# First Experiments with Casting



## trc65 (Mar 20, 2021)

I don't have a pressure pot, but wanted to do some playing with resin and make some Easter eggs. Picked up some Liquid Diamonds resin and some Black Diamonds mica pigment powder. I've just poured two blanks, but learned many lessons so far. 

First, temp matters, a lot. Second, there is definitely a level of artistry involved in this and mixing a few colors and pouring them together won't necessarily give you a great looking blank. 

Here are the two I've poured so far, the first is the dark blue, orange and grey, the second is the lighter blue with yellow and copper. Two different methods and temperatures for both of these, and I think I know what I'm going to find inside, but I'll wait until I turn these until I draw any conclusions. 

Side view



Bottom view

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 4 | Creative 2


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## Tony (Mar 20, 2021)

Looking good so far Tim.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Gdurfey (Mar 20, 2021)

My last pour worked okay, but the experimenting can get expensive!!! Keep working it Tim, looking good, and thanks for the info.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Arn213 (Mar 20, 2021)

Tim- nice! I get a Van Gogh vibe on them as the color as spot on ! Keep going sir.....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Mar 20, 2021)

Expensive is right! 

I decided to try the liquid diamonds as you weren't totally happy with the deep pour you used. Clarity of the resin, lack of bubbles is great, but the colors mixed way more than I wanted on the first one.

Changed methods on the second and think I got less color mixing, but I think it's going to be full of bubbles.

Hopefully I'll have power back the first of the week and will have 3-4 blanks ready to cut to see if my guesses are correct.

Regardless, these will make some nice eggs for the kids and I'm learning a lot in the process

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## aag562 (Mar 21, 2021)

trc65 said:


> Expensive is right!
> 
> I decided to try the liquid diamonds as you weren't totally happy with the deep pour you used. Clarity of the resin, lack of bubbles is great, but the colors mixed way more than I wanted on the first one.
> 
> ...


Hey I have tried upstartepoxy.com and they have a 30% coupon off first order even if you are not happy with the product to use all the time at least it will save you money while you experiment. I find it to be just as good as the rest.

Reactions: Like 4


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## Nature Man (Mar 21, 2021)

Congrats! Can't wait to see them turned! Thanks for keeping us posted, and looking forward to more successes in the future! Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Don Van Dyne (Mar 21, 2021)

I think they looks pretty cool! They always look better on this inside.. getting color separation is tricky when your using mica powders they tend to blend even at high temps the less stirring the better. For really separate colors try using divine island pigments. After a lot of practice I was able to get some decent results.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 10 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 4 | Informative 1


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## trc65 (Mar 21, 2021)

Thanks Don! 

I picked the mica just for the bright colors, had no clue that they were hard to get color separation with. That little tip just saved me a lot of frustration. 

I don't necessarily need color separation with these, just something that I thought I should strive for. Will focus now making sure I get a bubble free result with colors that look good when they blend together.

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## ripjack13 (Mar 21, 2021)

Very cool.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Don Van Dyne (Mar 21, 2021)

trc65 said:


> Thanks Don!
> 
> I picked the mica just for the bright colors, had no clue that they were hard to get color separation with. That little tip just saved me a lot of frustration.
> 
> I don't necessarily need color separation with these, just something that I thought I should strive for. Will focus now making sure I get a bubble free result with colors that look good when they blend together.


Absolutely! I do a lot of work that the swirly, sparkly look that mica provides is what I’m going for.

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## aag562 (Mar 21, 2021)

I just placed my first order with Divine! I have seen them used in a few videos and after seeing these pictures I went to find the best price for them. They must be getting very popular they were out of stock on a few colors. Funny the divine website is 50 cents more than Turners warehouse. That makes for very happy retailers selling their products.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Useful 1


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## jasonb (Mar 21, 2021)

Don Van Dyne said:


> I think they looks pretty cool! They always look better on this inside.. getting color separation is tricky when your using mica powders they tend to blend even at high temps the less stirring the better. For really separate colors try using divine island pigments. After a lot of practice I was able to get some decent results.
> 
> View attachment 205652


Those are to cool!

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## Don Van Dyne (Mar 21, 2021)

aag562 said:


> I just placed my first order with Divine! I have seen them used in a few videos and after seeing these pictures I went to find the best price for them. They must be getting very popular they were out of stock on a few colors. Funny the divine website is 50 cents more than Turners warehouse. That makes for very happy retailers selling their products.


Best by far and your supporting a great family and small business!

Reactions: Like 4


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 21, 2021)

Don Van Dyne said:


> I think they looks pretty cool! They always look better on this inside.. getting color separation is tricky when your using mica powders they tend to blend even at high temps the less stirring the better. For really separate colors try using divine island pigments. After a lot of practice I was able to get some decent results.
> 
> View attachment 205652


I am glad you said "decent" instead of "HaHa beatcha flat out"

Reactions: Funny 4


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## aag562 (Mar 22, 2021)

The best instructor on YouTube for what you are doing is Zack Higgins. He teaches and explains why and why not. I just watched all of his do's and don't on color separation. I built a pressure pot for $102.50. It took me longer to cut the tube inside that is not necessary than putting the rest together...if a bonehead such as myself can do anyone can.

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## trc65 (Mar 23, 2021)

Here's a pic of the first three I turned. The first one was a little slim, so I cut it into pen blanks. They turned nicely, they aren't sanded up and polished, just enough to get a good look at them. Have some tiny pin holes in the ones that I really let thicken before pouring, will just fill those with CA. 

Overall, very happy with the results. They don't look quite like I thought they might, but that's because I really didn't know what I was doing!

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 5 | Way Cool 3


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## T. Ben (Mar 23, 2021)

Those are fantastic!!! Great job tim.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Gdurfey (Mar 23, 2021)

Very nice!! What a great surprise.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Don Van Dyne (Mar 24, 2021)

I’m always amazed at what you find inside! I like them all but the 3rd from the left is my favorite!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mike Hill (Mar 24, 2021)

Dadgummit - dem are downright purdy! Keep it up and you might inspire me to get off my duff!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Barb (Mar 24, 2021)

They all look great and I'm with Don, the 3rd from the left is my fave. :)

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## Gdurfey (Mar 24, 2021)

Okay, I want to make a new comment. The right one looks like you captured earth.....I have gone back and looked at these several times!!!!

Tim, have you ever done any color theory, painting where you learned color mixing, etc? I have not done much but enough to think about that when I started dying my stabilizing liquid and will do so when I do more casting.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## trc65 (Mar 24, 2021)

No, never had any art classes beyond grade school and finger paints  

With these, tried to pick two primary colors that compliment each other or would look good mixed and then add in a smaller amount of a color that was dark but would accent the others without clashing.

#1 is cobalt blue, vivid orange and battleship grey, probably had too much grey in it and stirred too much.

#2 is blue/green, bright yellow and a smaller amount of of copper.

#3 is Caribbean blue, hot pink and white in a smaller amount.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arn213 (Mar 24, 2021)

If any of you here want to know about colors and color theory, I recommend an “Artist Color Wheel” and there is a great book by Josef Albers called “Interaction of Color” and another one by Johannes Itten, “The Elements of Color. These were required standards in College for Architecture & Interior Design. This has helped me greatly in my trade till this day.



Gdurfey said:


> Okay, I want to make a new comment. The right one looks like you captured earth.....I have gone back and looked at these several times!!!!


@Gdurfey, I completely agree and thought of the same thing 

Tim- they all look great to me artistically speaking and some of them do remind me of the essence of “Van Gogh’s” color palette. Look up the pen company Visconti “Van Gogh” line. Looking forward to what you create with these blanks.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Mar 25, 2021)

Here are the first three I turned into "dragon eggs". Great nephew has 10th birthday on Easter, and decided he will get two or three dragon eggs. The rest of great nieces and nephews will get wooden eggs. I'm going to keep the rest I poured as my own Easter eggs.

There are flaws, micro bubbles in them, and they need some polishing yet, but I like the way they look. I'll have four more that will get turned into eggs as time permits. Middle one is around 2"tall.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 4 | Great Post 2 | Way Cool 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 25, 2021)



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## trc65 (Mar 25, 2021)

Hit the wrong button while scrolling, pictures added.


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 25, 2021)

trc65 said:


> Here are the first three I turned into "dragon eggs". Great nephew has 10th birthday on Easter, and decided he will get two or three dragon eggs. The rest of great nieces and nephews will get wooden eggs. I'm going to keep the rest I poured as my own Easter eggs.
> 
> There are flaws, micro bubbles in them, and they need some polishing yet, but I like the way they look. I'll have four more that will get turned into eggs as time permits. Middle one is around 2"tall.
> 
> ...


Nice color separation. You use regular mica based colors?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Mar 25, 2021)

Black diamond mica powder pigment.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HNE78KK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Mike Hill (Mar 25, 2021)

Those are so cool!!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## Arn213 (Mar 25, 2021)

WOW Tim- they are beyond gorgeous! You should make a small base for them (or not).

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## trc65 (Mar 25, 2021)

That's a good idea Arn! I did turn a small flat on them so they will sit upright, but seeing as some of these will be going to a 10 yo, a base is a good idea. Might serve as a reminder to put the eggs away if he has a "place" for them to go.

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## Arn213 (Mar 25, 2021)

^Tim, I can’t wait to see you work your magic on the pen blanks to become fine writing instruments. My vote would be a pair of fountain pens with black section with gold nib. Just helping you out get motivated for the next session, lol.


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## trc65 (Mar 25, 2021)

That's a good idea for the pen(s). Not made myself a nice pen, so may have to splurge and make a nice fountain pen or two.

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## Don Van Dyne (Mar 26, 2021)

REALLY like the first one!

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## T. Ben (Mar 26, 2021)

They turned out fantastic,great job Tim.

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## Mike Hill (Mar 26, 2021)

I'm just now seeing them on a big screen. WOW! The tiny screen did not do them justice. Blown away. I ordered my sample pack of black diamond pigments just a short 6 months ago and haven't tried them yet. Haven't ordered the resin yet. But actually bought them to try and mix up into some watercolor paints to see what they would do on paper.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Creative 1


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## Barb (Mar 28, 2021)

Those are super cool!

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## trc65 (Mar 28, 2021)

Here are the next couple of eggs. These are a little over 2" tall.

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## trc65 (Mar 31, 2021)

Here's a final picture with all the eggs.

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## Arn213 (Mar 31, 2021)

Wow, that is a spectacular line up Tim! You said this was your first time doing this? Based on the exquisite examples, you look like you were a seasoned PRO already at this!

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## trc65 (Mar 31, 2021)

Thanks Arn! I think it was a little luck, and picking some colors that worked well together. I almost hated to turn the last couple on the right, had to turn away some resin that was more beautiful than what remained.

Learned some good lessons, and got some experience. Don't think I'm going to be pouring resin on a regular basis, don't want to go down that rabbit hole just yet. Now though, when that special idea comes up, I can tackle it.

Just a few notes on the Liquid Diamonds resin. Overall happy with it throughout this project. Able to de-mold in 24 hours and turn in 48. Turned easily with standard gouges and skew. Turned these between centers and with a collet chuck. These took a little more effort to polish up, and don't seem to be as hard as some other resin I've turned, but didn't turn any side by side for a true comparison. 

Bottom line, I would buy and use this again, at least until I get a pressure setup.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 31, 2021)

Nice! Do the chickens have those colors too? Or are they just over-active easter eggers? 
Btw most epoxy continues to harden for 7 to 10 days. I have trouble waiting as well. Have demolded and turned within 48 hrs but it was softer. The stuff I left for a week or two hardened considerably more.

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## trc65 (Mar 31, 2021)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> Nice! Do the chickens have those colors too? Or are they just over-active easter eggers?
> Btw most epoxy continues to harden for 7 to 10 days. I have trouble waiting as well. Have demolded and turned within 48 hrs but it was softer. The stuff I left for a week or two hardened considerably more.


That may very well be the reason these seemed to be "softer". Most of these were turned less than 72 hours after pouring. Now that these have sat for a while, I'll give them another buffing before this weekend.

Thanks for the info!

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