Suggestions For Casting In Acrylic? Â

Suggestions For Casting In Acrylic?  

answers 0:I would like to start casting in acrylic, and I have some questions regarding the process. 1) What should be used as the mold to pour the acrylic into? 2) How can I make the object sit in the center of the acrylic cast (or sit in any position, for that matter)? 3) How can I eliminate air bubbles from getting trapped inside?Any other suggestions or acrylic supply/instructional websites would be greatly appreciated!...Show moreanswers 1:How To Cast Acrylicanswers 2:Acrylic resin is not toxic...(Acrylic is used in many things from bath tubs to dental fillings to bone cement to boat windows!)It is used to make trophies by encapsulating thing in it..However, acrylic is not really sold into the DIY market....Acrylic embedment resins are based on Methyl Methacrylate which is flammable in ! its liquid form.It can be cured (polymerised) by either UV light or by an initiator (2 part system).Most embedments are made by placing the article to be embedded into a mould, filled with the resin which is cured under UV lights.There are various 'tricks' of the trade depending on what you are embedding. First check that the resin does not effect the article (the resin can act as a solvent and cause inks to run etc).A mould can be anything that will hold the liquid from a glass beaker to a plastic bag !The resin can be built up in a mould, pour some in let it go solid, place article on top, add more resin, let it go solid etc.Re Air bubbles, don't make the resin too thick to start with, pour slowly, ensure that its bubble free when pouring, ensure that article to be covered as no places were air pockest could be trapped, consider turningit upside down if you need too.Hope this helps....answers 3:I think what you're looking for is "polyester resin." (Here's something from ! my site about that terminology:Re the term acrylic resin, I've! read both that acrylic resins are specific type of resin which are "highly toxic" and seldom used by casual artists and crafters, but also that acrylic resin is just an overall name for the basic category of synthetic resins that includes epoxy and polyester ("casting") resins. . . don't know which is correct, but IMO it's better to use the exact name of the specific type of resin being referred to whever possible, because their characteristics, saftey, and uses are different.) So, a polyester resin is a 2-part liquid which cures hard when the 2 parts are mixed together (after about 24 hrs for some), and the art-craft versions of it are often used in molds. (Some brands/types are used between layers of fiberglass cloth, but those aren't as good for art-craft uses.)If you're using a polyester resin, then several different kinds of materials will work as molds without a release. HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene plastic) is the most common --Tupperware and RubberMaid contain! ers are also made from HDPE. Keep in mind that those molds must not be mini-scratched at all or the resin will have marks.(....see link below for other possibilities, and for releases). When you want to sit something in the resin, you're wanting to "embed" an object in the resin. That can be done in several ways --usually by waiting till the first layer of resin is gelled, laying on the object, then covering with more freshly mixed liquid resin.The traditional way of eliminating air bubbles (which arise naturally in resins) is to pass a lighted match over them or a torch, or to blow on them (best to do with a straw to avoid *in*haling and to focus the air stream). The idea is to expose them to carbon dioxide (not heat, etc) which makes any bubbles that don't do pop on their own, do so. (You'll also want not to mix the 2 parts of the resin together in any way that would introduce too much air into the mix, i.e, too fast or with a "whipper" .)You can get a bunch of info! on using polyester resins (as well as epoxy resins, which are usually ! thick coatings but can also be used in shallow cells, etc.) on this page of my site to get you started, if you're interested: http://glassattic.com/polymer/other_materials.htmThere will also be links to some YouTube videos on using polyester resins in molds on that page, but be aware that many crafters seem not to understand the difference between polyester and epoxy resins and how each can and can't be used, so they may not identify them correctly in their videos, etc.... best to go by the *name* of the particular resin being used and check my page, etc, to see what kind it actually is until you get it all sorted out for yourself.HTH,Diane B....