Resin Problem = HELP

[Gadget-UK]

Good Morning all

For all the Resin experts - I need some help / advice.
I have been "Playing" with resin for a fair number of years now and have mostly used Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast with no major issues at all.
Never been 100% happy with the overall finish as I never seem to get a decent shine from it.

After reading a lot of posts on here and other forums, Glasscast 50 seemed to be the way to go and the pens people have made turned from this resin really do look great.
So did the deed and bought myself some, 1st trial was a Chess Board for my son in two different colours, worked a treat and looked great.
Onto Casting Blanks and this past saturday cast 16 picture blanks.
Mixed as per instructions 100ml of Resin to 50ml of Hardner (Same as Chess Board) and put them in the pressure pot, as this was the first batch and I was busy all day yesterday (Sunday) decided to take them out of the pot this morning....
Oh boy, what a mess........



Every single blank was nothing more than a VERY Sticky Mess.
They are (Sort of) semi-hard, had a heck of a trial getting them out of the molds (and yes they were sprayed beforehand).
I have never had any issue like this before, mixed the resin as instructed, pressure pot same setting as always and the pot was warm, resin is kept at 22deg (Warm Box).
Two of the molds I managed to save from the sticky mess but two others are well beyond salvageable as I just can't get the resin out (Think warm VERY Sticky Toffee).
So suggestions, ideas, anything as I am at a total loss as to what went wrong

 

[Curly]

I don't know the resin so don't know if it is the cause.

It almost looks like the resin was pushed or blasted around the pot. How much pressure are you using and how fast do you put it into the pot? If there is nothing to diffuse the incoming air and it blasts straight down into the molds the resin will blow all around. Resin splatters on the pot walls would point to that. Try applying the air more slowly.

Pete

 

[Gary's Pens & Turnings]

I don't know the resin so don't know if it is the cause.

It almost looks like the resin was pushed or blasted around the pot. How much pressure are you using and how fast do you put it into the pot? If there is nothing to diffuse the incoming air and it blasts straight down into the molds the resin will blow all around. Resin splatters on the pot walls would point to that. Try applying the air more slowly.

Pete

That wouldn’t explain why the resin is still sticky as toffee? In my years of experience using various resins; this really points to poor mixing. Somehow the hardener has not mixed properly with the resin. I well remember in my younger years, thinking I’d mixed resin properly, only to find; even days later that the resin was never going to set, due to a poor mix. This resulted in the sticky mess like you now have to deal with.

 

[Gadget-UK]

Thanks for the helps gents but problem now solved.
After speaking with Glass Cast themselves this morning, turns out the hardener has gone off - faulty & not reacting the way it should.
They are sending me a batch of new resin and hardener.
Turns out I was not the only one with this issue, the hardener literally boils the resin so much it will never harden but does turn it into one very sticky mess.

What looks like the air blasting the resin was actually me trying to get the tubes out.
Its the same pressure pot I have used hundreds of times in the past and nothing wrong with that side of things, it has never happened before and totally threw me as to what the problem could be.

Thanks though

 

[Bammer]

Colin
Glass cast 10/50 is a 100 / 45 ratio by weight.

I've poured 100's of blanks with the stuff but I always use Glasscast 10, except once when I ordered the 50

These came out soft and squidgy, but i left them in the mold for a few days, maybe 3 or 4 and they eventually hardened. I think they state 48 hours.

The 10 you will be able to de-mold in 12 to 24 hours, I let mine carry on curing, out of the mold for a few days be working them.

If the resin was cold it wouldn't would not have mixed properly. To get round this, warm it up once you have weighed it out, oh yeah, always mix by weight and not volume. But you said it was warm so maybe thats not it.

You can warm it up just by sitting the cup in a bowl of hot water, it will become crystal clear and bubble free. I always liken it to Honey versus beer, honey being thick the bubbles rise slowly, beer they rise fast, so by warming it up you change the viscosity.

When you've done this you can still stir it up and you'll get a better mix, i never worry about mixing it super fast and adding bubbles because it's going in the pot.

Which funnily enough you don't really need to do, once warm the bubbles rise to the top anyhow, you can see this in the cup the next day when it's hardened, no bubbles.

So it must come down to pour mix ratio, you got it wrong or you didn't mix it enough.

Warm it so it's nice and runny, use Glasscast 10, 100/45 by weight.

Hope this helps