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So ive just bought some clear casting resin, and i plan to have one of my minis waist deep in it to look like hes wading through water. I have some questions ref the resin curing. The instructions say you should apply cellophane to the top to mmake it cure properly. Does anyone have any experience with resin as a water effect?
I also want to colour the resin with green and brown to make it look realistic, and is there any way to sculpt ripples into the surface? Any help would be much appreciated

Ive only done larger things like rivers but id imagine some of the techniques carry over.

Ive never colored the resin itself just painted underneath, i've found this creates the desired look without making it opaque. As far as sculpting ripples goes theres a sweep spot (during the cure time) depending on volume that makes it more gel like that you can run a paintbrush handle through it so it ripples but doesn't set back fully.

I would recommend experimenting on a few test bases before using the intended model. Too many variables to have a clear cut answer IMO.

yeah i thought maybe not colouring the resin, and just painting the underwater surface might work better.. do you know anything about the top surface remaining tacky without some sort of airtight cover? i read a few things online about being able to wash the tacky layer off once the rest has fully cured?

I've never dealt with anything like that but it may depend on the product. I use a 2 part resin thats used for making the thick clear finish on coffee tables and such, i get it from Micheals, nothing too fancy.

I use a two part epoxy resin for my rivers usually; liquitex lite. They are deep enough so I actually pour in two layers. I paint the river bed, pour layer one, blow on it to get the bubbles out, pour a second layer mixed with some blue food coloring and done. Gives some nice depth with the coloring.

Your specific resin should say whether it's mixable with colour and you should also check model railroad websites for anything scenic, they have done it millions of times before with all kinds of stuff and results. Keep in mind if it's an epoxy resin it will create a lot of heat while curing, especially if you use a large amount at once. It can melt things...

Yeah im planning on having a true scale marine immersed upto about chest level in the water, so about an inch deep. I think painting the riverbed with the colours will give a better effect, and i ideally want to do it in a single pour to avoid layer lines. My main concern is the sheet says the top layer will remain tacky unless covered with cellophane... Is there a way to fully cure ot without that? Because obv getting cellophane round the unimmersed part of the sm will be a huge pain