New resin gun tested!

Are bubbles causing troubles with your resin work? Fed up with pieces that never properly cure? A revolutionary new resin gun system has got me all fired up! 

If you've ever worked with resin, you've probably been there. You've carefully measured out your two part epoxy resin, mixing up the resin with the hardener. You've dutifully followed the instructions, mixing up the parts with a lollipop stick. And then disaster! Pesky bubbles rise to the surface! Or you spill a glob of resin all over your beautiful bezel! Or perhaps you've messed up your ratios somehow and ended up with a tacky mess that never fully cures. If so, the resin gun system may be for you!

I was thrilled when leading UK resin manufacturer Eli-Chem Resins recently asked me to test drive their brand new MasterCast 1-2-1 resin gun system. Could it really live up to its expectations?

Method

1. Unclip the hinged bracket at the front of the resin gun and tilt it forward.

2. Insert the plunger into the gun handle by pressing up on the metal release bracket at the back and sliding the plunger through the slot. Ensure the hole of the plunger faces backwards and the grooved side is facing down. Push the plunger all the way through.

3. Insert the dual-barreled cartridge into the retaining bracket and snap it down across the top of the gun so it locks with a click.

4. Remove the cartridge cap and fit the mixing nozzle to the front of the cartridge. Once it locks securely into space, it's time to get creative!

 5. Slowly squeeze the trigger to release the resin. The first bit of liquid may have bubbles in it, so you may wish to discard it. The rest is ready to use! Working in a well ventilated space and preferably wearing gloves, slowly squeeze the trigger to dispense the resin. Here I've used it to dome some bezels I've prepared earlier.

6. When you have finished your project, replace the cap on the cartridge for future use. Make sure you dispose of used nozzles and cartridges safely.

 

The verdict

A small cartridge of MasterCast 1-2-1 resin goes a fairly long way! It may not look like much but one of those little cartridges was enough to dome 30 bezels, gloss the top of a pre-sanded bangle, fill up six small moulds and start the first layer of a large, thin bangle mould! Not bad!

The thin nozzle was ideal for getting into small spaces and because it was all so tidy, there were no spills or wasted resin. After wrestling with cocktail sticks, lollipop sticks and toothpicks, this was a bit of a revelation.

The kit was surprisingly easy to put together - even for a relative technophobe like me! Once assembled, it was so simple and quick to use that I instantly fell in love with this system.

Starter kits retail at £25 (about $38) each and include a reusable resin gun, two pre-filled cartridges and six mixing nozzles. Replacement cartridges cost £8 each (about $12) while mixing nozzles cost 30p (about 46 cents). As long as the nozzle is replaced on the cartridge, it should last for two years.

Pros: great for beginners, artists working on small projects and very precise work where you want to get into small spaces. There is almost zero waste and quality is guaranteed every time. An absolute beginner could pick it up and use it in almost no time at all! This is also a great solution if you're wishing to test out Eli-Chem's MasterCast 1-2-1 resin without committing to buying big containers of resin.

Cons: The cost may make it restrictive for experienced artists wishing to work on big projects.

Overall: A fantastic bit of kit that may well revolutionize resin!

Less than 24 hours on, here are some of my creations using the Eli-Chem resin gun!

To find out more about Eli-Chem products click here.

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