How to make a Silicone Mold for Casting

I have used Silicone Rubber from a brand called Siloczest. I would recommend using LSR-2. They have a different kinds, some which cures fast and some which cure slowly. This variety that i used is not food grade. You cannot bake food in it.

In the video tutorial i used LSR. The details came out beautifully as you can see in the video but when i 
cast resin in it the final cast did not come out easily. So i would recommend using some kind of mold release spray before pouring resin in it. The plaster of paris cast came out beautifully without any mold release.

Watch the Video tutorial below:

Resin Colorants

There are different kinds of materials you can use to add color to Resin. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
Resin by itself will mostly be clear. You can use this to coat surfaces or your paintings. When you add colors you can use it for casting or creating resin art.

These are the different kinds of colorants that i have personally used

1. Acrylic
One of the most popular and cheapest way to color your resin is Acrylic paints. Make sure that the acrylic you use does not contain any water. Acrylic will give an opaque and matte finish to your resin piece. If you want the final piece to be glossy you will have to put another coat of resin over the finished product.
I have also observed that acrylic does not work with some brands of Resin. It just sinks to the bottom. So always test a small batch to see if it mixes properly with the Resin. 

2. Alcohol inks
Alcohol ink will mix well with resin and will give the resin piece a transparent look.One thing we have to remember while using Alcohol inks is that it is flammable. So once you put the alcohol inks into the resin you cannot use any type of flammable items like lighter or heat gun on it.

3. Resin pigment
These are special colorants made for Resin. They can be either transparent or opaque.

Click here for a Video Tutorial

Removing bubbles from Resin

When you mix the Resin and Hardener you will get air bubbles. You need to eliminate these air bubbles or atleast minimize the amount or else once the resin has cured they will be visible or might create dents on the surface.

These are the ways i use to try and eliminate bubbles

1. Stir gently
The first way is to mix the clear and hardener gently. You need to make sure both have incorporated well together but mix gently and slowly for about a minute.

2. Use a flame lighter
This is one of the most affordable and common method to get rid of bubbles. After mixing use a flame lighter on the surface. All surface bubbles will pop.

3. Work in a warm room
Sometimes the temperature also affects the mixture. Here in India i do not have that issue. You can maybe run the heater for a while in the room if its too cold and make an ambient temperature for casting

4. Warm the resin and hardener before casting
Sometimes i use this method for my 1:1 resin since it is very viscous. I place both the resin and hardener bottle in warm water. Make sure the water is just warm and not boiling and do not keep the bottles for too long, just until you feel the liquid inside is moving more freely. Once the liquids are more fluid you will be able to mix it more easily thus giving you less bubbles.

5. Heat gun
This works similar to a flame lighter but with more heat and intensity. Use it over the resin surface for about 30 seconds. Using it for too long will affect the curing process.

These are some of the methods that i use. Apart from this there is another one. Putting the resin mix in a pressure pot. This is usually used for large castings. When you put the mix inside the pressure pot it creates pressure which makes the bubbles smaller and thus gets rid of them.

What is Resin

Resin or Epoxy Resin is a a two part component consisting of Resin and Hardener. When we mix the two in the required proportion a chemical reaction takes place that slowly turns the liquid into a solid. The solid will be a high gloss clear surface. Resin is known for its adhesive qualities. It can be used on wood, glass, acrylic or even metal. 

It can be used as an adhesive, as a sealant, in electrical systems and even in paintings and art.

Using Resin in Art

I use Resin mostly in Art. You can use resin to create depth and clarity in your art. Resin can also be used for casting.It is usually used with Silicone molds to produce art pieces. Different color pigments, glitters, etc can be added to the resin.