How to: Cast a tarantula (or any object) in resin

I hope this tutorial is helpful to people who would like to preserve their deceased arachnids, their molts, etc.


You will need:

Casting Resin
Resin Catalyst (sometimes included with resin)
Mold Release and Conditioner



Casting mold (I used a pyrex casserole dish in this case)



Casting subject (I'm using a *sigh* 7.5" P. striata)



**Note**
These steps should be followed in a well-ventilated area. Read the warnings and instructions before using! Resin should be catalyzed in a separate container and poured into the mold. Instructions for catalyzing resin vary so check with the instructions when catalyzing.
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Step 1: Clean the casting mold, shake the mold release vigorously, and spray the mold. Allow to dry, shake and spray again.



Step 2: Catalyze enough resin to fill the bottom of the mold (you want to create a fist layer to set the object on). You don't want a thick layer...just enough so you're not putting the object directly onto the mold. I did 2oz. and it was barely enough to get maybe 1/8" on the bottom.





Step 3: Once the resin has dried enough to support the object (about 20-30 minutes), set the object on it upside-down.



Step 4: Catalyze enough resin to fill the mold halfway up the object. For this spider, I used 4oz. Wait for resin to dry (about 20-30 minutes).





Repeat Step 4 until object is completely covered in resin and there is a thin layer over the object (about 1/8"). Took me about 6oz for this step.






Step 5: Let the cast dry for approx. 3 hours, if not longer. The cast should fall out of the mold without issue.







A couple notes: Try not to touch the resin while it's drying. You'll leave fingerprints in it that don't come out. I made that mistake a couple times, but it was on the underside so it isn't as much of a big deal.

Be prepared for the natural coloring of the spider to change. You can see the difference in the before and after pictures posted here.

And the part where I'm a hypocrite: I didn't completely read the label on the molt remover/conditioner:



I bought glass, but it ended up working out just fine. The mold fell right out.

I hope this is helpful for everyone. Let me know what you all think!

--Joe

VERY impressive, can we make a sticky of this? ive heard of a few people trying this before and having little to no success. that looks pretty good IMO.

rustym3talh3ad said:

VERY impressive, can we make a sticky of this? ive heard of a few people trying this before and having little to no success. that looks pretty good IMO.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I think it turned out pretty well also. I may bring it to work and see how the resin reacts to a laser. If it has a favorable reaction, I'll lase the species into it as well.

One thing I forgot to include was the price. Cost about $40 for everything. I used most of the resin so I will have to buy more if I ever decide to do something like this again, but I have plenty of catalyst and mold remover/conditioner left over.

xhexdx said:

Thanks. I think it turned out pretty well also. I may bring it to work and see how the resin reacts to a laser. If it has a favorable reaction, I'll lase the species into it as well.

One thing I forgot to include was the price. Cost about $40 for everything. I used most of the resin so I will have to buy more if I ever decide to do something like this again, but I have plenty of catalyst and mold remover/conditioner left over.

Click to expand...

well for us that have gauged ears...i wonder if theres a non-toxic amber based resin we could use? i would love to cast a baby scorp or maybe an unfortunate sling to make some jewelery. and also if it were a non-toxic safe resin would u have the same discoloration/ burnt look to the object being cast?

rustym3talh3ad said:

well for us that have gauged ears...i wonder if theres a non-toxic amber based resin we could use? i would love to cast a baby scorp or maybe an unfortunate sling to make some jewelery. and also if it were a non-toxic safe resin would u have the same discoloration/ burnt look to the object being cast?

Click to expand...

I have gauged ears, just nothing in them at the moment.

I would go to a body jewelry shop and see if they have any information for you on that.

As for the discoloration, I have seen scorpions in resin as paperweights without any apparent discoloration. I wonder what kind of resin they use?

The thing I do like about this was the hairs all stuck out like they should, so she still has the 'hairy' appearance.

yeah, most of the piercing shops around here are just trying to make a quick buck, dont give to craps about the whats and hows....but perhaps we could do some research and see if there is a resin that doesnt do that to the specimen. like i said perhaps an amber or sap based mixture?

Nice, I wish I known how to do this earlier. I could've preserved my beloved emp :[

I would imagine either amber or sap would alter coloration, but I can't say from experience.

I'll check it out. I know a guy who owns one of the shops here, I'll ask him as well. I bet he'd have some good info for me. He has some pretty good quality stuff.

Let me know if you find anything.

--Joe

rustym3talh3ad said:

ive heard of a few people trying this before and having little to no success. that looks pretty good IMO.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that. I think there are several of us that do this with great success.

xhexdx said:

I have gauged ears, just nothing in them at the moment.

I would go to a body jewelry shop and see if they have any information for you on that.

As for the discoloration, I have seen scorpions in resin as paperweights without any apparent discoloration. I wonder what kind of resin they use?

The thing I do like about this was the hairs all stuck out like they should, so she still has the 'hairy' appearance.

Click to expand...

The Polyester resin is a thermoset resin. It heats up as it cures. The more you use at one time the more damage you do to the spider. The scorpions don't have the setae that help establish the coloration that the T's have and therefore sustain less change due to the heat.

I would like to add that if you start out with a piece of acrylic as your base it will work better. Also, after you are finished it can be sanded smooth as glass with sanding chalk. I have a mold that a circle of clear acrylic fits right inside with a T glued to it that all I have to do is pour the top half.

Great work X.

Skullptor said:

The Polyester resin is a thermoset resin. It heats up as it cures. The more you use at one time the more damage you do to the spider. The scorpions don't have the setae that help establish the coloration that the T's have and therefore sustain less change due to the heat.

I would like to add that if you start out with a piece of acrylic as your base it will work better. Also, after you are finished it can be sanded smooth as glass with sanding chalk. I have a mold that a circle of clear acrylic fits right inside with a T glued to it that all I have to do is pour the top half.

Great work X.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, that's good to know about the resin!
I like the mold you have on the right. Too bad it's too small for that big pokie!

Thanks again.

--Joe

Yep yep good stuff. I have done this before too and I did not read the directions the first time. I put to much catalyst in (really smart) and boiled my specimen causing the abdomen to rupture and burst. I had the finger print issue too. I even made the mistake of doing it inside!
But I learned from that and get awesome results now.
Awesome thread for those who want to try it out. :worship:

Very nice!
Will there be any more color change over time?

Awesome! Good to know I agree good for those who don't know how to do this(me lol) :clap:

Ryan, do you have any pictures of some you've done?

Rick,

I'm not sure if there will be more color change. I wouldn't think so since the resin has already cured.

One thing that I remember reading as well when I looked into this, was that you should place the cast (pyrex dish in your case) on something that vibrates a little bit while the resin is setting so that all the air bubbles get worked out.

xhexdx said:

Thanks for the input, that's good to know about the resin!
I like the mold you have on the right. Too bad it's too small for that big pokie!

Thanks again.

--Joe

Click to expand...

Anytime Joe.

If you look at the one on the right at the bottom of the mold you can see the line where the clear acrylic sheet meets the resin. I have them in several sizes.
I have been casting for many years. I have cast clear doors for enclosures with T's and things embedded inside that would be very difficult to do with that hobby store crap. PM me and I'll give you a reputable distributor of a much finer resin.

Pretty awesome. That's a fantastic idea. Too bad the T doesn't keep it's original color but it's still a nice souvenir to keep.

Thank you Joe

xhexdx said:

I hope this tutorial is helpful to people who would like to preserve their deceased arachnids, their molts, etc...

Click to expand...

Did you do anything to remove water from the tarantula's carcass? I have a little booklet that describes mounting biological specimens much the same way you describe, but it insists that you need to dehydrate the specimen before embedding it because:

1. Water leaches out of the carcass and eventually clouds the resin.

2. Entombing the carcass with all its resident water allows it to rot inside the resin, eventually destroying the specimen.

The book recommends (for insects and similar arthropods) a lengthy process of soaking the carcass in increasing concentrations of ethyl or isopropyl (I think) alcohol from 70% all the way to 100% to gradually remove all the water and replace it with alcohol. The complete dehydrating process can take weeks in really large specimens like crabs and massive spiders (think T. blondi here).

My copy of that booklet is currently in storage in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and we're currently hiding out from the cold near Houston, Texas (about 2,000 miles away), so I can't tell you the name of the book right now. If I remember, maybe I can revisit this thread when we get home next May. Sorry.

I've also heard of people who constructed a home-brew freeze dryer (consumer grade deep freeze and a fair to middling quality aquarium air pump) to dehydrate biological specimens for mounting in acrylic, but it also took weeks to dehydrate the carcasses enough to preserve them indefinitely.

Would this thread be important enough to warrant making it a sticky? Sure sounds interesting, and simple enough for just about anybody to do.

great thread. i have seen these in stores and always wondered how they did it.

well i have heard soaking a T in alcohol ruins it..i may be wrong, but hats what i heard. also i know you can polish the resin up, but could you use a polishing agent on it after sanding it?that way it would be real shiny...last thing....someone said to place the mold on something that slightly vibrates to get the bubbles out....would this work? if not, other than a vacume chamber how could you do it?