# What else for first order from alumilite?



## Dan Masshardt (Jun 30, 2014)

Have a pressure pot, some dyes / powders coming.  

I'm going to order some alumilite (clear?) and probably start with cutting board molds.  

Is there anything I'll regret not buying from them when I order?   Do I need the mold release spray?  

What about the metallic powder?  Seems like it could be cool. 

Does anyone else sell alumilite who might also carry other products useful to me?

Thanks.


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## Cmiles1985 (Jun 30, 2014)

I am just about out of my first two gallons of Alumilite. The PearlEx powders (Amazon or Hobby Lobby/Michael's/etc.) look really nice. I've been using the clear Alumilite, and the PearlEx colors it pretty well. I also bought one of each available dye (it was BASH season, so it was on sale). Other than that, get a scale some cups and stir sticks then have fun!


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## Dan Masshardt (Jun 30, 2014)

Cmiles1985 said:


> I am just about out of my first two gallons of Alumilite. The PearlEx powders (Amazon or Hobby Lobby/Michael's/etc.) look really nice. I've been using the clear Alumilite, and the PearlEx colors it pretty well. I also bought one of each available dye (it was BASH season, so it was on sale). Other than that, get a scale some cups and stir sticks then have fun!



You haven't used the dyes much then?


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## Cmiles1985 (Jun 30, 2014)

I haven't used each one yet. I've played with blending some colors, and I like the way the dyes work. As for a mold, I bought the UHMW 1/2" sheet from Amazon. If I owned a planer, I'd have used the $8 Sam's cutting board instead!


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## JTisher (Jun 30, 2014)

Check out http://www.freckleface.com for your cutting board. Their cheap and quick on their delivery


Joe

can't get the link to work


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## sbell111 (Jun 30, 2014)

Cmiles1985 said:


> I haven't used each one yet. I've played with blending some colors, and I like the way the dyes work. As for a mold, I bought the UHMW 1/2" sheet from Amazon. If I owned a planer, I'd have used the $8 Sam's cutting board instead!



I use cutting boards unplaned.  A quick smear of Goop does a great job of sealing up the corners.


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## BSea (Jun 30, 2014)

I also use un planed cutting boards.  I use plumbers puddy to seal the corners.  Although, I'm not really sure it's needed


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## MesquiteMan (Jun 30, 2014)

No need to ever plane the cutting boards. Doing so actually makes them harder to demold


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## Cmiles1985 (Jun 30, 2014)

That's good info! I thought the texture in the cutting board would have made demolding more difficult.


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## robutacion (Jun 30, 2014)

I have used/use some PVC demolding stuff from my resin supplier to coat the molds with every time I use them, I also use unplanned cutting boards and never considered the planne them.  The joints get easy sealed if you give it a few costs on the joints with the PVC demolding liquid, you just have to allow each coat to dry before the next coat is applied.  

After that, is only one side that I have to keep sealing and that is the face that I remove to get the casts out.  Another thing I found is that, you can use some thick CA from the inside the mold after you put it all together and run a small bead all around, it seals the whole thing completely and when you remove that face (mark it so that you know which one to remove, every time...!) the get the cast out and then you want the use the mold again, after you screw it back into place, a little run on CA to seal that joint again right to the corners, will get you ready in no time.  I use the accelerator immediately so that the glue dries on the joint and not run in and possibly out before has the time to set (if there is a gap), it works for me...!

Unless I destroy the molds by melting/burning them, the only time I consider to replace the molds is when it starts to get very difficult to demold, even with the PVC demolding liquid in there.  What happens is that, with use, inner the surfaces of the mold get damaged, cut, scrapped, etc, and everything tends to stick to those spots so, it is correct that, these cutting boards have a protective film at their surface, the corrugations are there to prevent sticking, as soon as they is removed/worn out, things are no longer as easy to demold...!

Cheers
George


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## Marko50 (Jul 2, 2014)

I have found the Stoner de-mold pre-spray to be helpful. It's not necessary, but it does make everything much easier!


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## MesquiteMan (Jul 3, 2014)

Marko50 said:


> I have found the Stoner de-mold pre-spray to be helpful. It's not necessary, but it does make everything much easier!



Next time try Alumilite's UMR universal mold release. I believe you will like it better. Stoner is way too greasy for me and UMR works just as well with much less greasiness. Just a suggestion!


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## steve worcester (Jul 4, 2014)

MesquiteMan said:


> Marko50 said:
> 
> 
> > I have found the Stoner de-mold pre-spray to be helpful. It's not necessary, but it does make everything much easier!
> ...



UHMW boards won't absorb the Alumilite, but since they don't flex, and if there isn't any draft in the mold (sloped sides) mold release will work wonders.


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## Jim Burr (Jul 4, 2014)

Pearl-ex powder is a bit on the expensive side for me. Coastal Scents Mica powder is about 1/10th the price when you consider how much you get for the price. They have a couple sales a year, the most famous being the "1/2 Off Holiday Sale That Crashes Our Server Every Year So You Can't Order Anything" sale. It doesn't quite have the pow that Pearl-ex has, but you'd have to have been using both for a long time to tell.


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## Harpazo (Jan 8, 2015)

I'm posting here after buying some plastic from freckleface.com.  I didn't see them listed as a vendor here.  I will be contacting them but in the meantime I'm unhappy that, for the intended purpose of making molds that a blank caster might use I would think it's basically a huge waste of money and time.  Oh, the price was ok but almost nothing of much value to a blank maker (IMHO) Here's the other thread: http://www.penturners.org/forum/f43/putting-together-resin-casting-setup-129056/#post1732309


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