Pouring your own Resin / Acrylic for handles

[Bad Badger]

Does anyone know how exactly to do this? Or is there a good resource out on the web somewhere?

I'd love to learn how to do this and where to purchase the materials.

Thanks in advance

 

[Graydog]

Does anyone know how exactly to do this? Or is there a good resource out on the web somewhere?

I'd love to learn how to do this and where to purchase the materials.

Thanks in advance

Go to YouTube

 

[Bad Badger]

Go to YouTube

Thanks for this. It's helpful to see the "process". I guess I didn't realize a pressure pot was required. I thought it was a simple pour and let it dry. I assume the pressure pot is to help get air bubbles out of it and stabilize the material?

 

[Graydog]

Mostly air bubbles

 

[Rudy Vey]

For a good cast you need a pressure pot! I cast a lot of my own blanks, so this is a must. One may think there is not much air bubbles trapped, but there is a quite a lot. You see some on top of the set resin when you take the blanks out.

 

[Pattorashu]

Especially for turning. Molding is hit and miss without a pressure pot (some people have decent results, others don't) but hitting those little air bubbles can throw you off at 1000 RPM.

 

[Bad Badger]

Ok, so will these 2 products get me going?

ABLAZE 1.5 Gallon Stainless Steel Vacuum Chamber Perfect for Stabilizing Wood, Degassing Silicones, Epoxies and Essential Oils: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

ABLAZE 1.5 Gallon Stainless Steel Vacuum Chamber Perfect for Stabilizing Wood, Degassing Silicones, Epoxies and Essential Oils: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

smile.amazon.com

Amazon.com

https://smile.amazon.com/Mica-powder-Powdered-Pigments-coloring/dp/B0759DH4ZG/ref=pd_ybh_a_15?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SH8KZJWX1ZSQPERKA5KD

How long and at what pressure do you run the Pressure Pot at?

Maybe this is a dumb question, but can I use a Pressure Cooker (like an InstantPot)?

 

[Graydog]

There are plenty of YouTube videos on this subject.

 

[Bad Badger]

There are plenty of YouTube videos on this subject.

Your searching skills must be better than mine Graydog! There are indeed basic overview videos, but I'm struggling to find specific details (pressure, time, etc for shave handle pours). I was hoping someone on this forum would be kind enough to chime in and help a fellow member out. I'm not looking to make these for a business, just a hobby in my limited free time away from work and raising kids. Maybe I'll just stick to turning wood and avoid the whole rabbit hole.

 

[Graydog]

Your searching skills must be better than mine Graydog! There are indeed basic overview videos, but I'm struggling to find specific details (pressure, time, etc for shave handle pours). I was hoping someone on this forum would be kind enough to chime in and help a fellow member out. I'm not looking to make these for a business, just a hobby in my limited free time away from work and raising kids. Maybe I'll just stick to turning wood and avoid the whole rabbit hole.

You can find the answers with a search for pen casting since more people actually use Pen's over shaving brushes.
And if you do a search for pressure pots for resin castings you will find helpful information.
There are videos on how to use and what to buy. you can also find how to sand and finish resin objects
Shaving brushes made from any kind of resin are basically the same as Pen's just a little bit bigger. So don't limit your searches.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Ok, so will these 2 products get me going?

ABLAZE 1.5 Gallon Stainless Steel Vacuum Chamber Perfect for Stabilizing Wood, Degassing Silicones, Epoxies and Essential Oils: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

ABLAZE 1.5 Gallon Stainless Steel Vacuum Chamber Perfect for Stabilizing Wood, Degassing Silicones, Epoxies and Essential Oils: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

smile.amazon.com

Amazon.com

https://smile.amazon.com/Mica-powder-Powdered-Pigments-coloring/dp/B0759DH4ZG/ref=pd_ybh_a_15?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SH8KZJWX1ZSQPERKA5KD

How long and at what pressure do you run the Pressure Pot at?

Maybe this is a dumb question, but can I use a Pressure Cooker (like an InstantPot)?

I use a paint pot I got from Harbor Freight, needed some modifications for use as pressure pot, but it works fine for my needs. Most else what is needed I got from Home depot, like the gauge and the valve. You need also an air compressor to get the pressure....no, a pressure cooker does not work....
I go to about 60 psi, my resin - polyester - has a working time of about 10-12 minutes. So I color the resin, add the catalyst, mix well and pour in my molds, put in pot and apply pressure. Let sit normally overnight, but have taken it out after a few hours when I needed it fast.

 

[Bad Badger]

I use a paint pot I got from Harbor Freight, needed some modifications for use as pressure pot, but it works fine for my needs. Most else what is needed I got from Home depot, like the gauge and the valve. You need also an air compressor to get the pressure....no, a pressure cooker does not work....
I go to about 60 psi, my resin - polyester - has a working time of about 10-12 minutes. So I color the resin, add the catalyst, mix well and pour in my molds, put in pot and apply pressure. Let sit normally overnight, but have taken it out after a few hours when I needed it fast.

thanks Rudy. Super helpful

 

[CigarSmoka]

Skip the vacuum chamber and get a pressure pot & air compressor. Vacuum is for stabilizing, pressure is for casting. I know some use vacuum to degas the resin and I used to but the fact is you’re going to introduce air into the mix pouring it into the molds. I had far better luck putting the container of poly resin in a bucket of warm water to make it thin so the air would rise up easier than I did with degassing under vacuum. There are some great vids on YT (NV Woodwerx and others). If you want some advice shoot me a PM.