Epoxy Resin
I apologise if this question is in the wrong place or has already been discussed elsewhere.
I've never worked with resin before and I am not finding much information on the net about which deep casting moulds for inclusion are the correct ones to use for resin.
The one that I bought is called Crystal clear which needs 1 g of catalyst for every 50g of resin.
I have seen some that are made of transparent plastic and others that are made of silicone rubber. I have some sturdy plastic forms rescued from toy packaging and wondered if those could be used or is there a specific plastic that needs to be used with resin? My concern is that it will stick to the plastic mould or the heat from the mixture will melt it. Are there other things that can be used?
Can anyone offer any tips,advice and specific moulds?
I have also seen artists cover their paintings in resin. What are the benefits of doing this,does it yellow over time and what do you with the excess resin that pours off?
Thanks
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Greef on -
Here is a website passed onto me by Lea. http://www.glasscoat.com.au/index.shtml
She uses resin on some of her works and i have seen a lot of artists recently covering their work in the stuff. It seems to intensify surface colours and give a lushious glossy shine to any artwork.
I am going to give this product a try on some of my own works to see what all the fuss is about! Hope you find it useful!
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Permalink Reply by IN-grid on -
When you go to youtube and type epoxy resin there's loads of information
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Permalink Reply by Mo Mapes on -
Nice work, Lea! Thanks for the explanation and pics. I bet that does look like a piece of glass over your work.
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Permalink Reply by Mo Mapes on
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Thanks for letting me know canvas is OK to use. I thought maybe the resin would pool in the center but I guess not- good to know. The video I had saved that showed using tape on the sides had been taken down, dang it.
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Permalink Reply by Palma Rea on -
Wow! Thanks,Lea. That was very helpful.
Love you pieces and you have really inspired me to try out the rubber ice cube trays from ikea and to cover a painting.
I bought a small can of resin to try and don't have enough for a painting but I read that the product that I have, will tend to heat up more if you make larger quantities of it but I shall try to find different brand and experiment.
THANK YOU
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Permalink Reply by Mo Mapes on
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Here's an answer to one of your questions for casting but not sure it is where you live: http://bit.ly/j7gHJd
Second question about resin- it isn't supposed to yellow but haven't tried it...YET: http://bit.ly/H9uGTS
And here is how to color it: http://bit.ly/kLfMm9
Some of the videos on UTube and artist's sites are done a bit different than Lea's- they tape the surrounding support for the board- up to the edge and let it pour over the tape and then remove the tape before it hardens leaving the sides clear of resin and then you can paint them or whatever you want to do. Like Ingrid said- there are LOTS of UTube vids and then Google artists that use resin. I think I have some saved on my UTube channel so If I get time I will post them. Sorry- I have a weeks worth of work (not art, dang it!) to catch up on otherwise I would look them up for you right now. Besides- I'm sure other members will give you links to artists and other resin sites. Have fun and show us what you come up with. Your art would look amazing under resin! I hope this helps some but not sure you can get these products- but it will lead you somewhere........
One more thought- I believe you should use the resin on a ridged surface so it doesn't have a chance to crack.
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Permalink Reply by Palma Rea on
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Mo! You're a star as always.
Loved those links and thank you for taking the time to find all of the helpful information.
So, I guess that any silicon moulds are suitable for casting resin and it doesn't seem to affect it.
I have some moulding silicon and will try the technique in the first link.
cheers
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Permalink Reply by Mo Mapes on
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Here is something else I found today from an artist named Aleta Pippin:
"I use an Envirotex product called EX74, a very clear resin with UV protector. When your painting is complete and thoroughly dry, you can coat it with resin. The Envirotex resin is non-flammable, but can be scorched. The result is a shiny glass-like surface that gives a 3D quality to the painting."
Shucks- I'm a star!
Thanks! Actually YOU are the one with the star on your pic! LOL
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Permalink Reply by Jules Pilgrim on -
I use 'craft smart' liquid gloss which is really meant for decoupage but seems to be adaptable to 3D as well as for very thin coverings eg. over a painting. I have also used it to soak papers which end up with a translucent / transparent (depending on the paper) appearance which makes them look very fragile but actually renders them quite tough and very bendy without any cracking.
I also use it in layers when I want to give dimension - lay down one layer with whatever under / on it let it harden a bit and then put down another with a new bunch of inclusions. It also makes an excellent glue for hard to fix pieces.
It doesn't have to look too glary or plasticy because a light sanding with fine wet and dry sandpaper will take it back to matt but retain translucency and it will pick up surfaces really well if you want texture.
I set paper covered in mixed resin without any kind of mould around it on a baker's teflon sheet (also used for ironing, by crafters and by quilters a lot) the resin peels off very easily and the stuff is infinitely reuseable, it is also fine to do this on some baking papers (much cheaper). Mixed resin is very viscous so it doesn't flow at any great rate and so long as it's not disturbed will sit pretty much where you put it so I never bother with a mould round anything flat. You can snip off any dribbles with scissors once the resin is dry but not cured (curing can take up to a week and you'll notice a significant change in the hardness of the surface once it's cured so be gentle for the first week!) Resin 'self heals' so any scratches can be easily fixed with a little dab of new resin. The new plasticy looking baking trays (I think they're some kind of silicone or teflon) make excellent moulds if you just want basic cookie-cutter shapes.
It sounds like you're using a more industrial, handyman's kind of resin which I believe will work up more heat than the crafting resins but i've never had anything melt with crafting resin. Most resin companies also supply a 'release agent' that can be used to spray the mould before use - you let the spray dry for a few hours before using it which doesn't work so well for me (Ms immediacy short-attention-span!) but that's what I started out with and it works well. If you're in Australia 'Diggers' do a really good casting resin and release agent available from Bunnings and other hardware places.
You can colour your resin with all kinds of stuff, vegetable matter, herbs, spices, tiny drops of oil paint etc. or there are colourants specifically for resins also available. The best moulding material is 'siligum' which is hideously expensive but really amazing for small stuff and needs no release agent.
I get mixing cups from the chemist for $1 per 100 for small amounts of resin (don't even think of trying to reuse them!) use pop sticks to stir and satay sticks or a needle to pop bubbles. The best bit of advice I ever got was to add the hardener to the resin NOT the other way around as the hardener is runnier than the resin and mixes in better that way(this sorted out most of the problems I had when I first started.) Nail polish remover will clean up your hands and tools and be sure to wear a mask if you sand the stuff - or better still sand it wet using wet and dry paper and wipe of the residue with a damp cloth.
Dry brushing or some of the metallic waxes lightly applied over the surface add extra dimension if you're doing moulded forms. Good luck, it's fun stuff to use!
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Permalink Reply by Jules Pilgrim on
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My stuff uses 50/50 too Lea- as you say, keeps it simple. I wouldn't be trying to snip off anything more than 3 or 4 mls thick. I guess they are all a bit different - also your daily weather plays a huge part in how quickly everything cures. I do keep a close watch on my stuff but usually after about half an hour, up it comes and then I trim what's feasible. Be careful with using less hardener - you will most likely get something that never hardens at all but you've just got to experiment, I found out most of what I know and what works best for the way I work by trial and error, mostly error;) I do mostly use resin in jewellery and small components for mixed media shrines and boxes and not on a very big scale. What started me using it was an icon in a box that I just couldn't figure out how to fix a metal doo-dadd in just the right place at just the right height - you know how it is... resin solved that and a number of other problems I was having with that particular piece - after that I just kept using it whenever I needed to! keep on playing!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zAPZn5TEyM&list=UUM6N5AOYoyg6eAkbcDWpNFg&index=41
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