How hard is it to cast resin?

[Austin T]

I want to cast some parts that I already have and may get in the future,How hard is it to start casting? I don't plan on selling,but just for my personal use.

[sjordan2]

The Alumilite website also has an instructional video.

http://www.alumilite.com/

Edited February 11, 2012 by sjordan2

[Austin T]

Thanks if you could send me some tips and more Info that would be great.What I'm thinking about is smalls like gas cans,motorcycles,engines,or any cool parts I find.Also I would like several racers wedges for various trucks I have,so I would make those too.

[Harry P.]

The magazine has been running a resin casting how-to feature for the past few issues now that would have answered your questions.

[Casey]

Thanks if you could send me some tips and more Info that would be great.What I'm thinking about is smalls like gas cans,motorcycles,engines,or any cool parts I find.Also I would like several racers wedges for various trucks I have,so I would make those too.

Small parts are easier to cast, but if you're making a racer's wedge (like the AMT kit part?), that's not something most beginners are going to be able to pull off successfully from the start. Start small with one-part molds, DO NOT use the Alumilite starter kit (the resin cures too quickly and the specific mold rubber included isn't the best choice IMHO), and be willing to learn from your failures.

[Austin T]

The magazine has been running a resin casting how-to feature for the past few issues now that would have answered your questions.

I just scraped up the money to subscribe to it last week,Hopefully I'll get an issue with a resin article.

[Harry P.]

I just scraped up the money to subscribe to it last week,Hopefully I'll get an issue with a resin article.

I just sent you a PM.

[crazyjim]

Al Raab at Ma's Resin offers Aluminite at a discounted price.

[Erik Smith]

Small parts are easier to cast, but if you're making a racer's wedge (like the AMT kit part?), that's not something most beginners are going to be able to pull off successfully from the start. Start small with one-part molds, DO NOT use the Alumilite starter kit (the resin cures too quickly and the specific mold rubber included isn't the best choice IMHO), and be willing to learn from your failures.

I agree with Casey - Don't bother with the Alumilite starter kit. For resin, I have found through the last two months that the Alumilite white (keep reading for more info) is much easier to work with. It is thinner, so it fills the mold better, and it sets slower, giving you time to pick out air bubbles or get the mold into the pressure caster. Also, the RTV in the beginner kit is not really the best - I have now tried the RTV High Strength 3 - better.

For the white resin, don't buy the larger 28 oz bottles. Get the smaller bottles labeled Amazing Casting Resin in the 16 oz bottles. I have not been able to determine the difference between "Alumilite White" and the "Amazing Casting Resin" - except price. "White" is $30 for 28 oz. "Amazing" is $15 for 16 oz. ??? Look at the Alumilite website and they have the exact same qualities.

The "Amazing" resin is not in the usual resin area at Hobby Lobby - it is in the jewelry section. Get a 40% off coupon and it is really cheap.

I have also tried Smooth Cast 300, but found it very brittle. I have a real hard time getting parts that have undercuts out of the mold without destroying them.

It takes time, practice, and wasting some resin and RTV, but it's fun.

[my66s55]

How hard is it to cast resin? It depends on you. It is an education process. No one can tell you to buy a certain product and that's the answer. You need to do some research and go to the sites of resin suppliers such as Alumilite and Smooth On and read their tutorials and than buy a product and experiment and continue to learn. I, like a majority per a post on this website a year or so ago who do casting for a profit,, use Smooth on products.

[HotRodaSaurus]

Just a note to anyone thinking of using fibreglass resin mixed with talcum powder(was told this yeeeeears ago). I cast some motorcycle tyre halves for an old Airfix Honda kit that were missing. I never got around to making the model up but when I looked at them a couple of years later they had shrank by about 1mm on circumference. They were perfect when first cast so must be an age or stabilising thing going on there.

Edited February 12, 2012 by HotRodaSaurus

[Ben]

Vegabond makes very good resins and they used to offer a free sample pack that had asmuch resin as the Alumilite kits. I always used their resin with great results. If you tell them the types of parts you want to make, they will tell you what formula will work best for you.