Supplier recommendations for resin to use in making blanks for turning?

[jerbee]

I’m looking into using resin to make blanks for turning, in addition to wood (which I already use). I’m just curious as to what specific type of resin everybody with more experience than me uses, as well as any advice they have on suppliers and what sort of pricing I’d be looking at.

I don’t think I’ll be making more than 10 brush handles a month at first, so I don’t know that it makes sense to buy in bulk, but right now I don’t even know where to get started. Could anybody chime in and let me their expertise?

 

[GAW9576]

I used fiberglass resin for my first time making a blank. It was a pain to work with.
Then I got some advice from someone who makes amazing brushes and followed there advice.
The next 2 I used Castin craft. Michaels usually has a 50% off coupon and you can even get the coupon online. You need the catalyst too which isn't very expensive. The 32 oz. Should be enough for several brushes.

Castin' Craft® Clear Polyester Casting Resin | Michaels

Find the best Epoxy Resin for your project. We offer the Castin' Craft® Clear Polyester Casting Resin for $12.00 with free shipping available.

www.michaels.com

This was a lot easier to work with. You definitely want to work with really good ventilation. I did my mixing and pouring outside then put it in the basement to cure. If you have a garage the would be better.
If you want I can post pictures of the brushes I made and tell more about making them.

 

[jerbee]

I used fiberglass resin for my first time making a blank. It was a pain to work with.
Then I got some advice from someone who makes amazing brushes and followed there advice.
The next 2 I used Castin craft. Michaels usually has a 50% off coupon and you can even get the coupon online. You need the catalyst too which isn't very expensive. The 32 oz. Should be enough for several brushes.

Castin' Craft® Clear Polyester Casting Resin | Michaels

Find the best Epoxy Resin for your project. We offer the Castin' Craft® Clear Polyester Casting Resin for $12.00 with free shipping available.

www.michaels.com

This was a lot easier to work with. You definitely want to work with really good ventilation. I did my mixing and pouring outside then put it in the basement to cure. If you have a garage the would be better.
If you want I can post pictures of the brushes I made and tell more about making them.

Thank you!! I didn’t even think about checking with Michael’s... thanks for saving me the headache of having to find out for myself that fiberglass resin doesn’t work well. Now I can move to something that is effective. Good call about doing it in the open air – I’ll probably move my truck from under the garage and set up shop there to do the molding process. I’m assuming that I can just make some square molds in the diameters I need out of thin wood or something lined with Saran Wrap? Or should I make the molds using something else?

 

[GAW9576]

I made mine in an empty spice jar a little bidder than the intended brush handle. Saves on resin making it round and close to final size. Just be sure you have a big enough size to be able to turn out any imperfections. The resin gets hot when curing and distorted the plastic container. Not a problem but you want enough material to work with. I've seen some people use large pill bottles.
If you are doing a wood and resin blank you could pre-turn the wood to fit into the container.

 

[CigarSmoka]

Polyester resin, which is what @GAW9576 is talking about is the way to go IMO. It’s considerably cheaper than Alumilite and polishes to a much deeper shine. Alumilite is far more forgiving to turn, but the final finish is what makes a resin handle stand out. Epoxy resin polishes up great but costs more and takes longer to gel, so getting a nice color mix can be a problem. All the colors tend to run into a hazy almost homogenous blend which looks good, but I like a stark contrast between colors. You usually need to wait quite awhile before mixing the different colors with epoxy if you don’t want them bleeding into each other. The big disadvantages of poly is it stinks to high heaven and the fumes are flammable. Wear a respirator with this stuff and work outside or with good ventilation. I buy it by the gallon, about $60 delivered. Check out elitemotoring on ebay or Composite Envisions on the web (same people) if you want a gallon, I’ve checked everywhere and they’re the cheapest. The brand I use is Silmar 41, it’s the best poly for turning, stay away from their other resins. There’s nothing wrong with Castin’ Craft from Michaels, I’ve used it before and you can get a pint or quart to try it out. You need to buy the catalyst separately, but with the other vendor I mentioned all resin comes with the catalyst. Be careful with the catalyst, it’s MEKP (methyl ethyl ketone peroxide) and will burn your skin. Also, with any resin I highly recommend a pressure pot. You can get away with not using one with poly but for consistent results if you cast a lot it’s a must have. If you want to get to casting right away without pressure, let the container of resin sit in a bucket of warm water. It will thin the resin allowing the air bubbles to rise to the surface. It will also make it set a lot faster, so working time is considerably decreased. Don’t stop for anything once you’ve added the catalyst, and do your best not to mix in air. Make sure you really get the catalyst mixed in or the blank will have soft spots. Scrape the sides of the cup and really get a thorough mix. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

 

[GAW9576]

Thank you @CigarSmoka for the additional information. You definitely have more experience than me and I have always appreciated your input.

 

[jerbee]

Thanks, @CigarSmoka! My learning curve is going to be shortened considerably by the advice you guys are handing out. One more reason I like this community so much. I have a half-face 3m re-usable respirator with the two snap-on filters. Originally I got it for woodworking to prevent wood with a propensity to aggravate the lungs when being turned from getting into my nose or mouth, but with everything that‘s going on, now it’s nearly normal to wear out in public, too.

I’m basically just sticking my toe into the water right now, so I’ll likely go with the craft store option for the first few brushed, just to see now it goes. I “met” Stephen from Dogwood Handcrafts on Reddit the other day and he linked me to his article on starting a business selling brush handles (9/19 issue of the Wetshaver‘s Digest, p46.. link below). I plan to use cypress knees as my main material, since I’m in South Louisiana, but I’m curious as to how they’d look when combined with resin. At some point I may end up needing to build a vacuum chamber to stabilize the wood, too.

Geez, it never stops, does it? All of this, just from borrowing a lathe ONE TIME to make ONE brush handle.

link to main September description:

The Wetshaver’s Digest - September 2019 — The Wetshaver's Digest

The September issue has a TON of great stuff to read: Parting words from West of Olympia Beginner’s Corner: Soaps Review of Horsefeathers and Interview with Shawn Maher of Chatillon Lux Featured Artisan: Mammoth Soaps Reviews: Stirling’s Autumn Glory, Barrister and Mann’s Hallows, Tim

wetshaversdigest.com

link to specific issue:

The Wetshaver's Digest - September Issue.pdf

drive.google.com

The digest seems really well-written, and I got a lot out of his specific article. Looks I’ll need to put out a minimum of 20 handles before considering myself really to start making them to sell... but by then, I should have a better understanding of the process, as well as whether or not it‘s something I want to pursue on a ”paid hobby” level.

thanks again for your reply. One quick question - about how many handles do you get out of the 1 gallon mix you get from your supplier?

 

[Rudy Vey]

Silmar 41 is what I use for years

 

[CigarSmoka]

One quick question - about how many handles do you get out of the 1 gallon mix you get from your supplier?

About 40 using pvc pipe (which saves on resin) with just over 1.5” ID. Using 1.5” block molds will yield fewer handles. If I calculate the approx volume per handle blank I come up with 46 but you always lose some resin along the way due to overpours, spills, going by eye and using way too much, that sort of thing. If things went perfectly you might be able to get 50, but I pour my blanks a little taller than needed to give me a little room for error.

 

[GAW9576]

About 40 using pvc pipe (which saves on resin) with just over 1.5” ID. Using 1.5” block molds will yield fewer handles. If I calculate the approx volume per handle blank I come up with 46 but you always lose some resin along the way due to overpours, spills, going by eye and using way too much, that sort of thing. If things went perfectly you might be able to get 50, but I pour my blanks a little taller than needed to give me a little room for error.

Was it you that had a link to a good low cost pressure chamber?

 

[jerbee]

using pvc pipe

I like this idea.. do you use a thin pvc pipe, and cut it off to reveal the round resin cylinder? I think I saw some thinner than normal red/blue pvc at Home Depot a few weeks ago.. I can’t imagine the resin would just come out of the tubing on its own, right? It makes total sense to me to cast it in cylinders rather than blocks. I’ve been using a belt sander for the last week or two to round off blocks, which isn’t much fun.

 

[jerbee]

I used fiberglass resin for my first time making a blank. It was a pain to work with.
Then I got some advice from someone who makes amazing brushes and followed there advice.
The next 2 I used Castin craft. Michaels usually has a 50% off coupon and you can even get the coupon online. You need the catalyst too which isn't very expensive. The 32 oz. Should be enough for several brushes.

Castin' Craft® Clear Polyester Casting Resin | Michaels

Find the best Epoxy Resin for your project. We offer the Castin' Craft® Clear Polyester Casting Resin for $12.00 with free shipping available.

www.michaels.com

This was a lot easier to work with. You definitely want to work with really good ventilation. I did my mixing and pouring outside then put it in the basement to cure. If you have a garage the would be better.
If you want I can post pictures of the brushes I made and tell more about making them.

Just out of curiosity, how many drops of catalyst am I supposed to use if I do a 3” x 1.5” cylinder tube? I got the resin and catalyst and some acrylic paint to color it with… The back of the resin says for 1 inch, use four drops of catalyst… for 3/4 of an inch thick use 5.. for 1/2 use 5... so I’m guessing for 1.5 inches I would use 2 drops? Or is this square inches? I’m so confused.

 

[GAW9576]

Just out of curiosity, how many drops of catalyst am I supposed to use if I do a 3” x 1.5” cylinder tube? I got the resin and catalyst and some acrylic paint to color it with… The back of the resin says for 1 inch, use four drops of catalyst… for 3/4 of an inch thick use 5.. for 1/2 use 5... so I’m guessing for 1.5 inches I would use 2 drops? Or is this square inches? I’m so confused.

Hmmmm. I don't remember how much I used. I think I went a tad heavy on the catalyst. As far as I know it's better to have a few extra drops than not enough. If there is not enough it won't cure properly. A little to much makes it cure faster I THINK.... Way to much I believe could make it over heat and crack. You could try calling the company for advice or waiting for someone with more experience to chime in. The other option can get expensive which is just experimentation and lots of note taking.
Truly sorry I can't help more than that.

 

[Rudy Vey]

I like this idea.. do you use a thin pvc pipe, and cut it off to reveal the round resin cylinder? I think I saw some thinner than normal red/blue pvc at Home Depot a few weeks ago.. I can’t imagine the resin would just come out of the tubing on its own, right? It makes total sense to me to cast it in cylinders rather than blocks. I’ve been using a belt sander for the last week or two to round off blocks, which isn’t much fun.

use a mold release spray before you cast and the blanks just fall out, otherwise, thy bond well with the pvc tube.

 

[jerbee]

Thanks, I just got a 2“ x 12“ silicone round/pillar mold from eBay that comes apart… My thinking is I can just fill it up to whatever height I need and then peel the two sides that lock into each other apart.. it was 8 bucks so why not? 2” is a little.. 25%... thicker than I wanted (1.5”)... but my thinking is it’s easier to fix a screwup by taking off more material than by putting it back on..

 

[jerbee]

Hmmmm. I don't remember how much I used. I think I went a tad heavy on the catalyst. As far as I know it's better to have a few extra drops than not enough. If there is not enough it won't cure properly. A little to much makes it cure faster I THINK.... Way to much I believe could make it over heat and crack. You could try calling the company for advice or waiting for someone with more experience to chime in. The other option can get expensive which is just experimentation and lots of note taking.
Truly sorry I can't help more than that.

Thanks! I just called them and they said that if it’s 3 inches deep, I will need to use two drops of catalyst for every 1 ounce of resin solution.

I’m posting that here in case someone in the future wonders the same thing, and so I can reference it again if I forget… Which I will.

 

[GAW9576]

Thanks! I just called them and they said that if it’s 3 inches deep, I will need to use two drops of catalyst for every 1 ounce of resin solution.

I’m posting that here in case someone in the future wonders the same thing, and so I can reference it again if I forget… Which I will.

Good Idea.
I think you still use mold release with the two part mold but I could be mistaken.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Just out of curiosity, how many drops of catalyst am I supposed to use if I do a 3” x 1.5” cylinder tube? I got the resin and catalyst and some acrylic paint to color it with… The back of the resin says for 1 inch, use four drops of catalyst… for 3/4 of an inch thick use 5.. for 1/2 use 5... so I’m guessing for 1.5 inches I would use 2 drops? Or is this square inches? I’m so confused.

I do not know this material, but for the Silmar 41, which I use, the mixing ratio is 10 drops of catalyst per ounce of resin. The catalyst is always added by volume not thickness of the cast you make. I use a lot of old pill containers and they have normally their dram size on the bottom. I use a lot of 40 dram (=5 oz) bottles, they make a nice big blank.
So, 50 drops to 5 oz of resin.

 

[CigarSmoka]

Was it you that had a link to a good low cost pressure chamber?

Harbor Freight has one that costs about $100 during their monthly 20% off sale. As usual with HF products you might need to return the first 3 before you get one that doesn’t leak. Using a lubricant on the seal on the lid helps a lot.

I like this idea.. do you use a thin pvc pipe, and cut it off to reveal the round resin cylinder? I think I saw some thinner than normal red/blue pvc at Home Depot a few weeks ago.. I can’t imagine the resin would just come out of the tubing on its own, right? It makes total sense to me to cast it in cylinders rather than blocks. I’ve been using a belt sander for the last week or two to round off blocks, which isn’t much fun.

I like the thicker white pvc (I think schedule 40 but I could be wrong and I’m too lazy to go look) because it holds heat better. I’ve had maybe 2 or 3 blanks get stuck out of more than I can estimate. Poly shrinks a little when it cures, so stuck blanks are rarely a problem and usually a sign that more catalyst should’ve been used (I’ll get to that in a minute). I don’t use mold release and leave the blanks in the pressure pot for 24 hours. A couple knocks on the concrete step in my garage and they usually push right out. I use the same mold for several blanks before it needs pitched, no need to waste money using a new mold for each blank.

Just out of curiosity, how many drops of catalyst am I supposed to use if I do a 3” x 1.5” cylinder tube? I got the resin and catalyst and some acrylic paint to color it with… The back of the resin says for 1 inch, use four drops of catalyst… for 3/4 of an inch thick use 5.. for 1/2 use 5... so I’m guessing for 1.5 inches I would use 2 drops? Or is this square inches? I’m so confused.

Directions are 10 drops/oz like Rudy mentioned, but honestly I think that’s too much for a 1.5” thick blank unless it’s cold where you live (relatively speaking). If temps are going to drop below 70 I rarely use PR, Alumilite is pretty much the best bet for casting in cooler temps. In the 70s I’ll use 10 drops but it seems this does make for a more brittle blank. During summer when it’s 115 degrees here with humidity around 8% I’m sure my pressure pot heats to at least 140 or 150 sitting in the sun and I get excellent results with 3 drops/oz. This is obviously on the extreme end though. You kind of need to experiment a bit to find what works best for your climate. Start at say 8 drops then adjust it to the minimum needed for blanks to cure. They won’t be as brittle that way.

Also, and this is important: Just because a blank is ready to demold after 24 hours doesn’t mean it’s fully cured. Demold times and fully cured times vary significantly depending on the type of resin used. I let Alumilite blanks set at room temp for at least one week after demolding. Poly resin blanks set for at least 2 weeks and usually a lot longer. I cast a lot of blanks and tuck them away, keeping 70 - 80 on hand at any given time. This ensures the blanks are fully cured when I use them. IMO and others I know who have worked with resins longer than me, a fully cured blank will polish to a better shine than one that isn’t. And let’s face it, when it comes to resin that deep shine is what we’re after, so be patient. You can speed the process up by heating the blank to something like 160 degrees for several hours, which I’ve done, but man can it make it brittle.