…You *can* use something else besides colorants "sold for resin" to color it but those things must be oil-based not water-based. So use artists’ oil paints (in tubes). They will be transparent naturally, but if you want opaque colorants add some Titanium White to any color and it will become opaque.

…The line of resin called "Easy Cast" is an epoxy resin, but it’s a slightly tweaked version of epoxy resin which doesn’t get as hard as regular epoxy resins, especially if items are thin or exposed to even as much heat as body heat. It does have the advantage though that it can be used in *deep* molds whereas regular epoxy resins can’t be used in deep molds (shallow molds okay)… for deep molds, polyester resin is used instead.

Now for your questions:

1). You can find all those things discussed on this "resin" page at my site:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/other_materials.htm
Brands will be listed separately under the catgories for Polyester resins and Epoxy resins since they are different …colorants will be discussed more in the two subcategories called Coloring… drilling will be discussed primarily under epoxy resins in the subcategory Cutting, Drilling, Sanding, etc.

2). You can buy various molds (usually HDPE plastic or silicone), or you can make molds for resins from 2-part silicone putties, or from some other things as long as you a release is used –silicone gives great results though.
There’s loads of info on using silicone to make your own silicone molds on this page:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/molds.htm
…click especially on *2-Part Silicone Putties* and *Brands*

3). Not sure what you mean by the "metallic faux surface," but various glitters and metallic things can be mixed into the resin or embedded in it.

4). If you want a multi-faceted surface, you’ll want to use a multi-faceted mold.

5). I think you should be able to paint on resins with acrylics since I know that water-based sealers (like clear polyurethanes, etc) can be used, on epoxy resins at least, and paints intended for glass might work too. Acrylics would probably take a few coats though, and might require roughing the surface a bit first.

If you use an acrylic paint that’s not a *gloss* acrylic paint (on polymer clay or on resin), you’ll end up with a matte appearance. If you want to add a gloss surface on top of matte acrylic paint, add a coat of water-based polyurethane, clear acrylic nail polish, Pledge-Future floor polish, or various other most scratchable surfaces like Diamond Glaze or gloss acrylic medium, etc…. or you could just make sure the acrylic paints you use are the gloss version.

P.S. Don’t know why acrylic paints should have a "rough texture" on polymer clay unless you didn’t have a smooth surface to begin with (polymer clay can be sanded if nec). Usually *2 coats* of acrylic paint are necessary on cured polymer clay for best coverage, but you could also try more coats if your clay wasn’t smooth to begin with, or use a coat of white gesso as the first coat then the colored paint.
(Also, better quality acrylic paints, and especially the "artist-quality" acrylic paints in tubes, will give better coverage than the cheapest craft acrylic paints.)

There is a load of info on using resins for art/craft on the page I linked to above, and for "putting beads into resin" also check out the category called "Inclusions" there.

(Also, if you want more info about anything related to polymer clay, check out my polymer clay "encyclopedia" site… here is the Table of Contents page; be sure and scroll *all the way down* it:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm )

HTH,

Diane B.
References :

This first installment is just about materials and supplies. What to use and where to get them.

Resin

I recommend starting with EasyCast clear casting epoxy resin. It is great for beginners because it has an easy 1:1 mix ratio. It cures slowly, which is good and bad. Bad because you have to wait a day or more for your piece to fully cure before you can pop it out of the mold. But good – very good, if you need time to fiddle around with colors or inclusions. You have at least a good half hour (depending on local temperature) before the resin starts to gel and thicken.

You can find EasyCast at most local craft stores, some hardware store, and of course online. The cheapest online retailers I’ve found are Dick Blick and Mister Art.

2. Plastic Mixing/Measuring Cups & Stir Sticks

You will need plastic cups with graduated lines for measuring. Don’t use wax coated paper cups, as the wax could flake off into your resin. The best part about plastic cups is that they are reusable without a big cleanup hassle. Just leave your mess of resin in the cup, let it cure, then peel the whole thing out.

Resin Obsession has a nice selection of 1 oz. and 8 oz. mixing cups, as well as little wooden stir sticks.

You can also find wooden stir sticks, or craft sticks at your local craft store or supermarket (Popsicle sticks).

3. Ready made Molds

A variety of ready made jewelry molds are available online. Resin Obsession has a fabulous selection of shapes, including letters, numbers and animals.

4. Wax Paper, Gloves, and Paper Towels

Resin is very gooey, sticky, and hard to clean up. You need to protect your work surface and yourself.

Disposable gloves will keep your hand sticky-free. (I just use the cheap vinyl gloves you get in your hardware store for painting.)

Waxed paper makes a great work surface – drips won’t soak through, and resin won’t stick to it, so you can just leave all your mess right there and clean it up later after it has dried and is no longer ooey-gooey.

Keep some paper towels on hand to quickly wipe up drips that land where you don’t want them.

5. Heat Tool

This is not necessary, but very useful in removing air bubbles in the resin. Not so critical if you are using glitter or something, but with clear resin the bubbles will show a lot more and you will want to get rid of them.

You can get an Embossing Heat Tool in the rubber stamp aisle of your craft store, or online.

Don’t try and cheat by using your hair dryer! A hair dryer blows more air than heat, and will likely blow globs of resin out of your mold. At best it will just make a mess, and at worse ruin your project.

Dyes & Pigments

Above are the bare minimum, basic items you will need. But what’s the fun in that? You need some color!

There are liquid dyes and pigments made especially for resin. You can find a variety of colors online at Resin Obsession, Dick Blick, and Mister Art. Please note, this is the only type of liquid colorant you can add to resin. Normally with resin I’d say, experiment, experiment, experiment! But not with this. Any other liquid (i.e, paint, food coloring) will react with the resin – it won’t cure and will instead stay a yucky, sticky blob forever.
Now, dry elements, well that’s an entirely different matter! Anything dry, and free of oils, is fair game. You can use glitter, mica, artist pastels, pigment powder…

Artist pastels offer an endless array of colors. Use a craft knife or razor to gently shave the edges of the pastel.

I especially like Pearl Ex powdered pigments for their subtle shimmer and deep jewel tones.
These items can all be found at your art/craft store. While you are there, peruse the aisles for other fun things to mix in your resin: buttons, candy sprinkles, etc.

Well, now that you have all your materials, you’re ready to start casting! The next article in this series will discuss how to mix the resin and how to use your dyes and pigments…

7 comments:
Sherri Gallagher on March 7, 2009 9:48 PM said…
I was so excited to find this information. I have been searching the internet for something straight forward. I can’t wait to read what you post next.

Anonymous said…
I use easy cast resin as well but have found that it doesn’t cure rock hard. I can squeeze it in my fingers and feel it give. I have tried acrylic paint, oil paint, and even Colores resin pigment. They all turn out soft. Is this normal? I read that easy cast does not get as hard as other resins. Is it better to use dry pigments? Do have any other brands of resin you would suggest that do cure ro
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