Similar 41

[Dorno]

I see on the US forum that alot of the guy are talking about a product called similar 41 what I would like to know is no pun intended but is there a similar product or same product available here in Australia ?

Cheers Ian

[dj_pnevans]

Ian what is it?
David

[MBUMIK]

it is actually called silmar 41

i had a look on a website and it said that it is a clear polyester casting resin for embedding, the catalyst is MEKP

it maybe the same as what we are using or maybe even a different recipe

not sure, maybe new london or resination knows more about it

i can only find it listed in the US

MIK

[Resination]

That is what I asked in the other thread; if something similar is available to you gents over there or is there only one brand?

Silmar 41 is all I use now and it's completely different from the Castin' Craft (which sounds like the same stuff you guys are using, just different name/brand) that I used before. The CC is very brittle no matter the amount of catalyst added, where as with the Silmar, I haven't been able to create a brittle blank. I've used 25 drops of catalyst per oz. with the Silmar with no problems, although this was done just for testing and I never add that much normally.
Remember also, the size of the pour will determine the amount of catalyst added. If you are pouring single blanks, it will require more catalyst to start the thermal reaction and in a large pour, it will take less catalyst because the mass of the resin will create a lot of heat...quickly and cause it to fracture.
The Silmar turns and polishes very nicely. There aren't any issues with drilling that I've noticed either.
Just keep in mind, that your environment, mix, experience, additives such as colorants, and many other factors will determine your outcome. If you keep a log and experiment, you will find the ideal mixture for you. Since you wrote it down, you can repeat it.

Hope that helps...