How to Cure Resin Castings Faster | Resin Casting Quick Tips

[@Camandace02]

What temperature should the oven be?

[@PeredyIzhere]

First, for all the people saying he never suggested a temp, he answered that twice. He said it can be different for each one, and to contact the manufacturer for the right temp for theirs. He cant possibly give 1 answer for all of them. Good video!

[@NALUNGARO]

I see you’re using a convection oven. Can I use my regular stove and at what degree would I set it to and is it safe to put it in while it’s still in a silicone mold? Thanks in advance

[@wileycovington4497]

You don't ever want to use your oven that you cook food in. Chemical vapors are released when heated and stay in that oven. It's toxic

[@IAmMe1910]

I would love to know too

[@tsrzay9545]

170°F I would think because that's what I use for my Gourmia Digital French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven on dehydrator mode

[@BlindDude]

@@tsrzay9545 Gourmia Digital French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven

[@Mothball_man]

Yeah he never suggested a temperature

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

I live in Ontario Canada and use epoxy in knife making. I've never baked pieces in the oven, but I've put them in a cardboard box with a hole in it for a hairdryer on low for an hour or so. Works. 👍

[@ZacHiggins]

That's a great way to go! Thanks for sharing =D

[@camcamellis6163]

I live in Alberta. Can u explain a bit more how you do this? Thank you so much

[@RyanGuthrie0]

hairdryers are really power hungry (sorry for the years long response). If you can, I feel like an oven would be much more efficient

[@Troyboystrains]

thank you i am going to try it now. it would have been helpful if you talked more about what temp to put it at.

[@georgebrill3072]

Thanks, that's a good tip. At what temp and for how long would you bake the casting

[@ZacHiggins]

It depends on the resin you use. Best thing to do is read the instructions or contact the manufacturer to make sure

[@Mothball_man]

@@ZacHiggins my manufacturer doesn’t want to provide any info on post curing. I’d like to experiment with post curing but need a starting point… you think maybe 150 or so??

[@angilaherrington1653]

What should the oven be set at.

[@RockerGaming]

Great tips and i do the same with alumilite clear, works really well! One thing that could be good would be to check out a silicone heating pad you can put your pressure pot on so that way you can heat the pressure pot.

[@ZacHiggins]

Sweet! Nice to hear good things from someone who has experience. I'm just starting to get into it now. Great tip on the heated pad too. I almost got one when our heater went out last winter, but I was able to hook up an electric heater that kept the pots toasty

[@PohlBarnProductions]

Thanks for the great tip Zac,

[@ZacHiggins]

Been meaning to mention this for a while, I hope that it will help some folks out 😀

[@Oonagh72]

I saw a girl long time ago who made resin pieces (keychains, jewelry, etc). Anyhoo she sat her molds on a heating pad and that greatly accelerated her curing time. Perhaps that could be used to combat a cold shop also.

[@ZacHiggins]

It definitely can. Anything you can do to increase the temp in cold shops is a help. Last winter when our shop heater went out I had to keep a heater on near the pressure pots to help bring up the temp. I've even heard of people putting heating pads under pressure pots too. Just have to watch out, make sure you get a pad that's meant to be on for a while without watching it and that's meant to have things placed on it

[@Oonagh72]

Zac Higgins you made me think Of something. Water heater blankets are just insulated blankets. No electricity. That would be a good option for someone who may not have control over the temp in their space.

[@fredgessermabry6622]

Can I put it on my heat press

[@abrahamvelazquez77]

Hi Zac I wonder what will be the temperature in a conventional oven and how long thanks

[@carlhamilton7649]

What temperature do you bake it at?

[@fish2much12]

I didn't catch what temp the oven needs to be on or for how long you leave the blanks in?

[@murraymarchment5126]

The alumilite site recommends 150 F What are your thoughts to reheating stabilized material in the casting , will it affect the cured cactus juice

[@ZacHiggins]

It won't do anything to Cactus Juice once it's cured

[@peterchessell28]

Does this work with acrylic and what about your microwave you could warm a snack up at the same time.?

[@Sabooraali]

Sir can I use initial keychain alphabet to set for oven how many mins n temperature

[@eddieagha5851]

Wow Zac, this is a life saver. Not sure why I didn't think of this because I know from experience that heat accelerates resin cure. Duh! My most recent batch is going into the oven tomorrow 120-140°F for two hours. Excellent tip about cold weather potentially ruining a cure. I hadn't thought of that! And it gets darn cold here in Illinois. I've missed your last few videos as I've been busy upgrading my vacuum system to a new Wynn filter. The suction increase at the lathe is incredible! But now I'm back!

[@ZacHiggins]

When I first started selling blanks I would sometimes ship them within a day or two after casting them in the winter, and I got some complaints about chalky crumbly blanks. Took me a while to figure out what could be going on, and I finally realized it was the curing process. I'd leave them sitting in the shop overnight, and we didn't run the heater overnight back then. Finally figured it out, and I try to share that info as often as possible with people. Glad to hear you have been busy upgrading the shop. Although I do enjoy having everyone out to the streams, it's impossible for people to come out all the time. The replays and videos are always here for you when you have time =D

[@eddieagha5851]

@@ZacHiggins and I do watch them diligently!

[@camcamellis6163]

I use silicone molds. Can those go in the oven

[@LifewithCindy]

Hey, I've been trying to do some notebook covers but they're always bendy. Can this method work for the notebook? I use table top resin

[@BrianKingProductions]

I find using a reptile basking lamp to be much better and less fumes. What I do is pour the mold, vibrate out the bubbles (dont have a pressure pot) then let it sit for 90 to 120 minutes just to let the initial chemical reaction happen. Afterwards I just put it under a 100w basking lamp or 60w IR basking lamp between 10 and 12 inches for a 1/2 inch, 4 inch by 4 inch casting, which will cure within an hour or two. It will still be pliable until it cools down. Note the thicker the cast, the farther away you want it from the bulb, otherwise you end up with an uneven cure where the center hardens and rises, resulting in an uneven surface cure.

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks for the detailed info on how you do it =D

[@BrianKingProductions]

@@ZacHiggins Yeah, figured I'd just add to the knowledge tree. I tried doing it in a toaster over then a convection over but the fumes got to be too much, even with windows open and fans on.

[@nursekeysha310]

How did you vibrate out the bubbles?

[@BrianKingProductions]

@@nursekeysha310 I just made a little vibrating stand with a small motor attached to the base with an uneven weight on it and a little speed controller so I could control how much it vibrated. Nothing real fancy, cost about $20 to make.

[@alanhill769]

Another comment here already asked but not answered. What temperature do you set your oven at.

[@shanekkaallen2940]

can you use this method with acrylic paints

[@mikel4510]

I heat resin parts in a rice cooker (that's what I have) before mixing. Think using it to accelerate the cure would be OK? Moist heat as compared to dry heat of a small oven?

[@kennyc.3238]

Has anyone tried this with food grade resin? I have coasters that are needed tonight for gift exchange and cast last night so was wondering how this would effect food grade clear resin

[@Inlegzwords]

Can I use my instapot or do I need the type of pressure cooker that you have?

[@darrenkeats3663]

Hi zac , if you wanted to stick a part onto a tube then set in polyurethane resin what glue would you use? I have used ca but sometimes after curing I get a slight delamination appear , any advice? Many thanks

[@ZacHiggins]

I'd go with 5 minute epoxy. Haven't had any issues with that and casting resins so far

[@darrenkeats3663]

Zac Higgins appreciate your suggestion zac 🙌

[@jeffruffing2316]

You’ve probably have gotten this question before, but, here it goes again: I just got my pressure pot. How long do I keep stuff under pressure to remove bubbles, and at what pressure do I keep it at?

[@ZacHiggins]

Typically, you can go by the demold time for the resin you are using. Super small castings may require a lot more time since they take longer to harden up

[@chasewhart3188]

I use alumilite clear slow. What temperature and how long do you put in it for ?

[@Jestunes]

How long should I keep my casting in the oven and at what temp? Thanks

[@cwgoogleaccount2581]

Can the hardener lose the ability to catalyze when mixing with the epoxy resin since I have had it for over a year? I have lots of resin and was advised it is the hardener that has lost the ability to harden when mixed together?

[@chlorine392]

Is it not going to melt cuz I put mine on the heater and it got leaned and some part melted

[@meganmoyer2873]

Thanks for the tip my dad has a wood shop and I work with resin what is the temp that you would bake liquid diamonds? Love your video's. Thank you so much.

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Megan, glad to hear you're enjoying the videos =D I'm not entirely sure on the temp and timing for LD, I only know what Alumilite recommends for Alumilite Clear. I'd recommend contacting the manufacturer to get their recommendation

[@patsyhune6329]

What temperature and how long in the oven

[@aaronsazon2835]

Hello, I’m wondering if there’s a way to correct/straighten glass infused resin once it’s been cured for a while?

[@buckyrauch2953]

I have tried a few of the alumilite clear cast you can get at hobby lobby and never seems to be completely solid, has a slight flex, even after weeks. Maybe just not mixed properly?

[@ZacHiggins]

Yeah, sounds like something might be off. Usually issues like that with resin are either a measuring or mixing problem. I know a lot of people get the mixture wrong on Alumilite's Amazing Clear Cast, it is a volume measurement not weight. I use Alumilite Clear, not ACC, which is measured by weight. Make sure to mix it very well also. ACC is super thick and often requires mixing for a while to get it all mixed up properly.

[@Afisch00]

Couldn't you use heat only to cure silmar 41 or poly resin? I have heard of heat cures instead of using MEKP. Just never attempted it.

[@sophiasarabttner9589]

Hi! Thank you so much for your videos. If I would like to fill up at box size 50x40x20 with resin and put some decoration in the middel in the box, which resin do you think I shall use and will I need to put in an oven to have it dry as it very big sculpture I will make. Hope not to use an oven. Kind regards from cold Copenhagen, Jeanette Boettner

[@Crazyleds1]

Can I just use the oven instead of using a pressure pot?

[@brendacalloway9140]

I bought a conventional oven. It went will for two sets of dominoes. 150 degrees 10 mins or less. Then they started burning when I did them today not sure why? Any suggestions?

[@Frank.B.Crafts]

What temp for alumilite clear? Thats the one i use and i have horrible times curing thin parts..

[@ZacHiggins]

The instructions are on Alumilite's website in the technical documents. I don't want to put any numbers here so people don't assume it is what you should use for any brand/formula of resin. I can't say what is best for every situation and resin. Here's a link to the technical doc for Alumilite Clear and Clear Slow: dev.alumilite.com/sites/default/files/msds/Alumilite_TDS_Clear-and-Clear-Slow_09-12-2019.pdf

[@Frank.B.Crafts]

@@ZacHiggins Thank you, sir. That was the exact info i needed!

[@wakelywanderer12]

Does the curing process also affect how it turns or only how it polishes, and what’s recommended temp for alumilite clear slow?

[@ZacHiggins]

That was always my concern, but as far as I can tell it has no effect on it at all. Just gets you to the finish line faster. The instructions for Clear Slow are in the Technical Data Sheet: dev.alumilite.com/sites/default/files/msds/Alumilite_TDS_Clear-and-Clear-Slow_09-12-2019_0.pdf

[@drummerman1206]

Awesome tip. Thank you. You might get a kick outta this... your Milky Way galaxy pen is the first video I watched about pens and it’s what sold me on this new journey I embarked upon. I started watching tons of videos over the last few years and just got my shop up and have made my first pen with blue and purple, mixed with your starlight powder and some wooden knots from my pallets up at work and the pen came, out, absolutely, beautiful. 😍 That powder is magic and I highly recommend people getting some. The girl at work I made it for loved it and all the women want one now. I already have orders being placed for some. So I’m gonna have to get some more powder here soon and put my aluminum honeycomb pen on pause for a bit. Lol. I’m in the process of making a video showing it off to put on my channel and would love your opinion on it once I post it unless I can send you a picture of it. Anyway... great video as always. Happy casting. :)

[@ZacHiggins]

That's awesome!! I'm glad that I could help spark your interest in casting. I know it was like I had found a whole new world when I stumbled upon it. I'd love to see pics, I have a contact form on my website or you can send me a message on FB or IG

[@drummerman1206]

Oh that’s right I forgot about the fb page. Lol. You even told me that on my paper with my order. Lol. I’ll be doing that now.

[@drummerman1206]

I tagged you in my fb post. And I ordered your starlight powder and colorshift powder but apparently I’ve been switching their names. I meant the colorshift powder. It’s amazing. I’ll be pouring some blanks with the honeycomb this weekend. Can’t wait. :)

[@lisamiron2639]

Would you share the temperature of the oven and length of time you would put an item in the toaster oven to help them cure faster? I'm making phone stands that are about 3/8" thick and cannot seem to get them to cure. They stay bendy. Please help, and thanks.

[@robyntaurusbeatz703]

Sounds like youre not getting a perfectly even 1:1 ratio mix as 1 of the resins is the hardener. If you know for sure that you have been using exactly same amounts then you’re not mixing thoroughly enough in order for the hardener to properly work throughout.

[@roberthallberg3430]

Do you have any tips on doing this with liquid diamonds? Thanks!

[@ZacHiggins]

No I don't unfortunately. I'm really just getting into post curing myself. I'd recommend contacting the manufacturer to get the best guideline for it

[@lonewolfcry]

Zac, I am at a loss, for the first time i tried Liquid Diamonds for pens and calls. I had it in the pressure pot for almost 2 days and then let it sit for a week. When i went to turn it that stuff was soft and i couldn't figure out what i did wrong. can you assist please?

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Brian, that usually means there was an error in mixing or measuring. It's 2:1 by weight, make sure you use an accurate scale and try to get the two parts exact, then mix it extremely well scraping the sides and bottom of the cup regularly. It has a really long open time, so you have plenty of time to mix, maybe set a timer and mix for 3 minutes or so

[@lonewolfcry]

@@ZacHiggins Thank you for your time to respond. i will triple check the scale. I read that if you put LD into a pressure pot it needs to stay in it for longer than Alumilite. Have you kept it in the pot longer than 2 days? I am going to try to see if i can cut the curing time by placing it into the over at a low temp 200 for a few hours. Again thank you sir for the assist. This is why i keep watching you.

[@sticustom]

What if, while your casts are in the pressure pot, you placed the pressure pot on a hot plate on its lowest setting? Would this cause the resin to cure too fast?

[@Katiepembroke]

Do the molds not melt with the heat ?

[@ZacHiggins]

No, they are rated to a higher temp than the oven is set at

[@beedee3217]

I wish I knew this a while back. Now I know and will give it a try. Thanks Zac!

[@rolandkeys8297]

I have a 2mm sheet of metal that is just big enough for 2 pen blanks that I use to post-cure my blanks on top of a radiator in the winter

[@ZacHiggins]

Nice! That's a great way to keep them warm during curing =D

[@danjbundrick]

But curing produces heat. How would heat speed it up? Shouldn't it be cold that cures it faster?

[@jimrenderer6627]

Hey Zac, you didn't touch on how warm the oven should be. Any update ? Great video as always.

[@ZacHiggins]

I didn't mention any specifics because it may change depending on the resin you use. The best thing to do is check the instructions or contact the manufacturer to get specific recommendations

[@eddieagha5851]

PS: Just thought of this. On a thin piece one could actually USE its bendy feature to FORM it into a shape. This could be particularly useful for jewelry to help a pendant, for example, lay on a neck better, if it's not just flat!

[@ZacHiggins]

Absolutely!! Lots of people are doing that lately, making vases out of them and other shapes. You can reheat most resins after they have fully cured to bend them too =D

[@Neerepha]

I am quite a noob so I thought I could make the resin liquid again putting it in bain-marie... I had to leave suddenly home for one hour and when I came back all the resin in the cup was perfectly cured. The water was very hot btw. Now I use that hardened resin as a plate to mix resin and colors 😂

[@markfishburn8284]

Thank you for sharing your tip. I will have to give this a try.

[@ZacHiggins]

My pleasure! Hope it can help speed things up for you

[@dasilvapt]

Great tip man. Now I post cure all my blanks, in my case allumilite, what a game changer 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@georgepauselli769]

Hi what if you don't have a pressure pot, be safe

[@ZacHiggins]

I'm not really sure what you are asking

[@drummerman1206]

He’s asking what if you don’t have a pressure pot. Well... you’d just do what you normally do and then put it in the oven. You put the resin in a pressure pot (PP) cause the PP reduces bubbles down to a much smaller level. If you don’t use a PP then after the resin starts to harden to where you can’t do any more bubble treatment and it’s basically going to be how it’s going to be, then at that point you can put it in the oven because it’s already cured too much to try and make changes or reduce bubbles. Hope this helps.

[@georgepauselli769]

@@drummerman1206 most helpful thanks be safe

[@ZacHiggins]

@@drummerman1206 Thanks for the assist =D I was confused

[@deedee2994]

Thanks for the tip,I'm about to do this,I think my problem was too much pigment,I have gone a little ott a few times with pigments 🙂

[@BlackCat_2]

Interesting tip and something I may try since I have a toaster oven dedicated to my artwork. That said I would have liked to have some sort of guideline for what you do. Like say your resin recommended temp for curing is 77 degrees F... well then what temp do you use when you put it in the oven? Do you use 100F? 200F? 300F? - Heidi

[@ZacHiggins]

Hey Heidi, I intentionally didn't get into specifics on temps and timing because I've seen widely varying suggestions from different resin manufacturers and formulas. I recommend just contacting the resin company or looking for post curing guidelines in their instructions, they will be able to provide you the best information. They may even have slightly differing suggestions based on your specific environment, size of castings, etc.

[@kris_kreations]

We appreciate all your knowledge that you are willing to share. Thank you.

[@skylarchristensen3582]

What if it’s still tacky?

[@KarmicHoax]

Did I miss the part where he says the oven temp?? What’s the temp?

[@ZacHiggins]

I usually set it to around 130-150 F

[@tsrzay9545]

I use a Gourmia Digital French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven on dehydrator mode

[@Tassie646]

Hey Zac, great tips I found it very helpful I will be definitely trying this. Also congrats on passing 50k well deserved mate 👍👍👍👍

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks so much Mark! It's surreal reaching 50K, that's more people than the population of the county I live in =D I'm glad this one was helpful, been meaning to get this one out for a while but it just kept getting pushed back

[@BradsWorkbench]

Great tip zac

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Brad, hope it comes in handy for you =D

[@pallana3701]

I put mine in the oven(15 seconds) and it got really really soft 👀took it out and placed it into the freezer just an experiment 🧪 to see if it’ll get hard

[@cedaroakfarm8596]

had no idea this was an option, great info. What temp did you use? Also in a standard 5 day cure should castings be left flat as they were in the mold? Another great lesson, thanks.

[@ZacHiggins]

I've been meaning to share this because I don't think many people know it is possible. Just never got around to mentioning it until now. Hope it helps out. Just to ensure people use the correct post cure schedule for the resin they are using, I'm recommending everyone just look up the instructions for your specific resin or contact the manufacturer for the best results. I've seen varying recommendations from different companies, so I'd rather not put some number out there and have someone use it with a resin that may require something different. I usually do leave things sitting flat for a day or so just to make sure, but it really depends on the resin you use I think. If it's still soft, then definitely leave it flat

[@Mothball_man]

Roughly speaking what temp Zach? 200? 150? My manufacturer has no info for post curing.

[@ennettebrown5306]

It does work to cure it faster but the resin I use cures a yellowish instead of clear when curing it in the oven. It may be because I put it in right away instead of letting it cure for a while first.

[@kimseyjustkimsey5256]

Enjoyed your video Thanks for the Tip!

[@ericschenck9954]

Man Zac that is great to know! Thanks bud. Q: would it affect the resin with a tube in?

[@ZacHiggins]

No, it shouldn't be any different with tube in castings. Just make sure to check the suggested post-cure schedule from the manufacturer of the resin you use, and give it a shot. It should speed that curing process. I'd just leave them in the molds and pop them in the oven. One thing that I forgot to mention in the video is you will need to let the resin sit for a while after taking it out of the oven. I might have given the impression that they become fully hardened in the oven, but they need to cool off and sit a bit before they harden up.

[@ramsdalesherman3844]

Great tip, had wondered this but not looked into as still quite new to casting I was just giving it the time as have so many things on the go but great tip if ever got a urgent custom order item to get something done quick. Great vids man been a huge help I do try to catch your lives but in UK so bit late for me these days hahahaha but have watched most of them after. 👍👍👍

[@ZacHiggins]

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the videos, thanks so much! Yeah, that time difference makes it pretty tough to catch the live streams. The replays will always be available though.

[@scottsimpey2965]

I’ve just barely dipped my feet so to say into the world of resin casting. I have been using the Alumilite amazing clear resin. What temp do you cure your blanks at and for how long? Thanks for sharing.

[@ZacHiggins]

Welcome to the crazy world of casting!! I don't use ACC myself, just Alumilite Clear, so I don't want to give you wrong info for that product just in case they recommend something different. I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to post curing, and I have seen a few different temperatures and lengths of time from different products/manufacturers. It's best to check the instructions or give them a call to make sure

[@juliebloomer5673]

Awesome tip! Much appreciated!

[@ZacHiggins]

Thanks Julie! Hope it speeds things up for you =D

[@davesloansnakehunter]

As always I learn from and enjoy your videos.

[@alanys23]

Thank you so much I was so desperate 🤣 they are going now to the oven

[@zainabalowainati8379]

Did it work for you?

[@trynforpar]

Who knew! Thanks for the wisdom!

[@Nrscathy60]

Why aren't u using a resin cuter? The oven puts fumes and ruins molds. Teexpert has a wonderful machine that does small stuff, most suff, in 2 maybe 3 hours.

[@ConnieConnie824]

That's a great tip. With the smaller pieces I cast, I usually use my heat gun to heat up the resin more before I pour to speed up the curing time. Never thought of heating it up after it's already cured. I just demolded a large/thin piece that is very bendy still. I'm going to hit it with my heat gun here and there 👍🏻😊

[@ZacHiggins]

Woohoo! I hope it helps speed things up. Let me know how it works for you =D

[@fennecweb]

have you ever had resin get melty from heat gun? that's what's been happening to my resin: won't dry and heating just makes it worse! XD

[@ConnieConnie824]

@@fennecweb Heating too much will make it soft. The idea is to heat it slightly to speed up the process.

[@vandj914]

Winner of a video, I've been looking for "how do you test a printed circuit board?" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Giyathan Bewildering Gratification - (just google it ) ? It is a smashing exclusive guide for discovering how to repair your electronic items like a wizard minus the normal expense. Ive heard some super things about it and my work buddy got cool success with it.

[@C1schecter101]

I gave like zero details

[@chouchoue]

??? So I should leave it in the oven 3 hours at 150? You do that part so fast while talking I 'm not certain.

[@mikel4510]

Why polish a blank that will be turned? Turning will just take that surface off. Stupid suggestion.

[@dangerous8333]

He sells blanks I guess so maybe he does that so he can show people what they're going to look like.

[@mikel4510]

@@dangerous8333 When one of those are turned it looks nothing like the rectangular blank - patterns and even colors change, so just marketing ploy, and a way to rip off customers with higher prices.

[@e.Kennedy246]

not the information I am looking for....