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Underground > Creation >

Making plastic-like or acrylics objects

09:56 / 28.04.04

The Reader's Digest Family Book of Things to Make and Do has a section on acrylics using polyester resin. Basically, it seems that you'd get a mould (possibly that you had made earlier from liquid latex), and pour in the polyester resin, colour pigments, and hardener.

I've looked on the web, and you can get kits to make such things for £35, which is a bit expensive. Checking out my local art supplies shop, I found some polyester resin (or something resembling polyester resin, I can't remember exactly), which was £8.99, but I wasn't sure if the hardener was included or not. I couldn't find any separate hardener in the shop, or the colour pigments. Would the hardener be likely to be included? And are any other colouring methods suitable? Is there anywhere (in the UK) you'd recommend buying these things?

Searching the web, I came across something called "Friendly Plastic", which was strips of plastic type stuff that you melted over a mould or something in the oven. Anyone ever used that?

I think the Reader's Digest book was written in the 1970s, so I'm sure there must be lots of other ways of making plastic type things these days. Anyone have any ideas?

12:23 / 28.04.04

My first caution would be to have a very well ventilated area if you attempt this. Seriously. I felt very, very ill and very very stupid after doing this in an apartment that had a window fan. That was NOT enough ventilation.

As far as making molds go, I'm not sure. I just embedded pancakes into clear plastic, using tupperware as a mold (which worked out quite well.) You may recall this from my livejournal. This is the product I used. The catalyst comes separately in a little bottle and will ad US $1-2 to your total. The resin itself (and this is from memory) cost about US $8 for a pint, which yielded the results you can see on the journal, again. It didn't go very far. It's not really an economical process.

Other things you will need are wooden stirring sticks and disposable measuring cups. Some types of plastic apparently react poorly to the resin, so only buy ones you know will work (they were next to the resin in my local art store). You will ruin these. There are NOT reusable. They were like US $0.50 a piece.

update us if you make molds, etc. It would be interesting to see the results.

12:43 / 28.04.04

Ooh, pretty pancakes. Thanks for the information.

The Reader's Digest book had a section on embedding objects, but it seemed to recommend embalming things first. The resin I looked at in the shop seemed to say that it wouldn't work well for small objects, so maybe I should just make my small objects out of something else, and then embed them. Wonder if plasticine or fimo react badly to the resin. Or maybe just make my objects larger than I had initially intended.

The bottle of resin my local craft shop had (they only had one bottle, but lots of leaflets) looked like that one in your picture, but it had a strange red cap attached to the bottom. I think therefore maybe there wasn't any catalyst hiding in it, and the shop were just inadequate in their catalyst-selling ways.

I shall try to remember that if I ever attempt such things I will do it in the garden.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

23:14 / 29.04.04

The hardener would most likely be included in any decent kit, yes. Don't know about the pigments. (Todd is sooo right about the ventilation, BTW. The fumes off that stuff could floor an elephant.)

Have you tried mail order? If you're having no luck online, I'd suggest picking up a copy of Exchange and Mart--I seem to recall that several art-and-craft suppliers used to advertise there. Don't forget to try other places besides art and craft shops--big branches of toyshops, model-making suppliers and hardware shops can all be good places to check out.

Depending on what you had in mind, I would suggest you experiment with a polymer clay such as Fimo. Polymer clay comes in many colours, and can be pressed into a mould. It's also a bit less noxious to be around.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

23:17 / 29.04.04

Additional: Plasticine has worked fine with resin for me, for small objects anyhow. You may want to lubricate the plasticine so that it doesn't stick and spoil the surface.

08:14 / 30.04.04

Recently a friend and I used a form of granule that you melted in the oven. We poured it into the mould with a bit extra and just let it melt then cool...no reagent, no catalyst, just heat and a very well ventilated kitchen. I'll see if I can find a website for the stuff, 'cause it was pretty much ideal...hard as heck once it solidified but easily filed and polished.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

09:56 / 30.04.04

Oh yeah! I'd forgotten that stuff. I once made some bits and bobs using the granules from those stained-glass window kits (the ones where you get a metal frame in the shape of the design and you put different colours of plakky granules in it, then melt in the oven) in tinfoil moulds. Maybe that would fit the bill...

12:04 / 30.04.04

I've had no luck trying to find the brand name or even a picture of the stuff, so I'll describe it as best I can.

It comes in round, clear plastic tubs, about 250-300 grams of granule per tub. Lots of colours available, looks like a lot of small glass beads. The stuff we had melted at 160-180C, and took about 5-10 minutes to harden once out of the oven. It does create fumes, but the instructions say that they're harmless...even so I'd recommend keeping kitchen windows well open and door well closed.

We used cake tins to make round portholes, and triple-layered tinfoil for more creative shapes. I'd say anything that can survive the heat in the oven and won't bond with the plastic would work as a mould...nothing porous or organic.

13:23 / 30.04.04

See if you can obtain some powdered metals. Bronze looks particularly attractive suspended in polyester resin.