[Tyler]

I’ve just started using resin so practiced with some small molds and noticed that the open air side of the resin is clear but the sides touching the silicone mold are frosted, do i have to treat these surfaces first or just go to town with sandpaper straight away?

[Mike]

Hi Tyler,
I noticed the same thing. I de-molded my first casting on Monday this week. My mold is Alumalite #3 silicone. I expected my cast piece to be clear too. I’m hoping that applying resin spray finish will clear it up. I am not sure if I need to prepare the surface to remove mold release, hand oil, etc. Maybe the Novus resin polish would do the trick. Katherine Swift has been really good about responding to my previous posts. Hopefully she will have an answer for us.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi guys, do you know what kind of surface was on the template for the silicone mold you used? I ask because if the whatever the surface of the template is, it will impart to the surface of the mold and subsequent castings.

[Tyler]

At the moment I’m only practicing with food grade silicone Molds till I get the hang of what I’m doing

[Mike]

Hi Katherine,
The skull model that I used is pretty smooth, but not shiny. Can I expect a shiny finish from a silicon (Alumilite#3) mold formed from a shiny, smooth model? I will try with the Novus polish first to see if it improves the finish. Actually, the slightly frosted finish helps to defuse the LED light.

[Katherine Swift]

Yes, if your model is shiny, you can expect shiny results from a mold made with the Alumilite #3

[Mike]

I just watched the video titled ‘How to get a glossy finish on resin jewelry’ on the Castin’ Craft Gloss Resin Sealer Spray page. The jewelry charms were cast in food grade silicon molds that left the cast pieces with a frosted finish. The video demonstrates how to use the gloss spray to get a clear, shiny finish.

[Katherine Swift]

@Tyler, yes, what you experienced is pretty common with food use silicone molds. I think the spray works well to get your castings glossy again. Here’s a link to the video Mike mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITsGX4PcPrE

[Mike]

Thanks Katherine,
I have a notion to cast a mold using a large, glass marble to make shiny, colorful lighted ornaments using LEDs.

[Katherine Swift]

This article explains why your resin is cloudy: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/cloudy-resin-why-is-my-resin-cloudy-reasons-for-cloudy-resin/

[Author]

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