[Janis]

Hi Katherine

Yep I agree "smooch" dosent sound good – unless of course one is aiming for "smooch I once over heated a computer keyboard with a hairdryer – It was very smooch!

Your response is clear and I can create a cast when my pieces are flat.

I follow the process you describe to bend my pieces into shape.

To replicate the piece now it would seem I have to find a product which I can pour into the flat mold and then heat to manipulate.

You mention Acrylic sheet (Plexiglass) which sounds perfect –  I wonder if this product is available in powder or 2 pack liquid form to mix and pour? into the flat mold, or possibly a 2 pack PVC product?

Many Thanks Janis

[Katherine Swift]

This comes through email:

My name is Janis and I live in a small town in tropical Nth Queensland, Australia. “I carve plastic”  I have just started to sell my pieces on commission in a near by tourist town. They are quite popular, however it takes me anything up to 3 weeks to create one! (and thus dont really want to part with)  So I stumbled onto the idea of using my originals to cast moulds and create the bangles out of resin.

1.  Does the bangle have to be circular? (mine dont tend to meet at the end – as you can see)
2. Once you make a resin bangle can you manipulate it?? ie can i cast the mold flat and then bend it?

[Katherine Swift]

Janis,

The bracelet does not have to be circular, nor does it have to meet on the ends.  As long as you have a good flat surface to press onto a surface, you should be able to make a good mold.

You can manipulate the resin while it hasnt fully cured, but it tends to smoosh and I dont think you would be happy with the results.

What you describe doing (casting flat then forming) I have had better luck doing with acrylic sheet (plexiglass).  If you get it hot with a heat gun, it will be very fluid like for a few seconds.  Cut and carve the piece you want, get it hot, then while it is soft, you can form it around a mandrel.  It will cool off enough within 30 seconds or so that it will keep its form.

[Katherine Swift]

Janis,

I dont know much about pouring acrylic.  I know it can be done, but thats about it.

What I have done here is to go by a home improvement or hardware store to buy sheet acrylic (plexiglass).  You can score it with a special tool, then snap it to get it to break along that line.  You can easily get your straight edges this way.

You can saw out portions of it to create the designs you want.  Once it is sawed, then heat it up to form it around the mandrel. 

Since you are looking to mass produce them in a short time, perhaps you can find someone who can laser cut flat acrylic according to your template?  Then you can form around a mandrel yourself.

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