[Katherine Swift]

Hi Connie,

Thank you for the kind words. 🙂

For your project, you are going to need to make a two part mold. If you cast your skulls as one part, you won’t be able to demold them after the resin has finished curing. The team at Composimold did this video for us on how to mold and cast a dinosaur. The same concept would apply to your project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DejiH6M9qBM&t=2s

As for a mold making material, if you are new to casting, I would definitely recommend using the Composimold material. You can remelt and reuse your mistakes. If you are experienced with mold making, then you can jump directly to using one of the silicone products. All of them can be found here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/mold-making-materials Putty would not be a good choice here because you won’t get the two parts to come together without leaving gaps for the resin to leak.

As for the resin choice, I think the Alumilite Amazing casting resin would be a perfect choice. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/products/alumilite-amazing-casting-resin-16-oz-opaque-white There is an example on that page of when I used it to make Halloween charms. I think it would match your ‘bone’ color fairly closely.

[Chris Maqueira]

If you work with the resin within 48 hours of its curing, you may be able to (1) ply it off. (If you wait longer it will be too hard); too early and the resin is too stretchy and won’t come off in one piece).
(2) rub it off with nail polish remover, but this will leave a dull finish so I usually put a layer of resin on the back, intentionally this time. (3)Carefully use a heat gun on the back only enough so it is easier to pry off. Too much heat will ruin the whole thing!

[Brandon]

No, only the bottom of the plug is exposed to air when the resin is curing

[Katherine Swift]

Are those fingerprints on the side exposed to air while the polyester resin is curing?

[Leah]

Hello. I am sorry if this is redundant I just can’t find the exact answer and I’m just getting so frustrated. I’ve had to throw away three batches of jewelry because of not curing. I am very new to this and my first to batches worked. But now they all just won’t set. I started with alumilit clear cast and recently used ice resin and having the same issues. I’m very carful to measure perfectly and mixing carefully. I’m just wondering if it’s the temperature. I live in Hawaii and it’s been super hot the last week. I do not have air conditioning. Can I just not do this when its hot? Should I keep me resin in the fridge and only use it when it cools down? Thank you for your advice. This is really something I want to pursue with my jewelry.
Aloha
Leah

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Kayla,

What your are describing is typical of polyester casting resin. The surface exposed to air during curing will remain tacky. Yes, everything is cured underneath, but it’s like putting your finger onto tape. I have pieces cast from YEARS ago that are still sticky.

The gloss sealer spray would work to take care of the tackiness, but I understand your concern with drips. Your other option is to sand off the back of the pieces, although with the size of your castings, that’s a lot of work. A third possible option to try is to apply a doming resin to the surface, but that may not give you a nice flat back.

I wish I had an easy solution for you.

[Katherine Swift]

I don’t know that the resin spray would be any better. I’m guessing it has something to do with the force/pressure of the gas disturbing the wings.

I have never had a problem with spray leaving a residue that interfered with the resin – curing or looking funky or otherwise.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Gena,

The two biggest reasons why resin doesn’t cure is either from inaccurate measuring or inadequate mixing. You have to be precise in both, otherwise your resin will not cure.

There are also other factors, such as colorants/inclusions added, mixing amounts and crafting area temperatures than can affect curing. This troubleshooting article should also give you some ideas: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-troubleshooting-tips

[Katherine Swift]

Resin won’t stick to masking tape, packing tape or wax. Have you considered using a two-part, quick curing epoxy to bond the chain to the wood? Something from a hardware store could work in this case and you wouldn’t need to dam it up.

[Katherine Swift]

Thanks Jaime, the pictures help a lot.

Bubbles are going to be a major concern since there are a bunch of cracks and crevices in your project. For what you want to do, I recommend the Resin Obsession dee pour resin. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin If you are careful in mixing, bubbles are almost never a problem.

I would suggest trying to seal the wood interior if possible. Bubbles trapped in the wood could come out later as the resin is curing. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good advice for how to do that. As for the visible holes, be sure to cover them with a good masking tape before pouring. The resin won’t stick to the tape and you can peel it off after curing. With that said, I would still tell you to expect some resin runoff. You will likely want to babysit your tree for the first hour or so after pouring.

There isn’t going to be a good way to add glow/resin to the interior. You could try brushing it on, but gravity is going to take over and it will drip to the bottom. If I were going to try this, I would find a way to paint/prime the interior, then add glow powder to the paint for the next layer. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/colorants/products/day-glow-in-the-dark-powder-for-resin (This powder works great with paint too.) Once everything is dry (couple of days at least) then add the resin. The couple layers of paint may be all you need to seal the wood to keep bubbles from coming into your resin.

Please come back and share a picture when you are finished!

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Priti,

Yes, using alginate is a great way to make a mold of body parts. It generally only lasts for one casting though as they tend to be rather flimsy. They also have a lot of moisture in them, which can impact your resin curing. As for a resin to use when casting in an alginate mold, I’m afraid I don’t have a recommendation for you. I would suggest asking the alginate mold material manufacturer of the product you intend to use. They can recommend a resin that will handle the extra moisture the best and cure properly.

[Katherine Swift]

You are getting scratches with the TotalCast resin? Are you using it on artwork or something else?

I would expect acrylic paint to work, just know if you add too much there will be curing issues.

[Katherine Swift]

All resins need a certain amount of heat to induce curing. If the resin is poured in thin layers, there may not be enough heat to allow curing.

[Kellie]

Sorry, I didn’t see your reply before I posted the other question!

For ‘pearls’ I was thinking more of resin mixed with color or glitter – a ball but pearl sized.

So at least for bezels, stick with epoxy. Would Ice Resin give a harder cure? Or are self-curing dents acceptable in the resin jewelry world?

For any kind of mold, poly is the way to go then?

It’s weird that poly won’t cure hard in thin layers, I think that’s throwing me off.

Thanks again for all of your help!

[Katherine Swift]

Polyester resin is meant for molds and deep pours. I would not use it in bezels for two reasons:

1. It may not cure in the thin bezels.
2. The layer that is exposed to air during curing may remain tacky.

It will dry very hard (harder than an epoxy) but for bezels, an epoxy will do fine. Either of the epoxies I mentioned above will work for bezels.

When you say you want to make pearls, do you have a link you can share of what you want to create?