Comments on: Resin Bubbles

By: Stephane

Stephane — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:46:30 +0000

Hi everyone,

I beat the resin bubbles by simply not using resin. I use a product called magi-gloss exclusively now. Works like…magic Expensive though. But hey – it’s saved me heaps in hours by resorting to it when normal resin just wouldn’t behave. I made around fifty eyes with it for sculpting projects. Just printed realistic eyes with Photoshop on thick glossy paper, cut out the eyes, and dropped the Magi-gloss on. bang! Instant eyes that look photorealistic

By: KKallweit

KKallweit — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:31:56 +0000

sears sells a pressure pot for around 100 bucks that won’t explode.
this is the address. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00916102000P?vertical=TOOL&pid=00916102000&bidsite=&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
sorry it’s not a link. I seem to be having problems with linking at the moment. sorry for the mess April.

By: KKallweit

KKallweit — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:25:34 +0000

the links I posted all went to the PDF of a professional Pressure pot. not sure why.. Here "hopefully" is what I meant to post. Resin casting I have done for I apologize if the links didn't work again for some reason. Cheers!

By: KKallweit

KKallweit — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:21:40 +0000

HI there, I do resin casting for a living, and I too have a deep seeded hatred of "The" bubble. "Devon" Describes a possible makeshift setup using a pressure cooker and an air compressor. I really don't think that would be a good idea, the highest most pressure cookers are supposed to get to is 15-20 psi. You need around 60psi to eliminate bubbles. it sounds dangerous to me. Using a "pressure Pot". is a guaranteed way to remove all traces of bubbles. you can buy them, but you do need an air compressor...and they cost quite a bit. This is a lot like one of the ones the one I use at work. here is where you can get something similar for around 100 bucks. plus it won't explode and injure you. Happy casting! If your interested, feel free to check out some of the casting stuff I've done here:

By: Spiffy Tomato

Spiffy Tomato — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:36:44 +0000

“But deep down, you really hate that fucking bubble.” True, true, true. Finally a crafter I can relate too. Thanks for the post. Will be getting a heat gun today. Tried the blowdryer (before I read this) and don’t worry, I did my own face-palm.

By: April

April — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:25:26 +0000

You can also even out the pour with the heat gun. Once it is poured, move in close on the piece with the heat gun and it will move the resin around the piece. There is an art to this though and you will have to practice a few times to find out how to move the resin around without completely removing it from your piece.

By: pet

pet — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:16:19 +0000

Thank goodness I found out that it is not something I have been doing wrong with the freaking resin. I tried the blowdryer. Ugh. Don’t slap me! Will definitely buy an inexpensive heat gun. Next problem – how can I even out the pour? I am using the resin on small blocks of painted wood. After it dries I then notice that there are not only bubbles but slight indentations in the piece that I did not previously see. Thanks

By: Devon

Devon — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:40:12 +0000

OK, so The way the pressure method works is by connecting an air compressor to what is called a paint pot. I believe this product should be available in some hardware stores, if not I’m sure there are plenty online. The pot looks like an over-sized, heavy-duty pressure cooker. You use the air compressor to bring the psi in the pot up to about 60 (check Smooth-On’s website for specifics). The pressure forces the bubbles out of the resin with out forcing the liquid out of the mold. Smooth-On sells a prefab kit, but it’s more expensive than the DIY version. Either way, if you’re serious about this stuff it is likely worth the investment. Hope this helps.

By: CraftyShift

CraftyShift — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:30:29 +0000

Its not heat that pops those annoying little gas bubbles its CO2, hence why it works to breathe on it but its not suggested because the gas vapors from those little bubbles are toxic.

Try using a propane torch, turn the flame on low and run it across and watch the bubbles just disappear in its path. Again its the CO2 produced not the heat so don’t immerse your product in fire or you could do more damage lol. I’ve personally done this and it works well, you just have to be thorough.

I’ve also heard that for large projects you can use dry ice and put it in a bowl of water and hold the bowl above it and let the CO2 gas sink to the project. I’ve never done this but plan on trying it soon.

By: Devon

Devon — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:14:54 +0000

Hey,
I’m new to the resin game and am sure you could all run circles around my resin knowledge, but I have heard of one other way. It is more expensive than the other two and I have not yet used it myself, but the staff at my school (Art Institute of Chicago) say it works perfectly. My details will be limited for now but I’ll do my best to get back here with specifics. Essentially you get a Pressure cooker and a small air-compressor and connect them. The impending pressure that builds in the pot should force out any unwanted bubbles. Has anyone tried this before? Again I will be trying it within the week myself and will report back. Thanks, Devon