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So, I was ordering some resin. I couldn't help but notice that Alumilite makes 3 clear resins with various properties. 2 of them are flagged as "recommended for industrial use only", and one of them is not. The one that is not seems very similar in all ways to what I have now as far as pot time and cure time so I'm not too interested in it.

The other, trickier ones seem to have much more desirable properties. I'm wondering if anyone here has used these products (especially the water clear, which is what I want to use) and can tell me any specific details I need to use these. I already wear gloves and presume a respirator is adequate, is that so?

From reading up on it(as well as Crystal Clear from Smooth On), the issues with it are skin contact and inhalation.

For these resins, I'd recommend any of these: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/PPESafetySolutions/PPESafety/Personal_Protective_Equipment/Product_Catalog/?N=5548558&rt=c3

As well as super thick gloves. Surgeon gloves might be better since they go higher up the arm.

The reason for "industrial use only" is because companies generally take every precaution for using harsh chemicals. Guys in their basement tend to be a little ballsier.

Thanks, the respirator I have is on that page. I need to get fresh inserts and I'm ready to rock.

I was mostly wondering how nasty this was, on a scale from "gasoline fumes" to "VX-gas".

As an update, it arrived today (!). Turns out the shipping depot is very close to my house.

I was dismayed to see the instructions that came with the "Water clear urethane" vary wildly from what they say on the site. Specifically, the site says 5 min pot life, 30-60 min demold. The instructions say 6 min pot life, and 2-3 hours demold, with a full cure in 5-7 days at room temperature. They also recommend baking parts that are less then 1/8th at 150F for "an hour or two" on the forums, but in the instructions, it says 16 hours. So, there are some pretty significant discrepancies here. I made a few test casts of varying thicknesses and will report back on those. I'm withholding judgement for now.

I also bought some white normal resin since I couldn't stomach spending $10 shipping for a $13 product when the shipping is fixed, and besides my usual TAP resin has just about gone bad anyway. I did a test cast with this as well. First off, it really means it when it says a pot life of 2.5 minutes. It gets very tacky very quick, maybe too quick. The demold time varies on thickness but one of the thicker pieces was demolded in about 5 minutes. It seems very, very tough, much more dense then TAP's.

Also, it really, really reeks. The clear one is supposed to emit fumes, and the latter is "virtually odorless", so I only wore the respirator for the first one, but slapped it on pretty quick for the second as well. You may not need it, but you'll likely want it, as well as some ventilation. I'd describe the smell as "brain damage".

As far as the normal resin, the prices between TAP and Alumilite are identical, so I think I might have to recommend TAP because the longer working time makes it easier to use. However, if you're using a larger mold or if you need strength, the Alumilite is a better deal.

As an aside, one of the FAQ's for the Alumilite indicates you can paint the empty mold, then cast the resin, and when it's cured, it chemically bonds with the paint. That's cool, I'll try that.