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

[xhexdx]

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

You're welcome. It wasn't my idea by any stretch, but I'm glad you liked the thread.

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).

An honor to have you post on my thread, Mr. and Mrs. Schultz.

No, I did not do anything to remove the water from the carcass first. I was not sure how to preserve the carcass long enough post-mortem without freezing, so I bought what I needed and just went for it. I wonder why they wouldn't just use 100% alcohol right away? I'm sure there is some reason.

It's been my experience with perserving animals in alcohol (I have a bat, a mole, a slipper lobster, a squid, among other things), that they too alter their coloration after time. Whether it was hours or weeks or months, I couldn't tell you, but I have seen the color change. It may be worth a small experiment though with some more common animals (we have tons of anoles around here.

With regards to the water rotting inside the carcass and seeping through the resin, I suppose that's a possibility (similar to osmosis?), and I have no choice now but to wait and see what happens.

If there are changes to the quality of the specimen, I will be sure to post on this thread with pictures, etc.

Very valid points, thank you for bringing them up to me. Please be sure to let me know the name of the booklet you mentioned. :worship:

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?

Exactly what I mentioned above about soaking in alcohol.

I'm not too sure about the polishing or sanding scenario right now. I think I may create resin balls or something to test on before sanding/polishing the actual specimen.

Another test on something that vibrates is in order too!

Thanks guys for your input!

--Joe

 

[CFNSmok.PL]

Excellent job. do you have any idea how to avoid the air bobbles in the mold?

Smok.

 

[xhexdx]

Excellent job. do you have any idea how to avoid the air bobbles in the mold?

Smok.

Thanks.

From what others have suggested, using something that vibrates as the resin dries may work the air bubbles out.

I noticed they are became present when catalyzing the resin...mixing the two together introduced the air. Perhaps there's a better method to mix them that will limit the amount of air being introduced?

I will say though that the air bubbles in the cast aren't really a problem. I'll try to get some closer shots and post them tomorrow.

--Joe

 

[Skullptor]

Excellent job. do you have any idea how to avoid the air bobbles in the mold?

Smok.

Put the mix in a desiccator under vacuum. If you don't have one- careful mixing and a shaker table. I would use a hand held vibrating sander next to the mold if I didn't have a vacuum chamber. But I would only use to shake loose the trapped air and then turn it off and let it set to cure.

 

[rustym3talh3ad]

from what i know vibrations do help the bubbles out of the resin but at what speed would be necessary? is it a slow and steady vibration or a heavy pulsating one that would jar the bubbles about? and at what point would u start to move the specimen and possibly effect the mold. more studies and research must be underway.

...and also, would sucking the hemolymph out of the T, deflating it and then filling it with a more appropriate preserving agent work?

 

[Endagr8]

Awesome job and pics. :razz: :razz: :razz: An article from the articles section suggests doing many layers of resin to avoid "cooking" (miscoloring) the specimen (the article doesn't show pics to back that up though). It also suggests brushing alcohol on the spiders to avoid rotting. Your post should be added to that article. Sorry about your T

 

[xhexdx]

Sorry about your T

Thanks. I appreciate it.

 

[xhexdx]

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.

I hope I won't have many specimens to do this with in the future, but sure, give me the distributor.

I'd also love to see some of your other castings.

--Joe

 

[JDeRosa]

I've kept a dead B. Smithi in 95% alchohol for a few weeks and it didn't damage the color. Perhaps longer periods of time can.

 

[arachnidgirl]

Thats amazing.....I was at a plastics store and they wanted $500 CDN to do that. Now I can do that for way less.....
Thanks for posting this

 

[T_ROY]

I was thinking that a heat resistant clear coat of some sort might be applied to the specimen before casting it. To help in preventing color change.

 

[Skullptor]

I hope I won't have many specimens to do this with in the future, but sure, give me the distributor.

I'd also love to see some of your other castings.

--Joe

I use SMOOTH ON- Crystal Clear. It's a "water clear" liquid plastic. It has a lower viscosity than the polyester resin in hobby stores + it's a 100:90 mix ratio so it's harder to over/under catalyze your mix. It's also easier to pour and the lower viscosity also helps the air bubbles to rise to the surface faster.

It does have some drawbacks though*. see below and I vacuum everything I cast first, so I have no idea if it casts well without it.

About the heat altering the coloration. The polyester resin with heat higher as it cures than the Urethane (which I use) Assuming it's nice and dry like Mr. Schulz suggested, pour the resin in stages. The less volume; the less heat. This is also how you suspend objects like egg sacs and things inside. (years ago when I was working in prototyping, I honed my "embedding casting" skills doing this for a client. And they provided me with egg sacs along with some of the creatures I was casting for them. And wanted both specimen and egg sac included.)
So, to start I'd take your time and cast in segments. You won't see the parting lines unless you let it sit for a long time in between castings or you touch the surface with your fingers. The amber casting of the large male on the left was cast in about 6 layers. Also, try to minimize the empty space. For myself I use circle bases for terrestrials and ovals for arboreals.

Xhexdx. sorry for posting so frequently in your thread. You really did a good job with it and I think you emboldened folks to try it. :clap:



*CAUTION: NOT FOR HOME USE. THIS PRODUCT IS FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY - Proper ventilation, a NIOSH Approved Respirator and Protective Clothing are required to minimize the risk of inhalation and dermal sensitization. If breathing is affected or a dermal rash develops, immediately cease using this product and seek medical attention. Read MSDS before using.

 

[Jojos]

Very interesting Skullptor. I'd like to see more pics of the castings you've made...

Thank you for that information.

 

[xhexdx]

Xhexdx. sorry for posting so frequently in your thread. You really did a good job with it and I think you emboldened folks to try it. :clap:

Don't apologize; your posts provide info that help me to learn too, and I'm always ok with learning new things.

As long as people aren't killing spiders just to entomb in resin, I'm glad it's teaching people new things.

--Joe

 

[T_ROY]

This thread is very interesting thought this might interest some people.
I tried to look up the smooth on that skullptor was talking about.

http://www.smooth-on.com/gallery.php?galleryid=327&cPath=1277

 

[xhexdx]

This thread is very interesting thought this might interest some people.
I tried to look up the smooth on that skullptor was talking about.

http://www.smooth-on.com/gallery.php?galleryid=327&cPath=1277

Interesting stuff, but 160 bucks for a gallon!

I may get the trial kit for 22 bucks and test it out.

Thanks!

--Joe

 

[Godzirra]

Awesomely awesome, i think if any slings ever die or spiders that i might have (I'm hoping non will), it would be great to make some rings out of them.

Thank you for your pic to pic, it looks awesome and is helpful!

 

[xhexdx]

Awesomely awesome, i think if any slings ever die or spiders that i might have (I'm hoping non will), it would be great to make some rings out of them.

Thank you for your pic to pic, it looks awesome and is helpful!

My pleasure.

 

[Neophyte]

That was impressive. :clap:

Nice weather you got there btw -.-

 

[Jojos]

Thank you for the link.