# Casting problems, need help



## William Menard (Aug 18, 2014)

I attempted to make a PR blank today. Used 3 ounces of PR, 10 drops of hardener per ounce, used dyes I usually use when casting alumilite, made a 2 color swirl, after 6 hours it still hasn't set, any clues what I did wrong, is it the dye i used?


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## robutacion (Aug 18, 2014)

Don't panic, let see the possibilities...!

- How old you thing the PR and the hardener is...???

- What is the factory reccomended hardener percentages to be use with that PR...???

- Are the dyes liquid or powder...???

- Is the casting composed with PR only (and dyes) or also something else (wood, etc..)...???

- Are you using a pressure pot...???

- What is the ambient temperature and moisture % of where you made and keep your castings...???

It is possible and most plausible that, the answer is within one or more of these questions, at first glance, it seems that you didn't add enough hardener but, until I know that the factory recommendations are, I can't be sure.

I'm sure "we" will find the right answer...!

Cheers
George


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## William Menard (Aug 18, 2014)

PR is about 6 weeks old
hardener says about 8 i used 10
i used liquid and powders
just PR
no pressure pot
temp was about 75 degrees, not much humidity today.

I read somewheres where 1 drop of dye is usually enough in PR, I used more than that, so that may be the problem
( Brooks803 )
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f43/alumilite-dyes-google-page-ranking-92810/


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## robutacion (Aug 19, 2014)

Possibly, and as you suspect, to much dye and that will certainly slow the PR curing process however, you can accelerate that by putting in in the oven at about 60 to 70° Celsius for a few hours (4 to 6 at least...!) it will harden, eventually...! 

Cheers
George


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## bruce119 (Aug 19, 2014)

As Gorge said the the dye changes the hardening time. In my experience 3 drops to one once at 75 deg. will take about 6-12 hrs to harden and will still be sticky on the surface...

The dye and whatever you add to it defiantly changes things...


Give it about 48 hrs. If you can still push a pin into it (not just tacky on surface) put it in the oven like George said at about 150...4-6 hrs??? I would go about 2 remember the reason we put minimum MEKP (hardener) in is to slow the cure process down...
The faster it cures (hotter it gets) your cast will be harder and more brittle like glass...


If it's just surface tack you cant easily push a nail into it. Just put it outside in the sun for a couple hours and it will harden...


Good Luck


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## BSea (Aug 19, 2014)

I suspect it's the alumilite dyes.  They don't work well with PR.  Get some PR dyes, and I think you'll be fine.  I know alumilite dyes look better.  But there's a reason you don't see pr blanks with the colors from alumilite dyes.  Although I've never tried to color PR with alumilite dyes, I was told this by Jonathon Brooks.  Call me crazy, but I figured I'd take his word for it.:bulgy-eyes:

And I agree on the amount of MEKP Bruce suggested.  Maybe 4, but no more.


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## Jim Burr (Aug 19, 2014)

Other than dye, powder coat powder works very well (HF, $6-$8 +/-) for flat colors. Of course if it's glitz you're after, Pearl-Ex and mica are the standards.


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## sbell111 (Aug 19, 2014)

I agree that ten drops is waaaay too much MEKP.  Don't go by the manufacturers recommendations.  That, as I understand it, is for very thin pours.  Thicker catings like pen blanks do not need as high of a percentage of MEKP to get it to 'kick'.


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## PSNCO (Aug 19, 2014)

Was it cast in PVC or in a tray mold?  In a tray mold with that much MEKP, within an hour that should be almost too hot too touch.

10 drops per ounce?  That's A LOT of MEKP per ounce. Was it an eye dropper or a "bottle dropper"?  I lost my MEKP in a bottle dropper and had to switch to an eye dropper.  I now have to use 1.5X more drops from an eye dropper to get the resin to fire off.

I've not had hardening issues with dyes, but I've only used dyes specifically for PR.


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## bruce119 (Aug 19, 2014)

I read this wrong from the start...I thought it was 10 drops for 3 ounces that would be about rite. BUT 10 per ounce that would mean 30 drops...That's a lot...

Now when you add dyes your going to have to increase the MEKP...


The Alumilte dye mite not play with P.R. don't know BUT the more dye or what ever you add you will have to adjust/up the MEKP...


If it didn't even at least gell to the point of getting hard after 24 hrs it's a fail I would blame the dye...


Good Luck Have Fun..


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## William Menard (Aug 20, 2014)

i went in the shop this morning and it was set like nothing ever happened, thanks everyone


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