Alumilite, Epoxy Resin, Royal Palm, or something else?

[Steve Schaefer]

I've had a couple of bad experiences with the people that sell Aulumilite, so I'd like to find something else for making pens, bottle stoppers, and knife scales. I've seen were people use Total Boat Slow and/or Royal Palm resins.

I understand both the Total Boat and the Royal Palm are not as sensitive to moisture as the Alumilite, so it might even be an advantage there.

If you've used Total Boat or Royal Palm resins, how does The workability of the resin compare to Alumalight?

Thanks

 

[Philip Rose]

I just started with Alumilite a few months ago, but have had no issues with it for pens, bottlestoppere, and some larger projects. I am curious what issues you ran into, as i am building experience to go larger and more artsy.

 

[Glenn Lefley]

I would not use anything but all alumilite. Buy direct from alumilite or Curtis !

As per royal palm etc. Alumilite is easier to turn, is not brittle like some other products and does not require respirator as some resins do. Like the pr ones.
Some of the other products will shatter or chip,if you drop a finished pen on floor.

Allumilite will not.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Total Boat Slow is a hardener for epoxy resin and takes about ten hours to cure. Even their fast hardener is quite slow.

My preferred resin is Inlace (Reichhold Polylite 32153-00 orthophthalic casting resin).

 

[DON FRANK]

Smooth-on Crystal Clear 202 is quite good but is not a 50-50 mix so you'll need a cheap digital gram scale. If you pre-dry your piece in a small oven or even set it in front of your wood or gas fireplace this time of the year to remove any residual moisture you'll be fine. You'll have 9 min of pot time with this product.

 

[Steve Schaefer]

I just started with Alumilite a few months ago, but have had no issues with it for pens, bottlestoppere, and some larger projects. I am curious what issues you ran into, as i am building experience to go larger and more artsy.

Alumilite is expensive, and when you order from alumilite.com, the shipping times are inconsistent and often slow. My last order, they took over 5 business days to ship, and that was only because I called and wanted to cancel my order. I don't spend my money with companies with lousy customer service.

There's got to be a product that works as well, hopefully is cheaper, and easier to get.

 

[Steve Schaefer]

Total Boat Slow is a hardener for epoxy resin and takes about ten hours to cure. Even their fast hardener is quite slow.

My preferred resin is Inlace (Reichhold Polylite 32153-00 orthophthalic casting resin.

Thanks, I will check it out

 

[Steve Schaefer]

Smooth-on Crystal Clear 202 is quite good but is not a 50-50 mix so you'll need a cheap digital gram scale. If you pre-dry your piece in a small oven or even set it in front of your wood or gas fireplace this time of the year to remove any residual moisture you'll be fine. You'll have 9 min of pot time with this product.

Thanks Don I will give it a try

 

[Davis Stevenson]

Check out Liquid Diamonds, too. Most likely a similar formula to Royal Palm. After making and selling hundreds of hybrid pens and stoppers, I have yet to see what other people complain about with epoxy. It's not overly brittle, it takes on a great shine, it's cheap ($130 for 1.5 gallons), and most of the time I don't even need to bother with pressure.

 

[Matthew Ferriter]

I used alumilite a grand total of once. The piece had some residual moisture (a very low level)and the workshop was a bit humid. During curing, it foamed up, i guess due to the moisture. I had to scrape it out of the cracks and voids I was trying to fill. I've NEVER had this issue with regular old epoxy. I've also experimented with Castin' Craft polyurethane, which is is water clear, but found it to be very hard to turn due to brittleness.

 

[John Underhill]

I’ve been casting resin for years mostly for pen turning. In my opinion all of them have their use or strong point. Sometimes it’s worth spending a little more money to get a resin that will work the best for the job at hand and not give complications along the way.

Alumilite (urathane resin) is great when mixing colors and keeping good color separation. It also adheres well to natural material like wood and pine cones. Another advantage, no odor, very durable, quicker curing time and no shrinkage. It’s drawback is moisture and not ideal for multiple pours over itself. It also needs to cure under pressure.

Polyester Resin (PR) aka Silmar 41 works well for clear casting. It’s probably the most affordable. It’s has a very long working time and is great for multi layers, as it adheres very well to itself. It’s drawbacks are it’s strong odor, it shrinks in curing and can take 8-12 hours to cure. It doesn’t need to be under pressure but cures better that way. It is also more brittle than most but can be made less brittle by only adding 2-3 drops of hardner per ounce instead of the 7-10 as states on the label. It can be used with colorants and dyes but needs to thicken prior to pouring.

There are several epoxy resins on the market. I’ve used a few and have come to the same opinion. It’s great for adhering to objects but I’m not a fan. It takes the longest time to cure and still comes out of the mold flexible. I’ve had it stay flexible for a couple days. The other issue is over time all epoxy resins will turn yellow so it’s not ideal for clear or light color casts.

these are just my opinions and I would suggest you try them all and see what works best for you and your application. There is a learning curve with them all. Any moisture content in your objects being cast will be a concern with all resins. I would suggest buying your resin from a resin company. Shelf life at a hobby store is unknown and resin freshness can effect the brittleness and it’s success. Also, Keeps lots of notes so you can be consistent.

good luck

 

[Steve Schaefer]

I’ve been casting resin for years mostly for pen turning. In my opinion all of them have their use or strong point. Sometimes it’s worth spending a little more money to get a resin that will work the best for the job at hand and not give complications along the way.

Alumilite (urathane resin) is great when mixing colors and keeping good color separation. It also adheres well to natural material like wood and pine cones. Another advantage, no odor, very durable, quicker curing time and no shrinkage. It’s drawback is moisture and not ideal for multiple pours over itself. It also needs to cure under pressure.

Polyester Resin (PR) aka Silmar 41 works well for clear casting. It’s probably the most affordable. It’s has a very long working time and is great for multi layers, as it adheres very well to itself. It’s drawbacks are it’s strong odor, it shrinks in curing and can take 8-12 hours to cure. It doesn’t need to be under pressure but cures better that way. It is also more brittle than most but can be made less brittle by only adding 2-3 drops of hardner per ounce instead of the 7-10 as states on the label. It can be used with colorants and dyes but needs to thicken prior to pouring.

There are several epoxy resins on the market. I’ve used a few and have come to the same opinion. It’s great for adhering to objects but I’m not a fan. It takes the longest time to cure and still comes out of the mold flexible. I’ve had it stay flexible for a couple days. The other issue is over time all epoxy resins will turn yellow so it’s not ideal for clear or light color casts.

these are just my opinions and I would suggest you try them all and see what works best for you and your application. There is a learning curve with them all. Any moisture content in your objects being cast will be a concern with all resins. I would suggest buying your resin from a resin company. Shelf life at a hobby store is unknown and resin freshness can effect the brittleness and it’s success. Also, Keeps lots of notes so you can be consistent.

good luck

Thanks for the post John

 

[Joe Sheble]

I've tried Total Boat and I don't think it turns as smoothly as Alumilte, plus the longer cure time makes it much less efficient. I can de-mold Alumnilite in and hour and a half, 2 hours tops whereas TotalBoat has to stay in the pressure pot usually overnight. I've heard Liquid Diamonds cuts like a dream as well, but I've not tried it. Here's some good info in this video:

View: https://youtu.be/6z6eHSdqLTQ

 

[Steve Schaefer]

I've tried Total Boat and I don't think it turns as smoothly as Alumilte, plus the longer cure time makes it much less efficient. I can de-mold Alumnilite in and hour and a half, 2 hours tops whereas TotalBoat has to stay in the pressure pot usually overnight. I've heard Liquid Diamonds cuts like a dream as well, but I've not tried it. Here's some good info in this video:

View: https://youtu.be/6z6eHSdqLTQ

Thanks, Joe. I just watched that yesterday

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

Alumilite is expensive, and when you order from alumilite.com, the shipping times are inconsistent and often slow. My last order, they took over 5 business days to ship, and that was only because I called and wanted to cancel my order. I don't spend my money with companies with lousy customer service.

There's got to be a product that works as well, hopefully is cheaper, and easier to get.

FWIW........the day before Christmas I was prowling Hobby Lobby for stocking stuffers for the grand kids and noticed they sell Alumilite (I didn't pay attention to the package sizing). Maybe with their 40% off coupon that'd be a good source?

But, with Hobby Lobby you do have to be careful. For instance, the Testors glue for plastic models is $4.99 for a blister two pack. Same thing at a local Kroger grocery store has a regular price for the same two pack of $1.99.

 

[Philip Rose]

FWIW........the day before Christmas I was prowling Hobby Lobby for stocking stuffers for the grand kids and noticed they sell Alumilite (I didn't pay attention to the package sizing). Maybe with their 40% off coupon that'd be a good source?.

Be careful ... Alumilite has a few different products (described on the Alumilite site: https://www.alumilite.com/store/pg/46-Casting-Resins.aspx). Hobby Lobby (here at least) sells Amazing Clear, which is different from Clear or Clear Slow. I have used both, but have a world a better results with the Clear and Clear Slow (difference is open time, between Clear and Clear Slow). Amazing Clear is mixed by volume, while Clear and Clear Slow are by weight. I use a pressure pot to "eliminate" bubbles.

 

[Davis Stevenson]

II've heard Liquid Diamonds cuts like a dream as well, but I've not tried it.

I can confirm that. Right balance of hard without being *too* brittle, and polishes up very nicely. If you push a skew through it with any speed it chips, but so does most other plastic I've tried. Oddly, flipping my M42 roughing gouge (sharpened at 45 degrees) upside down and using it like a skew works amazingly well in situations you would want to use a skew... Probably the blunter angle vs. my skews.

At one point I tried a couple cheaper castings resins to see what would happen. Definitely don't do that. The hardness/cure time/heat resistance/polish characteristics of the Liquid Diamonds are really superior for turning to the Total Boat and Clear Cast epoxies I tried.

I don't see why everyone is in such a rush with demolding and full cure time. There's plenty of other things to do in and around the workshop while you wait. I wait at least 48 hours without touching the castings, and often times over a week. I'll cast a bunch, but save all the resin turning for one day every other week so I only have to deal with the resin mess once every other week.

 

[Joe Sheble]

I can confirm that. Right balance of hard without being *too* brittle, and polishes up very nicely. If you push a skew through it with any speed it chips, but so does most other plastic I've tried. Oddly, flipping my M42 roughing gouge (sharpened at 45 degrees) upside down and using it like a skew works amazingly well in situations you would want to use a skew... Probably the blunter angle vs. my skews.

At one point I tried a couple cheaper castings resins to see what would happen. Definitely don't do that. The hardness/cure time/heat resistance/polish characteristics of the Liquid Diamonds are really superior for turning to the Total Boat and Clear Cast epoxies I tried.

I don't see why everyone is in such a rush with demolding and full cure time. There's plenty of other things to do in and around the workshop while you wait. I wait at least 48 hours without touching the castings, and often times over a week. I'll cast a bunch, but save all the resin turning for one day every other week so I only have to deal with the resin mess once every other week.

I like the quick de-molding time of Alumilite because I am a very impatient person. Oddly enough, when actually shaping an object on the lathe, I do take my time, and try not to be impatient. But sanding and finishing I'm very impatient with, and even though I don't turn my Alumilite castings until 3 days after the pour, I am impatient to de-mold it to see how good or bad the casting went. I usually do 4-5 castings a week, and then turn them on the weekends. I do want to try the Liquid Diamonds though...

 

[Davis Stevenson]

I like the quick de-molding time of Alumilite because I am a very impatient person. Oddly enough, when actually shaping an object on the lathe, I do take my time, and try not to be impatient. But sanding and finishing I'm very impatient with, and even though I don't turn my Alumilite castings until 3 days after the pour, I am impatient to de-mold it to see how good or bad the casting went. I usually do 4-5 castings a week, and then turn them on the weekends. I do want to try the Liquid Diamonds though...

Do it! If you buy resin 1-2 gallons at a time then the Liquid Diamonds comes in a bit cheaper vs. Alumilite. I think it's $130 per 1.5 gallon kit shipped. Degassing in the vacuum chamber after mixing and a careful pour are all you need to get bubble free castings in most situations for pen blank sized pieces. I don't even bother with degassing for bottle stoppers, and haven't had any problems with bubbles or adhesion with a steady, careful, pour. Moisture does speed up the exotherm, so I still recommend oven drying beforehand. To keep resin use down on bottle stoppers, I've rounded out wood pieces to the diameter of a toilet paper tube and cast two blanks at a time that way. No limit on how many you can have in molds if the molds are free.

 

[Joe Sheble]

Do it! If you buy resin 1-2 gallons at a time then the Liquid Diamonds comes in a bit cheaper vs. Alumilite. I think it's $130 per 1.5 gallon kit shipped. Degassing in the vacuum chamber after mixing and a careful pour are all you need to get bubble free castings in most situations for pen blank sized pieces. I don't even bother with degassing for bottle stoppers, and haven't had any problems with bubbles or adhesion with a steady, careful, pour. Moisture does speed up the exotherm, so I still recommend oven drying beforehand. To keep resin use down on bottle stoppers, I've rounded out wood pieces to the diameter of a toilet paper tube and cast two blanks at a time that way. No limit on how many you can have in molds if the molds are free.

One of the nice things about Alumilite is I can do a deep pour. Typcially, I use 32 ounce plastic theater cups for my molds, and can fill it up with Alumilite with no issues; 4" at it's widest point, and 6.5-7" deep. Can I do as deep a pour with Liquid Diamonds?

 

[Davis Stevenson]

One of the nice things about Alumilite is I can do a deep pour. Typcially, I use 32 ounce plastic theater cups for my molds, and can fill it up with Alumilite with no issues; 4" at it's widest point, and 6.5-7" deep. Can I do as deep a pour with Liquid Diamonds?

The largest I've personally done was 2"x2"x5.5" poured vertically... Just not a fan of larger resin pieces. I think other people have done larger.

 

[Rob Price]

I’ve used several resins. Liquid diamonds is great if you don’t have a pressure pot. I’ve found it hardens better if I mix by weight and not volume. I’ve had a few mixed by volume that never fully cured. It takes several days to reach full hardness though. I’ve used it on bowls to fill large voids as it’s water thin and pours into cracks well. I use the alumilite ‘amazing clear cast’ in a similar fashion, it’s a little more chippy but they also say it’s safe for food contact (which is an entirely different conversation) but that makes me feel better using it in a salad bowl.

I use the alumilite clear in my pressure pot for pens/handles/small projects. I feel like it cures the hardest, takes a polish well and cuts the best. But I can’t fit a bowl in my pressure pot.

I prefer a negative rake scraper for all of them, cuts like butter.

 

[Joe Sheble]

I’ve used several resins. Liquid diamonds is great if you don’t have a pressure pot. I’ve found it hardens better if I mix by weight and not volume. I’ve had a few mixed by volume that never fully cured. It takes several days to reach full hardness though. I’ve used it on bowls to fill large voids as it’s water thin and pours into cracks well. I use the alumilite ‘amazing clear cast’ in a similar fashion, it’s a little more chippy but they also say it’s safe for food contact (which is an entirely different conversation) but that makes me feel better using it in a salad bowl.

I use the alumilite clear in my pressure pot for pens/handles/small projects. I feel like it cures the hardest, takes a polish well and cuts the best. But I can’t fit a bowl in my pressure pot.

I prefer a negative rake scraper for all of them, cuts like butter.

I do a lot of resin stuff, and I have to agree, negative rakes are the bees knees...

 

[Matthew Ferriter]

I've used FAMOWOOD Glaze Coat pretty satisfactorily. I like because:

1) it's relatively cheap ($60/gallon)
2) not as brittle as Castin'Craft polyester (the chips coming off this stuff wore a hole in my left pinky).
3) not as moisture sensitive as Alumilite (had a bad experience the first time using this - turned to foam when in contact with residual moisture in wood).

It is not water clear if that's what you're going for, but with colors, looks pretty good. Just finished this for a buddy of mine and, while not professional (please no comments about sanding marks), came out pretty cool (if I do say so myself).

 

[Rob Price]

3) not as moisture sensitive as Alumilite (had a bad experience the first time using this - turned to foam when in contact with residual moisture in wood).

Was the alumilite in a pressure pot? If not in a pressure pot, will foam because of the heat generated during curing. I’ve had excess alumilite that didn’t get poured into the mold bubble up on it’s own without coming in contact with anything. It doesn’t like moisture, but a lot of the foaming is from the heat and lack of pressure.