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.

How to mix the Resin

Different brands of Resin have different ratio of clear and hardener mixing. The amount is mentioned in the label of the bottle. 
I have used three different brands of Resin and have observed the following
A resin that cures very fast like within an hour has a very short working time as opposed to one that takes 24hrs to cure. A fast curing resin will be more viscous and a slow curing one will be very fluid in the beginning.
Temperature also affects the curing process. If the room is very cold it would be a good idea to dip the clear and the hardener bottle in some warm water with the bottle cap closed to make it more fluid. 

Use a weighing scale to measure the amount of Clear and Resin. Once you pour both the liquid in a paper cup use a popsicle stick to mix it well. Mix slowly and gently to avoid getting a lot of air bubbles. The slow curing resins usually are easy to mix and give less bubbles.
To remove bubbles use a flame lighter or a heat gun and go over the surface where you have poured the resin for about 5-6 seconds. Do not use it for long as it will affect the curing process.

Precautions to take before using Resin

When the Hardener and Clear part of the resin are mixed together it causes a chemical reaction which heats up the Resin slowly and turns the liquid into a solid. While mixing the two liquid there may be a lot of bubbles and to remove them you might use a lighter or a heat gun. Heating the resin might give rise to fumes which could be harmful. Its always better to take a few precautions while using Resin

1. Use Nitrile gloves

Resin is messy. It is difficult to remove from the hands since it is very sticky and could also cause allergic reaction. I recommend everyone to use gloves always while working with Resin.Try and use Nitrile gloves and not plastic gloves. Nitrile gloves are used by medical professionals mostly.If you touch the resin with these gloves they do not react with it hence allowing the normal curing to take place. You can wipe the resin with a tissue and it can be used again later. 

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2. Use a Respirator

Many resin mixes have a odor which makes it difficult to breathe. Use a respirator to protect yourself from the odor and fumes from the resin

3. Work in a ventilated area

To avoid the odor and the fumes from affecting you work in a well ventilated area

4. Protect your working surface

Once the resin cures it will become hard and is difficult to remove. Protect your working surface by covering it with a craft sheet or plastic cover of some kind

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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.