Casting Brass Shavings in Resin!

Alright! So I wanted to show a little bit on how I made this resin blank with brass shavings! My purpose of this project/ video is to show how I pour all my resins and hopefully inspire you all to get in the shop ans start casting! Casting is pretty tool intensive but to get a perfect cast, here is some stuff you might need.

Resin (For this project I used Alumilite but I also use East Coast and Total Boat)

Pressure pot and air compressor (Heat gun may work as well depending on brand of resin)

Plastic molds

Urethane mold release

Dyes (If you want to change the color)

Before mixing resin you will want to go over everything in your head that you might need. In this step you will want to spray the molds with a urethane based mold release. This will make sure that the resin is able to be extracted from the mold after it dries.

This step is essentially the same for all resin although the only thing that changes is the ratio of resin to hardener. Actually READ the directions for your resin or epoxy resin before you start mixing. Resins are mixed in 1:1,2:1,3:1 ratios ETC. Also be mindful about the unit of measurements with each brand. Some are mixed by weight while other by volume. Add parts in a large enough container and mix thoroughly. You may have to rush with this step depending on the air time. (again READ the directions)

This step is pretty straight forward, although it takes some experimenting to get it the way you like it. For example if you want colors to not mix and have pronounced swirls or have items suspended in resin, you can let the resin thicken up by waiting as it starts to cure. While it thickens up and starts to cure, the resin is able to have items like brass shavings stay in the same place. (not sink or float) Although if you wait too long the bubbles wont be able to float to the surface and pop. The important thing is that you experiment and get familiar with your product. Once you know how to handle the product the process will become easier over time.

After I pour the resin I put the entire mold into a pressure pot. I put on the lid and fill the pot to 60 PSI which is the maximum for my pot. If you don"t have excess to a pressure pot and air compressor you can use a heat gun or torch to remove the bubbles depending on the brand of resin. This step this important so that there are no voids in your blank, but if you want bubbles for the looks you can always leave them.

Unscrew the mold and gingerly smack out the blank. And BAM you are done. I use this method for all my rings, blanks, and knife scales. This whole process really varies on the resin you use but once you experiment a few times you get the hang of it. Hopefully this inspired you all to get out there and start casting. Make sure to check out my Instagram @bitterbladeco and my YouTube channel @Bitter Blade Co. Thanks for following along!