Cosmic Light With LEDs Embedded in Resin

Step 3 First Layer

This probably goes without saying but:
Resin is toxic, dangerous and can be damaging to many surfaces. Keep it well ventilated, away from kids and pets and on a well protected surface. Epoxy is much the same - it can be dangerous and it's very permanent on may surfaces. All of the products included in this project come with safety labels and it's important to read them. One thing I've done is make a list of the chemicals I work with so that if I ever do have a health problem it'll be easier for the medical staff involved to fix it. That said, on to the resin casting.....


You start working from the front of the light - what is the bottom/first layer now will be the front when it's completed.

Mix up about 1/2 ounce of clear resin (according to your manufacturer's guidelines). You can add some glitter or other cosmic debris of your choice to this if you'd like. Catalyze it and pour it into the mold. Tip the mold around to make sure resin covers all of the bottom of the mold, and it's good to let it get up onto the sides a bit.

Let it harden completely.

If you've decided to add a layer of blue/green/yellow/pearly colored haze this is the time to do it. Mix up another 1/3 to 1/2 ounce of clear resin, and again add glitter if you'd like. Pour it into the mold and make sure it covers the front. Add a drop of each color of dye into it then swirl it around with a toothpick. Keep adding dye and swirling it until you like it, then leave it. Seriously. Don't touch it any more until it's completely hardened. If you start working on this and really mess it up just pour it out into something other container to harden up. The reason you do this now instead of with the first layer is that the toothpick can leave marks on the mold that will show on the front of you light. These are permanent to the mold, and no one wants to hurt their mold.

The LEDs behind dye diffuse and glow, while the LEDS without dye in front of them appear as more of a clear point of light. Your choice is all about the aesthetics.

Comments

[leef_me]

Suggest you emphasize that you are working from front to back, at least I missed it the first time. Do you need mold release? It wasn't in the materials list. Emphasize this should be done away from 'meddlers' such as pets. I mix epoxy on a stiff piece of cardboard or cardstock using a disposable craft stick. Epoxy takes time to harden so I leave the mixed but unused portion on the cardboard with the stick in it. I can test the hardness based on the unused portion.

[technoplastique]

I missed this one - I didn't use a mold release because this piece was pretty big (resins shrink as they harden and that's enough to release them from most molds) and this mold is made of polyethylene. Greasy/waxy feeling plastics don't require mold release, but a silicone or similar mold would be better off with a release.

[Honus]

Molding polyester resin in a silicone mold doesn't require a mold release. Silicone molds rarely ever require a mold release- unless you're trying to mold silicone in your silicone mold! :P This is a great project- it would make really cool little night lights for my kids. My wife got me a telescope for my birthday last year so I can imagine looking at the stars through it with my boys and then letting them help re create their own cosmic lights that look like what they saw in the sky!

[technoplastique]

No, silicone doesn't need a mold release, but especially with the polyester resin the surface tends to turn out a lot nicer if you use one anyway. And it helps extend the life of the mold. Warming up the mold before you cast in it (to between 100 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit) will also help the surface turn out nicer. It would be such a neat project to work on this with your kids! A telescope is on my list of 'someday I'd like to own one' toys (since it would be just for fun) so enjoy having it around!

[Honus]

The telescope she got me is just a little one but it's still really cool. I saw a book in the librabry the other day on how to make your own Dobsonian telescope- that would make a great instructable!

[technoplastique]

Heck yes it would! I don't have much experience in optics, but what a way to learn. I might look into that after I get my next 6 or 8 projects done.... ;-)

[Honus]

That's exactly how I am- two projects finished........ten more to go! I'd suggest doing a collaberation but I know I wouldn't get around to it until next year. :P

Here's some telescope info for ya' :

http://members.aol.com/sfsidewalk/cdobplans.htm
http://www.usno.navy.mil/8inchdob.html
http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/tele/tele.htm

[technoplastique]

I added a safety paragraph (I had managed to lose track of it in all of my arranging/rearranging steps) and emphasized the front to back thing. Thanks for the suggestion!