Thread: Another Casting get together at my place

A couple of girls from my local club wanted to see what was involved with casting. I was casting a couple of pepper grinders, that usually has leftovers used to cast pen blanks, so gave them a ring and we made an afternoon of it. It was example of what to do and what not to do . Everything was cast in Clear Casting Epoxy (Megapoxy HX)

casting day1.jpg

Decided to do my Nectarine pip pepper grinder with black/blue/purple and Liquid Amber seed pods in black/red/yellow. Leftovers were to be used for for pen blanks of nectarine pips/liquid amber seed pods/WA sheoak seed pods/Blown Mallee WW. They all went to plan without any major issues . Both my pressure pots were then full and left over night to set.

casting day brown mallee.jpg casting day mixed seeds.jpg

Next was some casts in clear resin. A block of mini cones (Evergreen Alder female flower stems), some flower stems from an unknown tree in my yard (girls found whilst having a cuppa). A few little air bubbles but otherwise all good.

casting day flower stems.jpg casting day mini cones.jpg

Whilst sitting after the casting effort having yet another cuppa, we were looking at a paper wasp nest I had collected. Decided to cast this too in clear, but as the pressure pots were full, decided to pull any bubbles out using vacuum. I found a plastic container that fitted in my stabilising tank, glued the nest down to the base with hot melt glue, and after about a minute all the bubbles were gone. I then pulled the container out of the chamber and just left it on the bench to cure. All was going well so retired to yet another cupps . Half an hour later things started going wrong . Went to check out the wasp nest cast and found the container melting . The hot melt glue had also melted and the nest had lifted. Not sure if it was the container melting, the hot melt glue melting, the nest lifting or just the resin boiling, but it was full of air and bubbles . I quickly through the mold into another container and placed it in the freezer as it was really hot . Only managed to save a 10mm slice ~75mm dia but even that is full of bubbles

casting day wasp nest.jpg

All up 3litres of epoxy resin cast with quite a few good results