Make sure to read the directions. You'll need to estimate the right number of drops of catalyst to use based off the directions. It also has VERY strong fumes - use outside or have good ventilation! The clarity seems alright, I say alright because I keep getting... dust or other microscopic particulate suspended in my clear casts even tho the resin seems perfectly clear when poured out of the can... maybe I'm scrapping the paper cup too hard while mixing /shrug
It is very hot and dry where I live and I follow the directions but my casts always seem to stay tacky for a good week after they should have cured /shrug (again) I just went ahead and got the resin sealer spray from the same manufacturer and problem solved
With more practice it should be possible to get casts like the adverts. It's just that the silicon molds I got... kinda sucked - they all left cloudy residue on the casts and my butter stick mold bowed outwards on the sides making my... cuboid? lumpy :S I've had to order a belt sander to remedy these issues since no one seems to have one where I live
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Works Great but I Made a Few Mistakes On My First Casts
I was looking for a large container of resin because I had a few casts to make at one time. I almost didn't buy this one because it has a really small half ounce catalyst compared to 32 ounces of resin and most of the casting resins I see have equal parts resin and catalyst so I thought I was going to have to buy more catalyst to get my money's worth. Turns out that the small catalyst is plenty. You only need a few drops at a time. It doesn't come with mixing cups and stirrers like some of the kits. I learned that styrofoam cups DO NOT work (the casting resin will eat through the foam within a minute) but plastic cups are perfect and popsicle sticks were really cheap at any local store.I did want to point out that this stuff does smell extremely strong. I have asthma and I did have to wear a mask. I also had to move my casts to the garage because the smell was too strong. I made the mistake of doing the casts in the winter so it took up to five full days to dry. They were still smelly so I had to wash the dried casts with soap and water to kill the smell. They still have a bit of an odor but not as strong.I also found out that the plastic top which covers the container can be used as a mold for the resin. I went ahead and used it as well as a secondary mold that I bought separately. I also bought the mold conditioner that is supposed to release the resin from the molds easily. I discovered the the mold conditioner I bought left a bit of a cloudy residue on my casts. It's more obvious in direct light. I learned later that many people said the mold conditioner is not necessary and using baby wipes before pouring or putting the mold in the freezer for a few minutes after drying will release it just fine.The container itself has some simple steps printed on the side but the online directions I searched for are much more extensive and explain how to work with different objects like bugs or jewelry and even how to color the casts. I just searched Castin' Craft Casting Resin Instructions. You could probably search Polyester Casting Resin Instructions or something similar to find help.The instructions also said to go by layers. I didn't understand this and because of the smell of the resin, I decided to mix a large amount of resin at a time so I didn't have to deal with it for very long. I realized my mistake when the bugs I tried to cast kept floating to the top. I made a second cast with a tiny violin and pieces of wood that were supposed to give the appearance that the violin was shattered. All of the pieces also kept floating to the top. This is why the instructions talk about layers. You have to pour one layer, put your stuff in, let it set for a while and then pour a second layer and so on as needed. So, if you are making a mold with objects in it, be sure to follow the instructions and do layers because the objects will float to to the top instead of staying centered. The objects also start to break apart once the resin gels so trying to push the objects back down into the mold doesn't work well. Your cast might overflow as well if you pour too much and start adding things because you're increasing the density.Overall, I really like this resin and it is super strong. It also would've been clearer had I not used the mold conditioner. I should've done it in the summer (since the resin works by a heated chemical reaction and it took up to five days to fully dry in the cold temps). I also should've been in a more ventilated area (again, summer would've been better because I could've opened more windows). I also will go by layers next time like the instructions say instead of pouring an entire mold because the objects will float to the top and get off-center.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2016
This stuff is incredible. If you like weird bugs and preserving them in a hard, transparent tomb for all eternity, at least. And, as it turns out, that is something I quite enjoy.
There is a bit of a learning curve with this stuff, if you've never used resin, though. Sadly, I used my best specimen of tarantula hawk first, when I really should have gotten better with the resin beforehand. But it's okay; it's still pretty cool.
I highly recommend looking up Castin' Crafts instruction manual online and reading through it (maybe a couple times) before trying to use this stuff. Their ratio of drops of catalyst to resin per layer works perfectly for me (after some initial trial and error). And you most definitely want to do this somewhere with good ventilation, because the smell is INTENSE, and it lasts until the resin is fully hardened (at least several hours, up to a full day).
I didn't purchase resin molds - I figured I could get away with using things I had on hand - and, so far, it's worked for me, but again, only after a bit of trial and error. It casts well into Pyrex measuring cups (I recommend NOT using ones you will ever use for food again), but I could only release the hardened resin by sliding a surgical scalpel around the edge and then popping it loose. Once I discovered that trick, however, it became much simpler. If you get something tiny enough to slide between the glass and the resin, it will break the seal and the resin will pop right out - no release spray needed.
I will absolutely be purchasing more of this as I gather more interesting specimen during my time in the southwestern Arizona desert. I certainly had no idea this would be a hobby I'd take to so eagerly, but here we are, scorpions, tarantula hawks, and all.
There is a bit of a learning curve with this stuff, if you've never used resin, though. Sadly, I used my best specimen of tarantula hawk first, when I really should have gotten better with the resin beforehand. But it's okay; it's still pretty cool.
I highly recommend looking up Castin' Crafts instruction manual online and reading through it (maybe a couple times) before trying to use this stuff. Their ratio of drops of catalyst to resin per layer works perfectly for me (after some initial trial and error). And you most definitely want to do this somewhere with good ventilation, because the smell is INTENSE, and it lasts until the resin is fully hardened (at least several hours, up to a full day).
I didn't purchase resin molds - I figured I could get away with using things I had on hand - and, so far, it's worked for me, but again, only after a bit of trial and error. It casts well into Pyrex measuring cups (I recommend NOT using ones you will ever use for food again), but I could only release the hardened resin by sliding a surgical scalpel around the edge and then popping it loose. Once I discovered that trick, however, it became much simpler. If you get something tiny enough to slide between the glass and the resin, it will break the seal and the resin will pop right out - no release spray needed.
I will absolutely be purchasing more of this as I gather more interesting specimen during my time in the southwestern Arizona desert. I certainly had no idea this would be a hobby I'd take to so eagerly, but here we are, scorpions, tarantula hawks, and all.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2019
