Opti cast 100 PU Resin.

[Paul hd]

Hi all,
This is another resin that has been mentioned in another thread, so I decided to give it a go and I think it is great.

The Polytek that I have been using is good but the very short pot life is not good.

Opti cast has a 11 minute pot life which is great. It also finishes well going through the grits. This is definitely my favourite resin to date.

Cheers
Paul

Red Mallee & Resin. - YouTube

 

[Penpal]

Paul liked the video do you prefer volume or weight to mix the chemicals?. This result is excellent.

Peter.

 

[sfurini]

That looks great - I hadn't seen anyone show this type of resin before. Thanks for the video.

 

[Bill Mooney]

That blank seemed to turn nicely & the finish is superb Paul.

 

[Paul hd]

Paul liked the video do you prefer volume or weight to mix the chemicals?. This result is excellent.

Peter.

Thanks Peter,
I suppose I prefer weight as I can put my digital scales to use.

That looks great - I hadn't seen anyone show this type of resin before. Thanks for the video.

Thanks Stewart.

That blank seemed to turn nicely & the finish is superb Paul.

Thanks Bill,
Using the two grits between the 600 Abranet and 1500 micro mesh makes a huge difference.

Cheers All.
Paul.

 

[wm460]

Interesting Vid thanks for posting.

 

[yorkshireman]

That's a great finish Paul

 

[Paul hd]

Thanks Keith,

I am no resin expert but this certainly finishes better than the other two I have used. (Alumilte amazing clear and Polytek easyflo)
It may have something to do with the extra two grits but the resin just feels a little different. It seems to cure much harder. The others were hard but seemed to have a soft feel if that makes sense

Cheers
Paul

 

[fingwe]

That's interesting that you find this one polishes up better than the Easyflo. I found the opposite, but I used a different polishing method - sanded to around 320 and then buffed on polishing mops to get a smooth shiny finish (doing ergonomic pens and hand sanding it makes a lot of difference being able to miss out those last sanding grits). The water clear polyurethanes I've used have all been too hard to use this method - scratches, no matter how fine, won't polish out - they all need to be sanded out.

 

[Graham_C]

Super blank Paul

 

[Goggomobile]

Paul
Great video. I especially like the way the gold mica mixes in the clear. I make handles from time to time and have been searching for an idea like this.

How does the Opti Cast 100 PU compare in price ? Pot life is a real selling point.

Randal

 

[Paul hd]

Paul
Great video. I especially like the way the gold mica mixes in the clear. I make handles from time to time and have been searching for an idea like this.

How does the Opti Cast 100 PU compare in price ? Pot life is a real selling point.

Randal

Hi Randal,
Thanks for the comment.

It is 50% cheaper than Alumilite here in the UK.

Cheers
Paul

 

[Gizmo3k]

Is pressure required for this resin, or will bubble move out on their own?

I love the way the Clear and Mica bits mix!

 

[fingwe]

No, the bubbles won't release on their own, you'd need to use either vacuum or pressure to get rid of the tiny bubbles (we're only talking about pin pricks, but they are visible once turned down) - especially if using mica, as it introduces a lot of air into the mix.

 

[Gizmo3k]

Thanks Melanie!

I don't like PR for turning much, and the only clear epoxy I have found so far without a really short pot life has a 5 day cure time - I am just not that patient

Will keep looking!

 

[fingwe]

To be honest, I think you'll struggle to find anything which doesn't need degassing or pressurising. Epoxy will generally degas itself pretty well, but that's because it takes so long to set. I have tried this epoxy, which will set in a round a day, but it too is full of tiny bubbles. https://www.elichem.co.uk/p-21-mastercast-1-2-1-artwork-resin.aspx

The only thing I can suggest is to buy a small amount of polyurethane and try it....most of the bubbles will be tiny, and depending on how you finish, you may not even notice them.

You could also minimise the bubbles by mixing your mica/colours into Part A of the resin a couple of hours in advance, so that they have time to release before you mix the Part A and B together. You could also stand all of the parts in a bath of warm water to try and thin the viscosity of the resin so that it releases bubbles more easily. Or if you have anything that vibrates, you could hold them on it for a few minutes which will help get rid of the bubbles. Just remember that, once you have mixed your resin, you have a limited time to get rid of any air introduced (and there will be some, no matter how carefully you mix), but before you have mixed it, you have as much time as you want to get each part as air free as you can.

 

[Paul hd]

Hi All,

This is just a test turning to round with the Opti cast. In the future I hope to turn it into something interesting.
I used Red Alumilite and pearlescent powder + Yellow Pearl-x

Cheers,
Paul

Opti cast 100 resin - YouTube

 

[Penpal]

Chambered Pot indeed Paul, wonderful depth of colour and strength in that pour de resistance. Thanks for the video.

Peter.

 

[sfurini]

Very nice indeed - the resin comes up wonderfully. Great colour!

 

[wm460]

It comes up a treat, well done Paul.