best place to buy resin supplies??

[NinaH81]

Hi everyone,
I'm thinking about having a go at making some jewellery bits and pieces with resin.......
does anyone have any idea where the best place is to buy all the bits i need????

many thanks and happy crafting!!

Nina
x

[DarkFlights]

I think I may have some contacts for you!

Personally, I tend to use http://www.resin-supplies.co.uk/ also known as ABL Stevens if the link doesn't work and you have to google for them. They are not the cheapest, but I've never had an issue with their delivery times, their products, or their service in general, and they have some info pages with brief how-to's. Beware of carriage charges for toxic materials and really think about what you want when you order, for basic starting-out with clear resin, their standard clear-cast resin with the appropriate catalyst/hardener is fine, it's what I use.

If you end up doing anything much larger than jewellery, you'll need a totally different resin and you'll have to pour it in stages, letting each level gel but not set completely before pouring the next.

There are also these guys who I've used for home metal casting kits; http://www.tiranti.co.uk/index.asp
No idea what their resins are like, though.
There are dozens of toher suppliers but my personal preference is for ABL Stevens.

Another thing you might want to consider with resin is to buy some extra supplies. You'll need latex gloves to protect your skin, something to mix the resin in and something to mix it with. For mixing containers I went to my local photography chain shop and asked for a bagful of film cannisters, the little plastic ones with the press-on caps. They make perfect throwaway mixing pots. I just use matchsticks to mix with and have plenty of tissues to hand, and use greaseproof paper sheets on my worksurface. Resin is very sticky and gooey and can get everywhere and doesn't come out of clothes, so an apron or old scruffy clothes are best worn when using the stuff. And make sure you have a well-ventilated work area or it will stink!

Hope that helps!