Crash course in resin casting

[Ziz]

Ok, I've been skimming the various resin casting threads in here and I'm trying to collate the relevant info but it's getting confusing.

I'm working on the 22" Cutaway TOS E with the DLM lighting circuit. I'd like to do something like Ken Huegel did with the gems in the nacelle domes.

Now, this is my first attempt at resin casting, so I'd like to keep it as simple as possible with minimal material & equipment investment. I'm just doing this for myself, not trying to start a business.

Pearl Paint has some of the Smooth-On products - OOMOO rubber and SmoothCast 300 and 305 resin. They also have some clear resin from another brand.

I understand the basic mechanics of how to cast - mold box, pour spout and vent, register keys, mix and pour resin slow so it doesn't get bubbles in it, etc. What I need to know is what to look out for during the process - where can problems occur, what problems, and how do I deal with them? How do I know if the rubber and resin are curing properly? Can I do this without a pressure pot? Anything I can do/use to substitute for a pressure pot for small parts?

[Joseph Osborn]

Hi Ziz,
You're jumping into the deep end of the pool with this one. Clear parts are usually attempted after you have some experience with molding & casting regular opaque items. OOMOO rubber is very forgiving for a beginner since it mixes 50:50 and is very thin so bubbles rise & break easily. As long as you mix it equally and stir it together well, it'll set up properly. You can use clear casting epoxy to make your clear parts-- it too is fairly forgiving and nowhere near as expensive as to use as clear casting resins. I don't know if you'll be able to get good copies of the shelled outer dome, but you may be able to vacuum-form copies of the dome more easily than casting them. Hope this helps a little!

[en'til Zog]

May I suggest the 'Got resin' announcement thread. Lots of good inflammation there.