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August 13, 2015 at 10:04 pm #3969
In reply to: Something happened during shipping!
Katherine SwiftKeymasterChristy emailed pictures to share:
Here is a close up of a panel before (totally clear surface –there is sand obscuring the back)…
and what was received….
the back of it also took on a rippled effect that was probably the cellophane. This suggests to me that it was not fully cured? These are 30″ long but only .5″ deep. After reading the instructions and watching the videos for the resin I used, I estimated a week of curing outside the mold would be plenty of time, but I think I might have been way off. I also did a few light layers of resin sealant to help the top harden. I’m wondering if that was the wrong thing to do. I live in a very dry area and they were shipped to an area with more humidity but about same temperatures (warm). I just wish I knew which factor to address. I don’t want to have to refund her money and quit the job if it is something I can fix.
Will it clear on its own? Is there a method to fix it? Do I need to let the panels cure for a LOT longer? Did I need to use more catalyst (using max quantities per the can instructions)?
So many unknowns to me. In the future if I continue to work with resins I will become a major fan of your website. I wish I had found it before I started this venture! Thank you for taking the time to troubleshoot. I really appreciate it.May 7, 2015 at 1:33 am #1436In reply to: laminated picture in pendant bezel
Katherine SwiftGuestHi Nina,
Yes, I would suggest gluing the picture to the bottom of the bezel. Otherwise, you may trap a bubble that can come up some time during the curing process but not escape the resin, leaving an annoying bubble in your otherwise perfect pendant.
If the picture is laminated with a good sealed edge, you do not need to seal it before including in the resin. You can see what I mean by a sealed edge in this video on the Resin Obsession you tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86R7QBst4_o
May 3, 2015 at 4:31 am #759In reply to: Why does my resin have a wavy surface?
Katherine SwiftGuestHi Teresa,
My first thought is that the resin stuck to the side of the cup hasnt mixed well enough. Assuming you are scraping the cup at the end of pouring to get all your resin, this is probably why its wavy. I make a point to scrape my cup and stir utensil several times during the mixing process to get a good mix.
The other thing that may be happening is if your resin is starting to cure, but you are still adding it to the mold. It wont go flat, but instead stack in layers or waves.
Luckily, though, it sounds like your resin is curing appropriately. As you found out, you can just sand the waves off.
March 18, 2015 at 7:41 am #2012In reply to: Layering polyurethane resin
Katherine SwiftGuestCould this be done? Yes, but Im not sure it is the easiest way to go about this.
First, I would have concerns about getting the resin to stay in one place on a curved surface. If I was going to try, I would use a very quick curing polyurethane resin.
Secondly, assuming you could get it to stay in one place, I would suspect that the cheeks would look raised, e.g. not on the same plane as the rest of her face.
Since you are most likely pouring your resin into a mold, you wont be able to get to the cheek area while it is wet enough to pick up color without making a mess of what you just poured.
Unfortunately, using acrylic paint is probably your easiest bet.
March 4, 2015 at 5:54 am #749In reply to: Resin curing problems in the mountains
Katherine SwiftGuestHi D,
Im sorry to hear you are having resin curing problems. Resin needs to stay at a constant temperature. I recommend keeping it in a cool, dark place, like the bottom of a closet. When the temperature swings significantly, condensation can form on the inside of your lid and can drip into the resin. Im not sure if this is why your resin has turned yellow, or whether or not the resin is old. Unfortunately, the mass merchandise craft stores dont do a good job of rotating their stock (in my opinion), so just because you bought the resin recently doesnt mean it hadnt been sitting on the shelf for awhile.
As for the tarantula, I would do exactly what you propose. Cut it out with a dremel tool and try to recast. Make sure your edges are smooth and dont show any tool marks before recasting. Otherwise, that may show up in the new casting as a visible line.
Which brand/kind of resin are you using?
February 22, 2015 at 9:14 am #1378In reply to: Making a mold of a mannequin
Katherine SwiftGuestHi Jessica,
Unfortunately, its the nature of polyester resin to remain tacky on the surface exposed to air. If you are referring to the Castin Craft polyester resin, the manufacturer does have a curing agent that can be mixed into the resin to keep that from happening but will make the resin cloudy. My best suggestion would be to coat it with a layer of our resin gloss sealer spray once the resin has cured. You can find it here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/castin-craft-gloss-resin-sealer-spray
January 16, 2015 at 1:27 pm #85320In reply to: Resin belt buckle advice needed
Katherine SwiftKeymasterHi Kelly,
In reading your question, it sounds like you are going to use a belt buckle blank as opposed to a belt buckle mold, yes? I’m writing my answer below like you are using a blank.
First, seal your item with a clear drying white glue, including the edges, then gluing the image to the bottom of the buckle. Seal again inside the bezel. You definitely don’t want to experience any water stains. This is the one I use: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/ice-resin-paper-sealer
I would not pour resin first, then put the image down, because you don’t want to chance trapping bubbles underneath your picture that may come up later during curing.
As for the resin, use the Resin Obsession crystal doming resin: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-crystal-doming-resin
While this isn’t a belt buckle, this tutorial on our blog should help as well: https://resinobsession.com/resin-tutorials/how-to-make-a-resin-pendant-using-a-bezel-pendant-tray/
Good luck!
November 5, 2014 at 6:22 am #1668In reply to: All finishes are sticky!
Katherine SwiftGuest@Mindy,
When it comes to sticky resin (especially for newbies), I would say 75% percent of the time it comes down to either not measuring accurately or not mixing thoroughly. I know in the beginning, I thought I was doing a good enough job, but not really. Here are a few things to check on:
1. Use measuring cups with graduated lines to measure.
2. Mix for at least 10 percent of the pot time, scraping your cup and sticks several time during the process.
3. Mix the minimum amount required by the manufacturer. (I doubt that is the problem here for your bracelet, but resin requires heat to cure. If you dont mix a minimum amount, curing wont occur).How are you doing with these steps?
September 2, 2014 at 7:08 am #1780In reply to: White things in clear resin disappear :(
ErinGuestSadly Im in the UK so that isnt an option, though I have asked on another forum about available equivalents (slightly different reason, surface curing of polyester resin) – no suggestions yet, however.
I stuck the feather using mod podge hoping it would both seal it and alter the index of refraction. Ive put it in the resin tonight so will see how it looks tomorrow, though it did look suspiciously transparent again.July 23, 2014 at 7:02 am #1223In reply to: Best resin for beads
Katherine SwiftGuestHi Monica,
The first thing I would ask you is whether or not you have experience with any of all three of these resins. There are pros and cons to each of these, but ultimately, you need to use the one you are most comfortable with.
How are you going to make these beads? Plastic mold? Silicone mold? That will also impact my answer.
If getting your castings bubble free is very important to you, then epoxy is the way to go. The other two are much quicker curing and may not let you get all the bubbles out before it starts to gel. The polyester and polyurethane resins are nice in that they will finish harder, which would be important if you expect your beads to be in a high impact situation. Here’s a post on our blog that may help you as well: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/what-kind-of-resin-should-i-use/
Share some more details here and I can refine my answer some more.
July 13, 2014 at 6:44 am #634In reply to: glitter issues in resin…
Katherine SwiftGuestStrange! Is it sinking too? Are you using a coarse glitter or a fine glitter? Is your resin curing okay otherwise?
June 5, 2014 at 10:36 am #1670In reply to: resin curing problems with 2 to 1 resin
Katherine SwiftGuestHi Eleonora,
Here are a few of my thoughts:
1. Are you mixing the recommended minimum amount? Its almost like your resin isnt getting hot enough to cure. Since resin is a chemical reaction, you need a minimum amount to mix together in order to produce enough heat.
2. How old is your resin? You mention that its yellow. Maybe its past its good shelf life?
3. How have you been storing your resin? If it is indeed old, maybe it also has some water contamination.
4. Perhaps youre experiencing the change of seasons I hear a lot about. Living in Florida, I havent run into this problem, but I have spoken with several other resin artists in Northern climates that have curing problems moving into the warmer and cooler parts of the year. Maybe your resin temperature hasnt caught up with the ambient temperature yet. Try warming your bottles for 5 minutes in a warm water bath before using next time.
Let us know what ends up working for you.
June 2, 2014 at 5:46 am #1770In reply to: Resin tacky b/c of refrigerated air
Katherine SwiftGuestHi Sarah,
73 degrees should be warm enough for your resin to cure. Was it at this temperature for the entire time? If so, I would wonder if your resin was measured and mixed properly. If it wasnt that warm the entire time, I would make sure to have it at that temp the entire curing time.
As long as your resin is just a little sticky on the surface (not gooey), another layer of resin over top should be fine.
May 22, 2014 at 12:45 pm #613In reply to: cuff bracelet – too soft and flexible
DanGuestHi Katherine,
thanks for the response.
Is there a polyester resin in particular that you would recommend? Also, is polyester resin generally as good for embedding dried flowers as epoxy? I somehow feel like flowers would fall apart more easily in polyester resin than epoxy resin, while curing. Ive been wary of using polyester for this reason.
April 8, 2014 at 12:19 pm #584In reply to: Champagne bubbles even with degassing
Katherine SwiftGuestHi,
This is a pretty common occurrence with quick cure polyurethane resins when vacuum casting. I checked with the Smooth On (the product manufacturer) online directions for this product, and they say vacuum casting is not necessary.
If anything with polyurethane resins, pressure casting is a better choice. It will make the bubbles very small and keep them that way while curing rather than trying to suck them out.
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