S.C. Warner
Posts: 126
Joined: 1/2/2005
From: it happens out in Vegas, and it happens in Moline.
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Hi Ron! I did check out the sequel and the Saratoga (can you believe this is my second attempt at a reply and somehow I hit the wrong button and the other just poofed on me? 'puter's...I'll try again.) And I see what you are saying about it matching the glass. Especially on bottom where there is natural wear roughing it up. Kind of like frosted glass would look if the Haskin's was clear glass. That's kind of something like I do, and I thought I might add some tips on resin casting here, if it's ok with you?
I never have repaired any bottles, but we do a lot of casting (some pictures below.) I'm using my son as a model here.
(As I can't keep up with him I figure the least I can do is try to teach him as much as I can.)
Totally agree with all your post about safety and ventilation. I make him wear these gloves and safety glasses in the pictures. My wonderful wife is helping him add the hardening drops. I wanted to ask if you use the drops, or the other product on market where one adds 1/2 to 1/2 resin? I can't seem to find the 50-50 anymore, it was great for making the (faux) glass table tops. Anyway lots of fresh air. As I said I never have repaired bottles. But I hope some of these tips might help someone that is just learning (or wants to learn) resin casting. We mostly do paperweights. flowers, 4-leaf clovers, butterfly's, pennants, key-ring fobs, (and fake ice cubes with house flies and those darn Asian Lady Bugs embedded in them. (gag)
Even tho the pictures are not of bottles, there is a bottle collecting story involved here that I hope you will enjoy. so I've also included it. I thought maybe I should post it under the "unexpected discoveries" thread. I don't think my son will ever forget that day of this story. (he found his first Warner Kidney and Liver Safe Cure, perfect condition!) I'll explain the pictures in a moment.
I really wouldn't worry to much about heavy duty work forcing the resin out of the piece. The reason I asked, is because I do this quite a bit. Often times people pick up one of my pieces in the store and think it is real glass. It isn't. (we do some consignment on gifts and souvenirs) after making your form, just as you suggest, tape works as well as anything. I cut a rubber ball in half to do paperweight's like one in picture. Here you will have to work fast if doing several pieces. Pour in your mix. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Blowing over the mixed resin and hardener will help break those little bubbles, if you don't want them. Depends on the glass you are trying to match, eh? Then (again as you said) be patient.
Then after work has dried. I use the technique I wrote of above. Starting with a medium grit wet and dry sandpaper, I will wet sand in Kitchen sink. My very wonderful wife will ask me if I need help scrubbing (same as she does when I'm washing bottles.) I work down in grit size, usually 400 medium fine-600 very fine, until under the water stream the work looks crystal clear. (this is cool because you can tell by your fingers if it is the shape you want it to be. Almost with your eyes closed.)
Now we have it all sanded down and set it off to the side to dry. It looks just like frosted glass. (But I wanted clear!) OK. this is what we do. Using an ordinary drill, or a Dremel. (myself I use a Fordom overhead flexshaft, same as Jewelry shops use, but any drill and a buffing pad will work, or a soft cotton cloth and a little bit of elbow grease.) And a good polishing compound. I prefer a product called ZAM. It is green in color, comes in tube form and can be purchased at some art supply or ALL lapidary stores. And a tube will last you a very long time. Apply the polish compound to your felt or cotton wheel and then lightly (doesn't matter how much pressure you use, you will see immediate results.) buff your resin cast project. Stop when-ever you get your desired luster. You may want to go back and wet sand again if you find flaws you missed during the first sand. It's a lot like what a tumbler does, plus the finish work. (I call that the "chase.")
Here are those pictures. (I hope this works) My son, adding the catalyst to the resin with Mom's help. The painted lady butterfly laying in the clam shell on table, was found that way on a sunflower in our garden, already gone, with wings spread. First we used rubber ball (cut in half to make the mold) And then half filled with resin. Now let that 1/2 dry (important not to let dust in this part of process, or it will be embedded to deep for sanding to remove.) then we add our specimen, on top of that we add more resin. Then after drying, we use the sanding and polish method I described. (tumbling would work the same, but you still have to finish to get crystal clear. Glass and resin differ that way.) Now, in the bottom pictures! This is my bottle collecting story!
Our dump (I call it ours because it is close to here and I discovered it back in the mid 60's) is on the side of a lovely little creek, called the Spring. In the summer it is clear and full of Darters and Shiners. A really great place to hang out and get away.
The creek bottom along the dump is covered with broken pottery pieces, Purington Paver's, and old things, so the experienced eye knows there is dump there.
My son is five years old at the time, and he is (as usual) exploring like a new pup let out in the yard. Turning over stick and stone in the creek, he stops and asks me what something was. I took a look and had never really seen anything like it before. I mean this thing looked prehistoric! Alive a squirming thru the water after son had disturbed it from the bottom of the rock or whatever it was attached to. About 3 1/2 inches long and maybe 8 legs on each side and some really large pincher's. Really ugly, and it's gills were on the bottom of it's stomach. Really!
Hey, I put it in our bucket with some water, and took it home, after we dug some more bottles (beautiful summer day) He got stuck in the mud (I make sure he is dressed right) and when i pulled him up out of the mud, he said look Dad a bottle. Sure enough, the Safe Cure.
We got home and I did some research thinking the bug was a helgrammite. It is, but actually a Dobsonfly larvae: http://tinyurl.com/6b4bh (The picture at this site gives a good description but the picture doesn't really show how big the pincher's are. Some other web-sites do, And I guess they really bite hard!) The one picture in bottom left shows it in our aquarium. The one on the bottom right shows it after it expired (We were hoping it would reach maturity) so it was preserved in this weight by resin cast. (same as any bug preservation use pins etc to keep them from curling, but you shouldn't cast fresh specimans, it can cause cracking or not curing from the moisture.) then cast and just shot the picture. I thought the paper weight long gone. But earlier tonight , everyone was still awake. I asked Mate the name of that bug. She told me and guess what? My son ran to his room and came back out with it. i guess he didn't forget. It's just amazing what you can find. And how each discovery leads to another. I'll post some pictures of our dump sometime soon, maybe in the Spring, right now it looks like a winter wonderland or a postcard. Sorry, everyone, about me being so windy! i hope there is at least one good tip in here somewhere for someone.
Ron, Thanks. I hope we can exchange more casting tips, As a newbie here, I would like to learn more about repair of bottles and apply that to preserving something good.
sc
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