Clear resin

I have yet to use this with a silicone mold, but the pieces I cast came out wonderfully. I didn't even use a pressure pot, all the air bubbles popped on their own:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/castincraft-clear-polyester-casting-resin/

If you purchase this in a store, make sure you also buy the catylist that comes separately.

Also, this stuff smells and is VERY sticky, make sure to use it outside )

 

You mean you didn't have a mold to put it in?

 

oh, gotcha.

 

Polyester resin is good - but it gets VERY VERY hot when poured in large volumes (like a doll torso) so be certain to use a silicone that can handle high heat. Also be careful what you mix it in as it can melt through as it heats up....

 

I've used ice resin with good results, but i'm not sure it's durable enough to use on a doll. the colormatch resin from smooth-on is also good, but it's amber clear and gets bubbles trapped inside unless you use a pressure cast.

 

Here's a link to some in the USA....

http://eti-usa.com/clear-polyester-casting-resin-with-catalyst/

I've used the one on the site called easy cast which was a sh*t to use due to post cure foaming if it wasn't in the pot but IN the pot it was successful - I cast a pair of clear hands for fun to see what the resin worked like.... my biggest complaint was the lack of clarity where I had to sand the seam line....

Here's their home page: http://eti-usa.com/

 

Ice resin should be okay for wings... sometimes it doesn't set properly, so it's soft when you take it out and your pour is no good. You have to mix at least 1 full ounce each time and like I said, it's sensitive to not getting a good enough mix. I really really like it tho. I've used it for eyes and for jewelry making. You can color it with urethane resin dyes or oil paints and it takes glitter really well.

The amber clear of the colormatch is nice too. It's still very clear, but saying "amber" brings to mind the old creepy amber lanterns from those pseudo german restaurants that were popular in the early 80's. It's actually just a warm toned clear- not yellow or dark at all. it looks very natural, like icicles. If you're color casting it comes out really pretty. I used the florescent dyes recently, about 1 drop to 2 oz with hot orange and got a beautiful peach color. I put glitter in it too because I'm a ham. XD It sets up nice and hard, although still a bit soft if you were putting a lot of pressure on it(which i assume the wings aren't strung with super tight elastic).

 

whitewings, I'm sure you could bring the clarity back if you polished sufficiently after sanding. No less than 1500 grit to finish and a rub with Novus #2 wouldn't hurt either. The surface would be glossy though.

 

Does anyone know how Ice Resin, Castin'Craft, etc. would compare to Smooth-On's Crystal Clear? Smooth-On's warnings scare me, and I don't want to have to buy a gallon anyway, but is there a huge benefit to using that over Ice Resin (for making eyes)? I'm pretty sure Castin'Craft is really nasty stuff, but how does it compare to Crystal Clear that specifically warns for industrial use only? I don't know much about the risk of Ice Resin. Also, does anyone know anything about AquaClear? Thanks ^_^