Latex – How does it work

THE NEW EASY MIXING & QUICK SETTING HARD PLASTIC RESIN.

For years the resins of choice for making rigid hard wearing plastic articles cast in moulds rather than injection moulding have been the polyester and epoxy resins.

A comparative newcomer to the scene has been the quick setting polyurethane resin. Our version of this resin called CraftCast has been found to have several advantages over the polyester and epoxy resins.

CraftCast is:

· Easier to mix

· Quicker to demould

· Low odour levels

· Lower viscosity and shrinkage

· Lower cost with fillers

· Easy to machine

The ease of mixing is due to the fact that CraftCast has been formulated from the beginning to be a two part {equal volume of each part} product. This is quicker and more accurate then weighing different proportions of each part.

CraftCast sets up in minutes and can be removed from the mould in ten minutes or so a massive improvement over the previous resins.

Polyester and Epoxy resins are renowned for their unpleasant odour, which forced the use of well-ventilated workplaces. Even so headaches are commonplace when using these products. CraftCast has no perceptible odour.

CraftCast has the viscosity of water, which makes it easier to cover mould detail and get into undercuts. It also has no shrinkage, which means accurate rendition of all detail.

Fillers may be added up to equal volumes of CraftCast helping in reducing the cost and enabling a great variety of finished appearance.

CraftCast may be machined, sawed, filed and handled with any woodworking tools in much the same way as wood.

CraftCast products are useful for all types of decorative objects, everything from miniature doll house parts to beads. It is also suitable for all types of tooling, prototype parts, light weight mould shells, patterns and vintage car parts.

By adding fillers you can give it the feel and look of wood. It can be used for cold metal casting of bronze figurines. The uses are endless.

It is recommended that silicone moulds be used to produce CraftCast objects as they usually do not require a release agent. A week should elapse before using the silicone mould to allow alcohol in the mould to evaporate. Alcohol and moisture are the enemies of polyurethane and can form a foaming action. For this reason always make sure your moulds are dry before use.

We always use a release agent or a barrier coat in the mould before use to preserve the mould and give us longer mould life.

Fillers: Only dry fillers should be used, if necessary heating the filler to drive off moisture. Dry sand. good quality calcium carbonate or whiting, bronze powders and Enviro Spheres {microscopic ceramic hollow spheres} can safely be used. Saw dust on the other hand contains moisture and is not suitable for use with polyurethane.

It is possible to cut the cost of CraftCast with the judicious use of fillers.

Preparations for use: Due to the rapid setting time it is essential to watch the clock and have everything ready before you start.

Decoration: Wash finished parts in detergent before painting.

Clean up with methylated spirits or acetone both of which are highly inflammable.

These are all industrial products and should be kept well away from children.

Click here for more information on CraftCast at our online store.