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help with crafts please asap?

for my science project[cell model] i’m using “Castin’ Craft Casting Resin” for the cytoplasm. can anyone tell me if this hardens completely clear/see-through or if it looks blurry like frosted glass. thanks!(:

That particular brand is a “polyester” resin –there are also “epoxy” resins.

They will both cure completely clear IF they’re mixed and applied *correctly.* Otherwise they can end up cloudy, or have bubbles, or have an uneven surface on any side that cures *next to the air* in the case of polyester resins.

Both kinds of resin can be a little fiddly though if you don’t already know how to use them, and polyester resins in particular aren’t great for lungs (use VENTILATION).

You can read all about how to use epoxy and/or polyester resins (mixing, applying, coloring, embedding, etc.) on this page of my site:

http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/other_materials.htm

Unless you need to make something large though, I’d go for another clear-hardening material if I were you because they’ll be more foolproof, less fiddly, and “safer” than a resin, particularly a polyester resin.

You could use a 2-part epoxy glue from the hardware store (which is the same thing as an epoxy resin but in smaller amounts and easier to handle). That can be poured into a mold, but generally not deeper than 1/2″ or some discoloration can result. Or it can be poured onto a surface (or a surface it can be peeled from) and it will dome up a little on its own.

You could also use other clear-setting materials like polyurethanes (I’d suggest a water-washup, Gloss, version) which you can buy at a hardware store for sealing bare wood… polyurethanes start out a bit milky but dry very hard and very clear (they do “dry,” btw, not “cure” like resins).

Cyanoacrylate floor polishes like Future-Pledge or Mop ‘N Glo will do the same thing, but they’re thinner when liquid so wouldn’t pool up if you wanted that and would have to be contained while drying if you wanted more than a sheet of the stuff.

Other things that would work are “acrylic mediums” (you’d want a Gloss acrylic medium) which are sold for mixing into acrylic paints at hobby and art supply stores. Clear fingernail polish would work too.
Even a permanent white glue like Elmers GlueAll or Sobo will dry clear (though would probably have to be done in layers to avoid cloudiness, and would take longer to dry thoroughly between layers).

If you used those things, you could pour them into a permanent “cell” of some kind that would be compatible with your biological cell to give them shape and contain them.
Some you could just pour out onto aluminum foil or silicone, then let dry, and peel up.
And some you could pour onto an elevated piece of something, allowing the excess to fall off (they will dome a bit in that situation).

HTH, and good luck!

Diane B.

Katara necklace AKA clear resin casting

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