Tiranti has always been well known for its resins, and the cold casting process was developed by John Tiranti back in the 1950’s. Today we sell a range of resin and associated products for all forms of casting. Tiranti resins can be split into three types: polyester, polyurethane, and epoxy. These resins all have unique properties that make them suitable for different applications.
Polyester resin (sold as Clear casting Resin), multi-purpose resin and gel coat resin are known for cost-effectiveness and fast curing time, making them ideal for large-scale projects.
Polyester Resin:
· Cost-effective: Generally cheaper than epoxy resins, making it suitable for projects where budget is a major consideration.
· Fast curing: Cures relatively quickly, allowing for faster project completion.
· Brittle: Can be more brittle than epoxy and may require reinforcement with materials like fiberglass.
· Applications: Commonly used in marine and automotive industries, especially for fiberglass reinforced applications.
Tiranti Clear casting resin gives a water white perfectly clear result and is fantastic for both encapsulating and jewelry making - especially in combination with the Tiranti Polyester translucent pigments. The clear casting resin has a shelf life of approximately 6 months and should be mixed with liquid hardener using up to 2% hardener to resin by weight.
Tiranti Multi-purpose resin is an opaque all-rounder great for jewellery and cold casting with metal or marble filler powders and easily coloured with Tiranti Polyester resin pigments, this resin has a short 3 month shelf life and as with the clear version needs the liquid hardener to set (up to 2% by weight).
Both the Polyester resins have a styrene content which is what gives the recognisable resin smell. It is recommended that these are only used in a well-ventilated area (preferably a fume cupboard) as too much exposure to the fumes can cause headaches, the gel time for these resins as around 20 minutes, with a full cure in approx. 2 hours depending on thickness of the piece. We would not recommend pouring more then 5cm depth of resin at any one time due to the exothermic reaction caused by the curing process but for thicker pieces the resin can be layered, with additional layers being added once the previous layer is tacky to minimise visible join lines.
Epoxy resin offers superior strength, durability, and adhesion, making it an excellent choice for applications requiring high performance and longevity. Our epoxy resin has recently been upgraded to a Green Art Flo which contains over 70% of ingredients based on renewable raw materials.
Epoxy Resin:
· Strong and durable: Offers superior strength, adhesion, and resistance to chemicals and water.
· Higher cost: Typically, more expensive than polyester resins.
· Slower curing: May require more time to cure compared to polyester but offers better control over the curing process.
· Applications: Used in coatings, adhesives, structural applications, and art projects.
· Superior adhesion: Excellent bond strength, making it desirable for applications where a strong bond is essential.
Tiranti Art Flow Epoxy is crystal clear BPA free VOC free Phthalate free resin. The lack of odor and solvents makes it the perfect resin for use in the classroom or in shared workshop spaces. This resin can be used for all kinds of artistic applications from decorative casts to river tables, jewelry to resin art paintings. This resin is supplied as a 2-part kit with no need for additional hardener and is mixed on a ratio of 100g part A to 40g part B. The polyester pigments work well with this resin, as do the metal and marble fillers. However, the biggest downside to the epoxy resin is the slow curing time, with a pot life of up to 7 hours and a curing time (depending on thickness of the pour) of up to 48hours. As with the other resins we do not recommend pouring more than a 5cm thickness at any one time but as with the other resins additional layers can be added at the tacky stage to increase thickness. The shelf life of the epoxy resins is around 1 year.
Polyurethane resins are known for their flexibility and wear resistance, known under the Tiranti brand as EC-4 this is the only one of our resins which can currently be supplied to our international customers as it is not classed as hazardous for transport.
Polyurethane Resin:
· Flexible and elastic: Known for its flexibility and wear resistance, making it suitable for applications where some flexibility is needed.
· Versatile: Can be formulated into different forms like foams, solids, and liquids.
· Applications: Used in coatings, sealants, and casting applications.
EC-4 fast cast is a cream-colored, two-part resin perfect for detailed casts either alone or mixed with a polyurethane pigment or metal filler. This resin has a short pot life, and you will feel the exothermic reaction beginning within minutes of mixing, it has a pot lift of 2-3 minutes and a cure time of around an hour depending on thickness.
The polyurethane range at Tiranti also includes a Rigid Polyurethane expanding foam - perfect for filling voids in hollow casts. Parts A and B are mixed in equal quantities by weight and will expand to approximately eight times its original volume and can be demolded in 15-45minutes.
We are also introducing a product to the polyurethane range EC-3 is a white, two-part low viscosity low shrinkage resin which will be recognizable to anyone familiar with the “Create and Craft” resin range. This fast-curing resin works well with fillers with a pot life of 2 minutes and a demolding time of around 30 minutes. This is perfect for projects which need high quality results with a quick turnaround keep any eye out on our website in late August for the new addition.
