Plasticraft

[HelFl]

Can anyone help please? During the 1970's my parents bought me a crafty idea called Plasticraft. I could use it to make paperweights etc. I can't remember exactly what I used to do except that there were moulds that you poured this disgusting liquid into and let it set. To remove the item from the mould I used to have to boil it. I know it's vague but it was a few years ago!!!Has anyone heard of this and whether it can still be purchased - and if so where?
Thank you
Helen

[BeadsbyLili]

Hello ! Yeah - I loved this stuff when I was a kid too - it stank to high heaven and could make you a bit light headed but we made all sorts of (awful) key rings, pendants and paperweights with shells/flowers/coins and anything else we could plastic coat (my mum still has some of it around - LOL) ! Anyway, you got me going with this so I googled and found some stuff called 'Crystal Resin' on a website called 'homecrafts' which I think could be the modern day equivalent ....so hope that helps you in your quest !!

[nattynetty]

Ahhh memories

I had this stuff too as a kid and my lucky lucky friends and rellies had some loverly shell keyrings for pressies that year . Had completely forgotten it ever existed but as soon as you mentioned the smell (and the shells, flowers etc) it all came flooding back.

[beadsbydesign]

My dad used to moan like crazy about the smell so mum and I had to do it when dad was out.
A few years ago my FIL went to Turkey and came back with a vase made with pebbles and the resiny sort of thing.
Sounds like you are going to have fun!

[julz]

I seen that crystal resin stuff in a craft shop yesterday. They made lovely flowers with it for displaying.

Cheap also it was only £1.99 a pot.

Have fun with it if you decide to get some.

I was tempted!

Julz

[goldy1]

Is this the stuff. http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/search.cgi

[beadsbydesign]

well it's not what I was talking about. I did use that when I was young though and had lots of fun. The stuff I thought it was was a yellowy resin type thing that you melted and then poored into molds where you had placed dried flowers or shells. It dried slightly yelllowy and more resembled paperweights. It was actually very strong and robust! not easily destructable...

[JBJB]

What about this American site?

http://www.alpineimport.com/items.as...tatus=0&Tp=&Bc=

[alnmcmahon]

Can anyone help please? During the 1970's my parents bought me a crafty idea called Plasticraft. I could use it to make paperweights etc. I can't remember exactly what I used to do except that there were moulds that you poured this disgusting liquid into and let it set. To remove the item from the mould I used to have to boil it. I know it's vague but it was a few years ago!!!Has anyone heard of this and whether it can still be purchased - and if so where?
Thank you
Helen

yes i had a plasticraft my dad andi would catch spiders and centipedes and cast them in clear hexagonal andoval keyrings. they banned it cos it was givin all the kids dermititis

[Woodsprite]

Good old Plasticraft - I was never cruel as to entomb spiders and centipedes, stuck more to the shells and flowers, although I do believe that somewhere my mum still has a peperweight containing two of my extracted teeth!! The boxed kit still resides with the rest of my old toys and games in my mum and dad's loft. Do you think it's worth getting out next time Antiques Roadshow are in town?!!

[Bowed Over]

Ow the memories - remembering making endless pendents from the stuff and sticking beads in them - as I recall that stuff was pretty indestructible when set - wonder what my parents did with my first crafty creations? Probably headed straight for the bin.

Thanks for the memories.

Lisa

[clivethompson]

Plasticraft

Hi Helen, Yes, I remember it well. My mother worked in a toy shop and I was always looking in the boxes to see just what yiu got for your money. I used to buy the resin and hardener from MOD EDIT - PLEASE READ THE RULES, can't remember exactly where they were, but the resin was clear. I tried using fiberglass resin and hardener, but this had a slight yelo hue to it, it was great for abstracts, but not so good for setting things in plastic. I was using it around 1973 -75 but have not heard if it is still available. CLive

[Mainframeguy]

Delete or leave - no time to read rules

I shall likely not be back - but went to the trouble of registering having had trouble finding the stuff - or near as I can anyway.

So sad that it simply does not exist now and that the trade name seems to be for a USA signage company!

Anyway - you can get resin in various ways, but for modelling it is most often used to simulate water - so maybe I can say see
frontiermodels dot co dot uk/ARTIFICIAL-WATER-Solution-Mix-p-16711.html
that since I cannot link you and am not hanging around here! From earlier link I know a mod may delete it so if they do then just use my keywords to aid your search!

[shiner]

funny you shouldbring this up I came across this site the other day looking for retro toys for an equally old mate http://www.retro-hobbies.com/index.p...iewCat&catId=2

[DragonForce]

well it's not what I was talking about. I did use that when I was young though and had lots of fun. The stuff I thought it was was a yellowy resin type thing that you melted and then poored into molds where you had placed dried flowers or shells. It dried slightly yelllowy and more resembled paperweights. It was actually very strong and robust! not easily destructable...

No, it wasn't yellow and it didn't have to be melted. It was a water clear acrylic resin material that was liquid until mixed with a hardner. I recall the whole lot would turn to to a gel, and then to a solid block of material after some 30 minutes. Smelled like burning perspex and set like solid steel

Neither did you put objects into a mould and then pour the liquid resin either. There were two types of kits, one with a cast ceramic block, the other with a plastic mould tray. You brushed a small amount of release agent into the mould, poured in a small amount of resin and let it go off. THEN you added your coin, dried flower or whatever, and topped up the mould with more resin. A small amount of manipulation with a needle to remove any air bubbles was sometimes needed. Once set, you could add another layer of coloured resin (you added colour by adding a drop or two of coloured resin, in either red, yellow or blue), and then used a small drop of resin to attach a clasp or a pin, so you could wear it as jewellery. You then either tapped the mould until the lump of set resin fell out, or you boiled it in water for a while to achieve the desired result.

This stuff was great, and had many more uses than the kit makers intended - you could mould handles for tools, coat radio coils, manufacture all sorts of parts for scratch-built model kits etc. Uses were legion! All this aged about 9 or 10, long before I'd discovered Milliput (or similar) putty.

Those were the days!