(Relatively) affordable Resin casting starter kit?

RudyOnWheels

Hello everyone, I am a complete newbie to resin casting, I've never done it at all. I'd like to make some small parts, 1:24 car engine blocks, etc. Im looking for a "starter kit" if there is such a thing? Can I try this process for  an initial cash outlay of around $50? Maybe $75 If I absolutely have to? I'm not ready to get into the pressure pot, etc just yet. Can Anyone point me in the right direction? Can this even be done "on the cheap" just to try my hand at it? Thanks! 

Rudy 

 

Smooth-On offers several starter sets containing RTV and pourable resin.  For example 

https://shop.smooth-on.com/pourable-silicone-starter-kit

It is in your cost ballpark. 

Go to smooth-on.com website, and surf around.  They have online tutorials and videos on how to use many of their products.  

Check their distributor list,  if they have one near you they have over-the-counter sales as well as on-line.   The distributor will offer habds-on how to seminars

If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, take a look at what they have.  In our outlet it is in the model section by the tools and such.  Don't forget the 40% off coupon.

Micro Mark sells a starter kit that is a little more expensive but has a lot of the material in it.  I found a smaller kit at my local Hobby Lobby store, and with one of their 40% coupons it was really cheap.  It has smaller amounts. Have not tried it yet, though.

The two things you need are the mold material and the casting resin.  The mixing cups and stirring sticks are not essential- you can find plastic or paper cups many places, and you can often find scrap material for the stirring sticks.So you can start with just buying the resin and mold materials, though the additional instructions in the starter kits do help getting started.

There is a learning curve for doing resin casting, and reading up on it before you start experimenting is a good idea. I would start with simple projects.  The more complicated the pattern, the more complicated the mold will be, and mold design is 90% of the secret of good resin casting.

I get my resin and rtv (mold material) from Micro Mark.  However, the packages they sell have a lot of the material, and the resin, especially, does have a limit to its shelf life.  As it gets older, you must stir the resin very well before you mix it with the hardener.  It seperates when it sits, and if you do not mix it well before you measure it out you will not get the right proportions of mix.