I have been thinking of casting some parts up in clear to make it a lot easier to light a model but when I look up clear resin I keep seeing disclaimers that its for industrial use only use a <some organaization> approved air respirator etc. Is the stuff really that dangerous? Does somebody know of a good "very clear" resin that I don't have to wear a haz-mat suit to use?
Thanks in advance,
Jedi Dade
casting clear resin
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Re: casting clear resin
Envirotex is relatively benign, as long as you have good ventilation, etc. You must bake/cure/age any silicone mold or the stuff won't cure right.Jedi Dade wrote:I have been thinking of casting some parts up in clear to make it a lot easier to light a model but when I look up clear resin I keep seeing disclaimers that its for industrial use only use a <some organaization> approved air respirator etc. Is the stuff really that dangerous? Does somebody know of a good "very clear" resin that I don't have to wear a haz-mat suit to use?
Thanks in advance,
Jedi Dade
Alumilite makes a clear resin that works, but it has a short pot life. You have to use some method (pressure pot or vacuum) to eliminate small bubbles, though.
There are a couple of threads here (Filling windows - epoxy vs. clear polyester resin and Where can I find clear resin? about casting with clear resin.)
Frank
Smooth-On has a nice one...Crystal Clear 202.
This one's pretty quick tho...9 minute gell time.
They have a slower one...200....20 min. gell time.
It's kinda pricy but IMHO worth the price.
Polishes up really nicely after a few days post curing.
You will need to de-gas any clear materials before loading the mold.
You need to be able to heat the mold for a while after pressure casting for a decent non-sticky surface.
And give the mold a larger than normal pour stub...this stuff compresses quite a bit.
How large is your pc?
I have some 202 on the shelf I'd be willing to part with if you only need a small amount.
Modelnutz 8)
"the name sez it all"
This one's pretty quick tho...9 minute gell time.
They have a slower one...200....20 min. gell time.
It's kinda pricy but IMHO worth the price.
Polishes up really nicely after a few days post curing.
You will need to de-gas any clear materials before loading the mold.
You need to be able to heat the mold for a while after pressure casting for a decent non-sticky surface.
And give the mold a larger than normal pour stub...this stuff compresses quite a bit.
How large is your pc?
I have some 202 on the shelf I'd be willing to part with if you only need a small amount.
Modelnutz 8)
"the name sez it all"
I don't have any pressure casting equipment or any of that I don't do a ton of molding/casting usually small stuff that I can make agravity pour mold and slap out a peice thats good enough for what I want. What I am thinking of doing with this is casting the FMMF engine grill stuff in clear that way I can light it and when the lights off still have some machinery looking detail in there. same for the cockpit area.
I saw the smooth on stuff but has all kinds of warnings about needing a funky respirator etc... made me wonder if it was worth playing with Yaknow
Thanks,
Jedi Dade
I saw the smooth on stuff but has all kinds of warnings about needing a funky respirator etc... made me wonder if it was worth playing with Yaknow
Thanks,
Jedi Dade
Clear resin in a nightmare to get right as it shows any air bubble.
In my experience any man made industrial chemical will have some sort of toxic vapour come from it when it's curing. Just make sure you have the windows open and you'll be fine.
There's a couple of resins that give off cyanide but again it's safe so long it's in a ventilated room. My mate took his work home and used the stuff in his bedroom. He left it to cure over night while he was sleeping and woke up feeling really sick. Luckily he was fine by the end of the day.
In my experience any man made industrial chemical will have some sort of toxic vapour come from it when it's curing. Just make sure you have the windows open and you'll be fine.
There's a couple of resins that give off cyanide but again it's safe so long it's in a ventilated room. My mate took his work home and used the stuff in his bedroom. He left it to cure over night while he was sleeping and woke up feeling really sick. Luckily he was fine by the end of the day.