600 worth of stock today with a friend, it was an all day marathon but now I dont have to cast again for a while!

AH