[Randy]

Hi, I’m new to casting and wanting to make essential oil bottle holders that would be blocks about 1.5”wide, 2” tall and 8” long with holes either cast into the top or drilled. I’d like to use something that I could cast in a single pour so that I can use paints to make a sort of mottled translucent color scheme. What type of resin would work best?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Stacy,

Both the chemists I spoke with have not tested using essential oils in resin, but expect that it should not permeate a cured resin surface.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jodi,

If I were going to recreate something like what you link to, here is how I would go about it:

1. Select a vial and a screw top lid that I want to use to contain the liquid (perfume, essential oil, etc.)
2. Select or create a mold large enough to hold the vial the way you want it. From the pictures you show, the vials are suspended in the pieces.
3. Next comes the tricky part that is going to require some experimentation on your part. To make the vial a part of the casting, I would try two different approaches to see what works best:
*Cast the vial in place when pouring the resin. You can do this by casting the resin in two pours. Cast the first pour to the bottom of where the vial is going to sit. Once the resin has cured enough to hold the vial, pour in the second layer. OR, you can cast it all at once if you can find a way to suspend the vial in the mold while the resin cures.
*Fully fill the mold with resin. Once it has cured, use a drill the same size as your vial to drill a vertical hole to place your vial. Use a little resin to glue it into place.
4. I don’t know how the top secures to the vial, but you will need to leave room for that to be able to happen. I’m guessing it is either a snap or screw on closure.

As for your original question, yes you can use resin to seal one end. If you use it to seal the eyelet end, you won’t be able to get the eyelet back out. I’m thinking you will need to have a glass insert of some kind, otherwise, the liquid you place into the hold will permeate into the bead.