[Katherine Swift]

This question comes through email by D:

I just moved from Florida up into the mountains. I tried to cast something last night and it seems i?m having all sorts of issues. First of all, one of the epoxy resin bottles (the yellow mix) has turned very yellow and it?s still pretty new resin. Would temperature changes make this happen, and if so, what?s the best solution to avoid it? I normally let the bottles sit in warm water so the viscosity changes, however now I?m feeling like the constant cooling and heating may be what?s yellowing it quicker. If I don?t heat it, it will trap too many bubbles in there even with a degaussing chamber i have. The piece I was casting last night got messed up pretty bad, it was a customers? tarantula that I was casting in Epoxy resin and now it?s yellow and full of big bubbles inside. During the vacuum chamber the resin got really hot (which isn?t normal for the epoxy resin i use with 24hr dry time) and it trapped all the bubbles in there. Is there a way for me to fix this? Like, If I cut the tarantula out with a dremel carefully, would I be able to re-cast once I figure out the issue and get rid of all the mess ups?

Please help if possible, I haven?t been able to find an answer to why this is happening. I even bought a new resin from hobby lobby to see if that?s crystal clear as it says on the box but it?s still curing very yellow.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi 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?

[Dro]

I was hoping that I can use the dremel to cut it out, I will make sure to use a fine tip in order to smoothen it out before recasting. I have been currently using the Easy Cast and Amazing Casting epoxy brands. However, I just recently purchased a couple of bottles of MAX 1618. The MAX1618 I just ordered did come with a bright yellow piece of paper warning about cold temperatures and condensation. It mentioned before using that I should heat up the resin to about 80 degrees using a hot bath.

It also mentioned to make sure everything is completely dry before opening. Could this still cause the issues you mention over time? Is there a better way for me to get thinner viscosity that you suggest without having condensation issues?

I noticed they had electrical tape over the caps to avoid this issue during transport. Is it possible this will also work while using the hot bath to warm up the bottles?

[Katherine Swift]

You want to make sure your bottles are dry after taking them out of the bath so that you don’t add water to anything when casting.  You can also seal them in a plastic zip-top bag before placing them in the water to avoid contamination.

Have you tried the Resin Obsession super clear resin?  It mixes very clear and is designed for molds.  It mixes thinner than the Easy Cast or Amazing clear cast.  https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-super-clear-resin

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