Thread: Resin setting time

So many variables

hope this of help Casting Clear Polyester Resin

Greg, not familiar with Volkglas resin, is it a casting resin? What pigments did you add to the resin?

Fred

Its a resin fibreglass resin company near Brisbane that sells products a lot cheaper than other places. dai sensei and gawdelpus use them and don't have any problems. I guess it might be my catalyst %. It is a totally clear resin and I didn't add any pigments. Maybe it is because of the weather up here.

Thanks Wheelin

I may not have added enough catalyst but I will see what it is like in the morning.

Greg, I use there resin & at 1% also. It will go off slowly I usuall y leave it over night and it will be a bit tacky in the morning so I leave in the sun for the day and all is good. The one time I upped the catalyst it went of to quick and I got some cracking, so went back to 1% and are a bit patient with it.

The other thing to keep in mind is you need your percentage by weight ,weigh your resin carefully ,the weights of the catalyst will be different ,eg,say 100 mills of resin is 100 grams then you need 1 gram of catalyst, which in reality may well be 1.5 mills ( these are made up figures as an example ) that will be a more accurate 1% . I sometimes get impatient and when set, a short time in the toaster oven on low just as a way of post treatment
Cheers ~ John

I've found no difference between Barnes/Volk's/FGI except for price. I don't measure too accurately for small pours as you know, probably always too much . I only worry about the % when it is a bigger single quantity pours where i will use as low as 0.5% to reduce heat.

ps The last time I went to FGI they had dropped their price to lower than Volk, I love competition

Thanks all. I will check it out when I get home. It should be set by now.

On the subject of measuring catalyst, I work in volume/weight ratios as I can measure the catalyst much more accurately by volume using the cheap plastic pipettes that places like Barnes sell.

I use a base ratio of 1.5% v/w, so for 100 grams of resin I add 1.5ml of MEKP, on very cold days this may be increased to 2% and on hot days reduced to 1%.

If still sticky I use the toaster oven at 70C for about 20-30mins, or in summer just put them out in the sun for a while.

BTW, the density of MEKP is 1.11 and of the clear PR 1.1, so whatever you use, volume or weight, it doesn't make any practical difference.