While I was working on my review of the Amazing Mold Putty, I of course thought it would be smart to crack open my sample of Amazing Casting Resin. I have to tell you, when I saw this at CHA last winter, it stopped me in my tracks. I’d never seen a resin quite like this before- it cures so fast, and turns white!
I knew I had to test it and share it with you, and the lovely booth workers kindly gave me a sample to bring home. The principle is the same as any other 2-part epoxy resin: you must mix 2 compounds together that start a chemical reaction that results in a firm product.
This particular Casting Resin starts off as a 2 differently-colored liquids the consistency of water. One is tinted yellow, which helps you keep them straight. Anyway you mix one part of A to one part of B, and stir away.
A note about odor- this resin gives off the odor of a varnish as you are working with it. It’s not overpowering, but you should be aware if you have respiratory issues or allergies. Of course, you should always work in a well-ventilated area, and use extreme caution with this product. It’s flammable and shouldn’t be used around children. And keep it out of your eyes, too. In short, this is a grown-up product ONLY and take all reasonable precautions.
The curious thing about this compound is that once you start mixing, it goes all cloudy on you. Now, this is a horrible picture- I was hurrying- but you get the idea:
When you start to mix, it goes cloudy. When it turns clear again, you're ready to pour.
So you stir until the cloudiness goes away. When it turns clear again, it’s ready to pour. How brilliant is that?? It makes it kinda goof-proof. I poured the resin into one of the molds I made from the Amazing Mold Putty.
But here’s the thing- they tell you to pour slowly, but this resin stays really watery- making it challenging to pour. I’d almost consider investing in some funnels, because my molds are smallish and rather shallow- which made for a bit of a drippy mess.
You also have a very limited open time with this resin- it cures in 5 minutes! I’m not kidding! I’d barely poured all of the molds and gotten my camera ready when I started to see these white “blooms” in the molds- an indicator that they were curing.
Wow! That's fast!
And I’m not joking- in 5 minutes, they had turned completely white, and I popped the cast pieces free of the molds:
Oringinals, molds, and castings (white).
Besides being fast, this resin captures a lot of detail! See for yourself:
So, I’ve got to admit I’ve never seen a resin that went white before- it’s really kind of lovely, like marble. And on the package it says you can sand, drill, or paint your pieces. So of course, I had to try some acrylic paints on them.
Originals and painted castings.
Again, I’ve never heard of a resin that you could paint! I love the idea of being able to make replicas of vintage items and then paint or alter them as needed for artwork. That flaming heart milagro is my absolute favorite! And I think my resin “key” looks good enough to fool the eye when placed on a piece of artwork. And it’s less than half the weight, too.
Of course, after I painted that key, I decided that I should try to refine it a bit with sanding. True to the labeling, a coarse piece of sandpaper did the trick and I was able to contour the edges to make it look even a bit more realistic. I also drilled some holes in one of my flaming heart milagros so I could use it as a charm on an art quilt. It drilled perfectly with my Dremel. Sweet.
Bottom line? Awesome. If you are looking replicate items in molds, this is the resin for you. It’s fast, paintable, sandable, drillable, and fast. Did I mention FAST??
Now, it is a bit of a one-trick wonder, but it’s a really awesome trick, right?And it’s not for kiddos, it’s fairly toxic stuff- so use all the precautions you can and be smart. But I can think of a gazillion ways that I’m going to want to use Amazing Casting Resin!
And the price is good, too. The package I got is 16 oz, and I’ve made a slew of small castings, and I’ve barely made a dent in it- and it retails for $15.00! If you are doing production work or larger pieces, you may want to go for the 2 gallon size for $110.00. (You can buy it right on their website, too.)
What do you think? Leave me a comment, especially if you’ve tried this stuff- I’d love to hear how you’ve used it!
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Hi Jenny – This looks like a fabulous project that I am thinking about! Can you embed anything in the castings prior to hardening?
I don’t see why not, maybe we can have a “play date”
This stuff looks awesome! I invested in some Melt art stuff and UTEE. I was rather disappointed in it. So this might be the route to go!! How durable is it after it has set? do some drop tests hehe
I applied moderate pressure to my cast milagro and it didn’t break…and of course, the thicker it is the more durable it will be. It’s MUCH more durable than UTEE or polymer clay- it’s so hard you can drill it and sand it. AND it’s paintable, so this might the thing for you!
Hi,
Can I get in Canada & where???
Thanks
Here’s a link to retailers- or buy from their website! http://amazingmoldputty.com/Retailers.cfm
You probably could embed metal objects – like loops for hanging, etc. The resin creates heat while curing, so that is a consideration. And of course, it cures opaque so you couldn’t see what you put in (for well or for worse.)
This looks really easy to use. I used a clear kind about 15 years ago to make the water in a dollhouse miniature pond and to make a paperweight, but for most others uses, the white would be better. I love how much detail you got – perfect for a project I’ve been wanting to do for some time but didn’t have the right tools. And certainly the cure time is vastly reduced. Thanks!!
WOW! That is a brilliant product, with some awesome results. I’ve been wanting to try a resin, and this is looking like the one i want to use! Thanks for the review!
Hi, I know this is an old post, but if you get this I was wondering if you can use any mold you have or do you have to use a particular mold? Can u use candy molds? Thanks, Diane
Diane- you can use silicon candy molds for sure. I think the heavy weight candy molds would be fine, especially if you used a resin release agent before you pour. Be wary of those thin, flimsy candy molds though. You could always try a test pour first to see if your molds are compatible. Good luck!
Hey, Jenny. I was wondering if there is any flex in the material? I am making a helmet for a figure, and I need a bit of ply for it to grip onto the head of the character, so I’m curious if this resin will work for that purpose.
Oh, Austin. Sadly, no. It’s a hard resin and there is no flex. Perhaps you need a to make a casting with silicone, instead?