Casting Resin Rings – CRAFT Video Podcast

Craft & Design

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In this video I walk through the process of making rings out of clear polyester resin, a type of moldable plastic. I show you everything from mold-making to embedments. I used this same technique to make my RFID rings, which are clear plastic containing unique microchips useful for electronics projects where you want to identify a specific person wearing one. Thanks to Townsend Atelier for the sample of Knead-a-Mold, a welcomed (and much easier to work with) alternative to pourable silicone for mold-making.

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Materials:

  • clear casting resin and hardener – Michael’s or other craft store
  • plastic cups
  • wooden or plastic mixing sticks
  • silicone mold-making material – Townsend Atelier Knead-a-Mold or Polytek TinSil
  • measuring cup (if using Knead-a-Mold) or high accuracy scale (if using TinSil)
  • original from which to make a mold, mine was 3D printed
  • turpentine for cleaning up unhardened resin mess
  • nitrile or latex gloves
  • dremel (small rotary tool) or sandpaper for touchups

Safety precautions:

  • Pourable silicone and craft resins emit fumes that are bad for you. Work outside or in a very well ventilated area or use a respirator, which is not the same thing as a dust mask. If you’re pregnant, wait until you are no longer so before attempting this project.
  • Craft resin is bad for your skin; wear gloves even if you don’t think you’ll spill.
  • Keep your kids and pets away from your work table.
  • Read and understand all info in the MSDS sheet that comes with these materials

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Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.

View more articles by Becky Stern

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