Suspension of Badge in Acrylic

[Stephen Beckham]

With all the different types we have here on the Creek, I figured I could get an assist with this...

I had a customer this morning that looked at my acrylics today and asked if I could suspend a police badge in acrylic.

Anyone out there do this for a living? Can I get a PM on possibility of me shipping a badge out to you and having it done? High-balled price range?

I have no further information at this time and I can't promise she'll come back, but just wanted the information just in case she does...

Thanks,
Steve

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steve,

I've never suspended a badge in acrylic but I do think it could be easily done.

Glenn Hodges here has done some stunning b/s where he suspended fishing flies and other stuff in the end of bottle stoppers.

I acually covered a map and board with acrylic using a similar procedure to manufacture the mounting board for a set of elk antlers.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steve,

Check out this thread....
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=41165

[Stephen Beckham]

Thanks Ken...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steve,

One more thing. I've turned a few acrylic bottle stoppers with captured roses and marine corps emblems in them. They turn like butter. You wet sand them through 400 grit IIRC and then buff them on a beal buffing system and they look like glass.

I think it could be done.

[Stephen Beckham]

Well, had another fella came by and we talked about it - he said it's a resin of some sort that you poor in to a mold then put the item in it - the way they do spiders, scorpions ect... for desktop paper weights.

Really - way beyond my scope here - I'm figuring a vacuum mold or something that would get all the bubbles out and get the 'stuff' to completely surround/stick to the badge...

Thoughts?

[Mike Null]

Steve
Let us know how this progresses. I always thought some pretty fancy equipment was necessary to do this.

[Scott Moore]

Steve,
What you need is called casting resin. It's a polyester resin with a catalyst added.
You should be able to get it from a good arts & crafts supply store.
It's not real cheap but is easy to use.
It doesn't take a special mold and it is poured bottom up so the air bubbles float to the bottom (which is facing up when you pour). You just pour it in about 1/2 way, then insert the object you want to capture and finish pouring. It's fairly viscous but you might need to suspend the badge from a thin wire to keep it from sinking to the top depending on how heavy the badge is.
You should be able to buy a pint or a quart (I'd go for the quart and practice on something for you or your wife/kid).
Once set the bottom can be sanded & polished -or- just sanded then glued to felt, material or wood.
Hope this helps. :)

[Stephen Beckham]

I guess that's it... According to the picture of the B-fly on the can... Thanks Scott...

http://www.dick-blick.com/items/335/20/33520-1006-3ww-l.jpg

[Hubert Carle]

Tried many years ago to do that with a Dollar coin. Never succeeded. The reaction that hardens the stuff is heat producing and the metal gets real hot inside the plastic. Sooo the plastic near the metal cures faster than the stuff away from the metal and stupid thing cracked every time. I'm sure they have solved the problem by now but sure was frustrating for me back then. :confused::confused: