Resin Tutorial, Lesson 2 "Casting Backwards!" IMG HEAVY!

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Okay craftgrrls, here is Lesson #2.  Casting Backwards......
Here is lesson one: community.livejournal.com/craftgrrl/11892866.html#cutid1
By this point you should be familiar with the basics of resin.


Disclaimer: Although this is a low odor project, it is not a 100% vapor free project.  Please make sure you have adequate ventilation by opening a window and pointing a fan towards it.  Also, if you can please invest in a vapor mask.  Not a particulate mask, a vapor mask.  This product is a skin irritant.  Please wear gloves!  Please be aware of kids, pets and other people in the house.  Please read the MSDS (material safety data sheet) enclosed inside the package.  DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN OR PETS GET INTO THIS PROJECT!!!!

Materials:
2 craft sticks (aka popsicle sticks, and you'll only need two if your using Pearl-Ex, to use as a scoop)
2- 1 oz measuring cups (I get these from my work, but I think you can buy them in a drug or medical store)
Glitter (I prefer Martha's brand, it sets up much better, trust me on this!!) or Pearl-ex Powders (they give off amazing colors!)
1 package of 2 part epoxy resin.  I use Enviro Tex Lite (I buy it Michael's craft stores, but I'm in the states.  The website I listed above has decent prices on shipping), its much harder and clearer than the other kind (I've used both) and cures much faster!!
Bottlecaps or similar (like a locket). 
A funny picture (if you are using a picture, I always wrap these in tape and make sure its sealed!), or flat letter beads (i love these!)
1 Pair nitrile (the purple or black ones, as they are pretty much impervious to chemicals, or similar) gloves to protect your hands..
A couple of sheets of newspaper for your area.



Assemble your materials:

Measuring cups and "craft sticks"


Bottlecaps....I didn't think I needed to take a pic of this...It's pretty self explanatory.




2 part epoxy resin...This is really easy to use..Hardly any smell (but it is still de-gassing and will give off vapors...adequate ventilation!) and it gives you a longer working time than polyester resin.  You don't have to be super fast, but remember you have NO MORE than 20-25 minutes before it starts to cure....I've found this out..So make sure you have everything you need within a reasonable distance.


Glitter or Pearl-Ex powder


Flat round letter beads

Now pour equal amounts of resin and hardner into ONE measuring cup.  Start with 5mL of each so you have a total of 10mL.  It should look like this:


Now take one of those "craft sticks" and stir the hell out of it.  I mean, really really stir!!  It doesn't matter if it has bubbles, it sets up much faster and harder the more you stir it.  Scrape the sides of the cup too.  After stirring it looks like this:

Notice how its cloudy?  Keep stirring until it starts to become more clear.  Again, don't worry about the bubbles.

Now here comes in your SECOND measuring cup.  You need to pour the resin from the first cup into the second cup like this (sorry for the blurry pic!):

Keep stirring!!  More!  Now you'll notice that it is now VERY clear.

Now here is where this starts to differ from lesson 1.  After you mix your resin in cup #2, you need to add the color (glitter, pearl-ex or similar).
Like this:


I use the "craft sticks" to kind of pick up the resin, or you can squeeze the sides of the cup together....This is where it tends to get messy....Put some of the resin into the bottlecaps..  You WILL be able to pour multiple bottlecaps from one small batch of resin..Remember, don't pour a bottlecap full!!  Now you'll see bubbles in the resin.  What works to get rid of them is to GENTLY exhale on the resin (like you are fogging up a mirror or window, and don't inhale the light fumes!!).  You can also gently blow like you are blowing out a candle.

Now it should look like this:


Now what I do, is rotate the bottlecap so that the resin gets into all the nooks and crannies.

REMEMBER!:  You have to let this layer cure for a while (2 hours usually) until its TACKY or everything will sink to the back and your project is now dead.

Once its cured a fair amount it should look like this:

Sorry for the two different colors, but these ones were already cured. 

Now you do this:

The resin wasn't that tacky (just a little bit), so I just pressed the beads into it so they wouldn't fall out or float to the surface after the second pouring.

Now that you've determined what you want in your bottlecap and thats all ready to go, you need to make ANOTHER batch of resin.  This will NOT be colored.  You will mix this the same as the first batch, just omit the coloring.

Now you'll pour the resin into the bottlecap and over the image/beads/etc:


Here's a pic of what it looks like filled, with bubbles:

Now you wait!  This is the hardest part!!  I usually leave all the bottlecaps on a table with a cover so that no one can touch them, and so pet hair or dust or whatnot can't get into it. 

REMEMBER: Resin is permanent.  If you put it in there, you probably aren't going to get it out.  So be sure of what you want to embed in it. 

This is a cured bottlecap:


Once the piece is cured fully, I use a two part epoxy glue and glue a magnet or aanraku silver plated bail to the back.  I have never had an issue with two part epoxy glue and magnets, it's not failed me once.

Here's the other project I did.  This was a pocket watch from my maternal grandfather who passed away before I was born.  It was broken, and I really had no use for it.  I took it all apart and had polymer clay in it originally.  I took that out and poured a colored layer, then my trinkets (the key is from my paternal grandmothers jewelry box, it didn't work), and then the clear layer.  Steam punk inspired, I think..lol


Thanks for reading my tut!  Please give me feedback and let me know how it was, if I need to change things or make them clearer!  I love teaching and I want to make sure everyone can understand. I also want everyone to understand the need for adequate ventilation, regardless of the type of resin you will be using.  You can also buy gloves fairly cheaply from one of the big box stores.  There are vinyl, latex and nitrile.  I prefer nitrile because they aren't hard on your hands.