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



## xhexdx

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.
-----------------

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

Reactions: Like 2 | Thanks 1


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## rustym3talh3ad

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.


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## xhexdx

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.


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.


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## rustym3talh3ad

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.


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?


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## xhexdx

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?


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.


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## rustym3talh3ad

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?


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## Eclipse

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


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## xhexdx

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


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## Skullptor

rustym3talh3ad said:


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


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.


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.


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## xhexdx

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.



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


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## Talkenlate04

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:


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## Rick McJimsey

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


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## Thompson08

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


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## xhexdx

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.


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## SeventyThree

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.


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## Skullptor

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


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.


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## Jojos

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


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## Stan Schultz

xhexdx said:


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


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.

Reactions: Like 2


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## binary71

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


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## codykrr

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?


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## xhexdx

Jojos said:


> 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. 




Pikaia said:


> 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: 



codykrr said:


> 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


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## CFNSmok.PL

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

Smok.


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## xhexdx

CFNSmok.PL said:


> 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


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## Skullptor

CFNSmok.PL said:


> 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.


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## 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?


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## 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

Reactions: Clarification Please 1


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## xhexdx

Endagr8 said:


> Sorry about your T


Thanks.  I appreciate it.


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## xhexdx

Skullptor said:


> 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


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## 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.


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## 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


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## 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.


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## Skullptor

xhexdx said:


> 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.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Jojos

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

Thank you for that information.


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## xhexdx

Skullptor said:


> 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


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## 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


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## xhexdx

T_ROY said:


> 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


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## 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!


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## xhexdx

Godzirra said:


> 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.


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## Neophyte

That was impressive. :clap: 

Nice weather you got there btw -.-


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## Jojos

Thank you for the link.


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## Jojos

I hope you will show us your test Joe?


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## xhexdx

Neophyte said:


> That was impressive. :clap:
> 
> Nice weather you got there btw -.-


It's still a little cool for my standards...I grew up in Hawaii.

Jojos, yeah, when I get a testin', I'll post results.  Gotta focus on replacing the front door to the house first. 

--Joe


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## Neophyte

-11F here -.-


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## xhexdx

Neophyte said:


> -11F here -.-


It's somewhere in the sixties right now I think.


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## Neophyte

:wall: 





xhexdx said:


> It's somewhere in the sixties right now I think.


*envy*
I had to bring my G. Rosea to someone so they can mate him today. It was so cold out and I couldn't stop repeating 'sorry' to the poor thing. :wall: 

He's somewhere warm now though =)


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## Jojos

xhexdx said:


> It's still a little cool for my standards...I grew up in Hawaii.
> 
> Jojos, yeah, when I get a testin', I'll post results.  Gotta focus on replacing the front door to the house first.
> 
> --Joe


LOL! I hope so... Here it's very cold so you can bet that all my doors work very well.


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## Stan Schultz

Joe and All -



xhexdx said:


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


Stan and Marguerite, please. No need to get so stuffy. 



xhexdx said:


> ... I wonder why they wouldn't just use 100% alcohol right away?  I'm sure there is some reason....


It has something to do with the strong alcohol tanning the exoskeleton and preventing further water exchange, I think. Thus, you start out with relatively mild alcohol, changing it daily, and gradually work your way to the 100% stuff to extract every last bit of water. It's a long, arduous process. I'd have a lot of trouble completing the job. I'm too impatient!



xhexdx said:


> ... 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...


Most biological pigments are sensitive to light. They degrade with time as they're exposed to light. They also oxidize or otherwise degrade with time because they're slightly unstable and sensitive to just about any reactive compounds. Degrading biological tissues as well as most preservatives are loaded with reactive compounds. That's why almost all biological specimens in museums are all but worthless for DNA analysis. Though not a pigment, DNA is just as sensitive, maybe more so. It's the same principle.

In living organisms the degraded pigments are constantly replaced with freshly manufactured stuff. Not so in a pickled specimen. Virtually every museum specimen on the planet is a melange of different shades of tan through brown to black because melanin is one of the few biological pigments that doesn't degrade readily. That's also why coloring is rarely used in identifying biological specimens by the professionals. (Patterns, on the other hand, are sometimes used.)

BTW, I found the reference for that booklet:

Hardin, Cleo E. 1963. _How to Preserve Animal and Other Specimens in Clear Plastic_. Naturegraph Publishers. Happy Camp, Calif.

You can get copies through amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Anim...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233537852&sr=1-5 and they're fairly inexpensive.

Keep up the good work and keep us informed. (Hint: Append your further comments to this thread - even months down the road - so we can keep track of the history.)


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## Stan Schultz

codykrr said:


> well i have heard soaking a T in alcohol ruins it...


Soaking a live tarantula in alcohol ruins it, but you already knew that. I'm just being a $m@rt***. Sorry. 

Soaking a dead tarantula in alcohol washes away the wax layer from the surface of its exoskeleton and mats the bristles. When they dry out they look terrible. However, if you keep them under the surface of the alcohol they look almost alive until their colors begin to fade.

In the case of mounting them in plastic, this doesn't matter because the tarantula ordinarily goes from an alcohol solution to a resin solution without drying out enough to mess up the bristles.


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## Stan Schultz

Skullptor said:


> ... 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.


Or merely set the dish carefully on the hood of a running car. There's almost surely a wide spectrum of vibrations that would work, and the gentle thrumming of an idling engine would probably work just fine.


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## Talkenlate04

Pikaia said:


> Or merely set the dish carefully on the hood of a running car. There's almost surely a wide spectrum of vibrations that would work, and the gentle thrumming of an idling engine would probably work just fine.


Guiding the bigger bubbles out to the surface with a chopstick works very well also.


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## xhexdx

I'll be sure to try multiple methods if/when I cast more.


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## Jojos

Pikaia said:


> Joe and All -
> 
> 
> 
> Stan and Marguerite, please. No need to get so stuffy.
> 
> 
> 
> It has something to do with the strong alcohol tanning the exoskeleton and preventing further water exchange, I think. Thus, you start out with relatively mild alcohol, changing it daily, and gradually work your way to the 100% stuff to extract every last bit of water. It's a long, arduous process. I'd have a lot of trouble completing the job. I'm too impatient!
> 
> 
> 
> Most biological pigments are sensitive to light. They degrade with time as they're exposed to light. They also oxidize or otherwise degrade with time because they're slightly unstable and sensitive to just about any reactive compounds. Degrading biological tissues as well as most preservatives are loaded with reactive compounds. That's why almost all biological specimens in museums are all but worthless for DNA analysis. Though not a pigment, DNA is just as sensitive, maybe more so. It's the same principle.
> 
> In living organisms the degraded pigments are constantly replaced with freshly manufactured stuff. Not so in a pickled specimen. Virtually every museum specimen on the planet is a melange of different shades of tan through brown to black because melanin is one of the few biological pigments that doesn't degrade readily. That's also why coloring is rarely used in identifying biological specimens by the professionals. (Patterns, on the other hand, are sometimes used.)
> 
> BTW, I found the reference for that booklet:
> 
> Hardin, Cleo E. 1963. _How to Preserve Animal and Other Specimens in Clear Plastic_. Naturegraph Publishers. Happy Camp, Calif.
> 
> You can get copies through amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Anim...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233537852&sr=1-5 and they're fairly inexpensive.
> 
> Keep up the good work and keep us informed. (Hint: Append your further comments to this thread - even months down the road - so we can keep track of the history.)



Thank you very much for all that information. :worship:


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## xhexdx

Pikaia said:


> BTW, I found the reference for that booklet:
> 
> Hardin, Cleo E. 1963. _How to Preserve Animal and Other Specimens in Clear Plastic_. Naturegraph Publishers. Happy Camp, Calif.


I don't mean to knock that booklet, but it was published in 1963?  I wonder if there are any more recent publications with updated methods.

I still think I'll pick this one up though.  Thanks again for the info. 

--Joe


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## DrAce

Seems I'm a latecomer to the thread.  I think it's certainly worthy of 'sticky' status!



xhexdx said:


> ...
> 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.
> ...


You got kinda the answer which I'll re-state here:



Pikaia said:


> ...
> It has something to do with the strong alcohol tanning the exoskeleton and preventing further water exchange, I think. Thus, you start out with relatively mild alcohol, changing it daily, and gradually work your way to the 100% stuff to extract every last bit of water. It's a long, arduous process. I'd have a lot of trouble completing the job. I'm too impatient!


And that's basically the story.  Ethyl alcohol (particularly 100% - which is practically impossible to get) is a very potent absorber of water (hygroscopic is the magic term).  If you add it to larger objects, you run the risk of just sucking all the water out of them as you would if you stuck them in a heat-dessicator.

We use the 70-100% ethanol trick when we prepare histology slides.  If you dump them immediately in 100%, you'll actually see all the cells shrink, and structures move away from each other.

Jumps of 10% are fine, so 70%, then 80%, then 90%, and finally 100% (in a sealed container, since 100% ethanol will suck water from air quite rapidly).
I would also get the 100% ethanol as soon as possible to when you need it, for the same reasons I mention above.



Pikaia said:


> ...
> Most biological pigments are sensitive to light. They degrade with time as they're exposed to light. They also oxidize or otherwise degrade with time because they're slightly unstable and sensitive to just about any reactive compounds. Degrading biological tissues as well as most preservatives are loaded with reactive compounds. That's why almost all biological specimens in museums are all but worthless for DNA analysis. Though not a pigment, DNA is just as sensitive, maybe more so. It's the same principle.
> 
> In living organisms the degraded pigments are constantly replaced with freshly manufactured stuff. Not so in a pickled specimen. Virtually every museum specimen on the planet is a melange of different shades of tan through brown to black because melanin is one of the few biological pigments that doesn't degrade readily. That's also why coloring is rarely used in identifying biological specimens by the professionals. (Patterns, on the other hand, are sometimes used.)
> ...


By definition, all pigments are interacting with light.  Each time this happens, you get a slightly increased chance that you'll break the molecules (technically, this often occurs from transfer of electrons out of pi-orbitals, where they then have the chance to jump onto something like water nearby).

Alcohol particularly destroys colour because it happens to be good at taking both water soluble and fat soluble pigments, and because it can also react with some of them.

There are matrixes (that's fancy talk for resins) which can reduce the loss of colour.  Epoxy isn't one of them, partly because it's created by the use of radical-polymerisation, which uses fairly reactive starting materials (the initiating factor is quite reactive).

Reactions: Informative 1


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## DrAce

Pikaia said:


> ... That's why almost all biological specimens in museums are all but worthless for DNA analysis. Though not a pigment, DNA is just as sensitive, maybe more so. It's the same principle.
> 
> ...


That, and they're mostly stored in formalin... which binds up DNA and proteins and all sorts and makes it practically useless.


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## xhexdx

I was hoping you would post here, DrAce.  Thanks. 

Great info, too.  Gotta love the technical stuff.


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## DrAce

xhexdx said:


> I was hoping you would post here, DrAce.  Thanks.
> 
> Great info, too.  Gotta love the technical stuff.


You are, as always, most welcome.


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## mutley100

Great thread guys and gals . I was just wondering how easy it would be to preserve sheds last week . Just 1 thing , can someone do a 'Dehydrating and Casting for beginners' as the bit on dehydrating gave me a headache .


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## bamato

Pikaia said:


> Or merely set the dish carefully on the hood of a running car. There's almost surely a wide spectrum of vibrations that would work, and the gentle thrumming of an idling engine would probably work just fine.


Is it possible the heat from the engine would hinder or assist in the resin setting?  

This has been a great thread by the way. :clap:  

And to clarify, you poured the resin in layers for what reason?  Is this because of the heat issue?  Does it effect the setting process?


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## JDeRosa

I found this other thread from a couple years back discussing the same thing, but a slightly different method. The author claims that his T's from 40 years ago are still vibrant and haven't lost color.

It seems that the main differences are that he let the freezer dry out the T, then just brushed a thin layer of alcohol on and let it evaporate. Then patted it dry.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=833193#post833193


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## xhexdx

bamato said:


> Is it possible the heat from the engine would hinder or assist in the resin setting?
> 
> This has been a great thread by the way. :clap:
> 
> And to clarify, you poured the resin in layers for what reason?  Is this because of the heat issue?  Does it effect the setting process?


Yes, the resin is poured in layers to keep the specimen from heating too much, although the directions indicated pouring in layers anyway, and I doubt they were written with casting tarantulas in mind!

I think it's to help create an even cast, and it allows for adjusting the specimen gradually as needed while casting in layers.


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## dunawayj

Sorry i didnt read all 700 pages here but another possibilty to remove bubble would be to heat the liquid. I build custom fishing rods and we use a 2 part epoxy that looks to be very similar to that for coating the wraps and guides. With that all you do is run an alcohol burning torch under it and the bubbles just dissapear. Worth a try. might work better on smaller projects than something that size though.



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?


Check out bodycandy.com  They have some to choose from already.

http://www.bodycandy.com/cgi-bin/category/bugplugs

I did not make them myself so don't come after me but they are there if you want them.


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## dunawayj

Oh also in order to keep the discoloring to a minimum might try a color preserver painted on the T before hand. Kind of seperates it self from the epoxy and keeps the colors more true. 

http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/All-Color-Preservers/Flexcoat-Color-Preserver


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## Jojos

WOW! Great ideas! :clap:


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## Arachtis

I think that this is an excellent way to preserve some of our favorite inverts! I love it! I am going to do it in the future.


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## SandyMuffinCakes94

oh man this is soooo cool  thanks for posting this!!


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## Philth

I made a few years ago. I made the mistake of doing the first one indoors.  Im sure I fried a few brian cells that day:} .  Over the years the resin has "yellowed" out a bit, but there still pretty cool.

This was one of my first spiders and the largest _P. murinus _I ever kept.  Its cool that I'll always have her....






_P. regalis_ I was a bit disapointed when the colors turned brown on this one.






_Pandinus imperator_ this was the best one...












Later, Tom


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## xhexdx

Nice, Tom.

I can see the yellowing particularly in that last picture, and my striata did the same thing as your regalis with the color change.  Thanks for posting the pics!

--Joe


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## Jojos

Hi Tom,

Did you do anything special before you put them in the resin? Alcool or something? 

Thanks


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## Philth

No.  I think the P. murinus was frozen for a few days, but I didnt do anything special to prepair them.

Later, Tom


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## SNAFU

This is a great thread Joe/guys!   I'm picking up some really good ideas here. All the specimens turned out nice, and I like the imperator Tom. You don't have the problem with its color getting darker do you?!


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## Skullptor

I want to show what "water clear" resins look like. I cast this about 20 years ago. 






You can see that there is no color degradation of the spider and you can also see my fingerprints through it. The better resins are UV resistant and do not yellow over time. This was sanded with sanding chalk. Also, if you are serious about doing this you cannot get around owning this set-up. It's a vacuum pump and desiccator. The desiccator is very expensive but I have made my own with PVC. Manufacturers will tell you you don't need it but they are earning a paycheck. The act of catalyzing introduces air bubbles. I vacuum EVERYTHING I cast. Well, except plaster...but everything else.    






It's older than I am but it's like a VW...you change the oil regularly and it will last forever.


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## Jojos

Beautiful specimen. Sure looks great after all those years! Thank you Tom for your response. I like yours as well even though one of your Ts turn brown. The scorpion and the baboon look good.


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## Stan Schultz

bamato said:


> Is it possible the heat from the engine would hinder or assist in the resin setting? ...


Start with a cold engine. You shouldn't need to vibrate the dish more than 5 or 10 minutes. Bubbles that remain after that should be small enough to be very nearly invisible. By the time the hood of your car begins to heat you should be long gone.


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## Stan Schultz

xhexdx said:


> I don't mean to knock that booklet, but it was published in 1963?  I wonder if there are any more recent publications with updated methods...


Doubtlessly there are. Check with the larger biological supply houses like Fisher Scientific and Ward Scientific. You can get current contact information for these and many others by visiting your local high school's and junior college's biology departments. The instructors are usually glad to help by letting you browse through their file of catalogs. Once you know their names and make a note of their web addresses you can peruse their on-line catalogs at your leisure. (Would it be too much to ask of you to post a list of them with their URLs in a separate thread - "Sources of biological equipment and supplies" - intended as a sticky?)

If you live near a natural history museum (e.g., the American Museum of Natural History in New York or the Field Museum in Chicago, but smaller, more local ones would also be good) you might place a call to their head technician and try to gain an invitation for an interview, to see how the "big boys" do it, and to get a current list of suppliers.

Years ago the General Biological Supply House in Chicago used to publish a whole series of how-to leaflets and booklets under the trade name Turtox. I'm not sure they're even in business any more, but I've seen some of their publications still offered for sale by some of the various used booksellers on the 'Net. I just Googled "turtox" and got over 23,000 hits. "General Biological Supply House" got over 5,000.

Some of the used booksellers I know about are
www.amazon.com/
http://www.abebooks.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.bookfinder.com/
http://www.booksprice.com/
http://www.overstock.com/

As an interesting side note, check out https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/5246/1/V66N06_590.pdf as well.

The process of embedding biological specimens has been around a long, LONG, *LONG* time, and all the commonest glitches and tricks would have been worked out before most of us were born. (Maybe before our *PARENTS* were born!) For instance, I remember seeing examples of embedded human body parts when I was in grade school over 50 years ago. It hasn't been rocket science since maybe WWII and the basic process hasn't changed significantly in decades. While a 1963 publication may seem old, once the technique has been established it'll not change a lot and such a book is about as good as any modern one is likely to be.

However, I would guess that the materials would have improved somewhat, so a newer publication might suggest better resins and hardeners, and more current sources.

Be forewarned that embedded tarantulas may be the ultimate "pet rock."


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## xhexdx

Pikaia said:


> Be forewarned that embedded tarantulas may be the ultimate "pet rock."


Great closing to a *very* informative post!  Thanks again, and I will be sure to do some more research when I have time!

--Joe


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## rustym3talh3ad

dunawayj said:


> Check out bodycandy.com  They have some to choose from already.
> 
> http://www.bodycandy.com/cgi-bin/category/bugplugs
> 
> I did not make them myself so don't come after me but they are there if you want them.


yes they are and i have looked at the site, but the problem is, im comfortable with the size plugs i have at 9/16", and the scorpions only come in larger than what i have being 5/8" so i was thinking if i could cast my own baby scorps in a 9/16" mold then i would have a pair of ear rings that fit without buying all new jewelery for the size jump. BUT anyway this post has become absolutely amazing and sticky worthy 100%


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## DrAce

The Fisher Scientific 'School kit' catalogue can be seen here:
http://fisheredu.dirxion.com/education/09/skin/entrymap/entrymap_singlebook.asp

They will sell you preserved organisms, but not the kits they preserve them with (as far as I can tell).

Contact them directly via the following:
http://www.fishersci.com/wps/portal/HOME

Or, if I see our rep, I'll ask him.


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## Stan Schultz

*Biological supply sources*

Ward Scientific is at http://wardsci.com/ but also doesn't seem to have any of the resin casting kits we're talking about. But, they're still a good place to pick up all sorts of arcane tools and scientific stuff.


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## Miss Bianca

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?


LIKE THESE..
http://www.thechaingang.com/product_info/1880/acrylic-baby-scorpion-plugs
and http://www.thechaingang.com/product_info/1879/acrylic-plugs?cPath=113 ???? 
 



xhexdx said:


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



I was advised to read this thread today by another member 
as I am thinking of trying a project like this for my beloved RCF Rosea MM...
 and this was my main concern.. 
if he'd stay looking 'hairy'... 
so anyway I am assuming if I buy quality product, he will. 
Just wanted to say thanks Joe.  
Maybe I'll post a pic whenever it's done.


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## Endagr8

Please add pics of the new castings Joe!!!  

Have you changed your techniques since the first casting?


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## xhexdx

I have tried thinner layers, which results in more of them needing to be poured.  I was doing this to try to minimize discoloration from the heat.

I was using a MM P. cambridgei, so there wasn't a whole lot to discolor.

I'll try and take some pics tonight and post them for you.

--Joe


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## Anansis

For anyone who is really interested, we will be having a class/workshop on casting arachnids in resin at the ATS conference this year. I don't know all the details yet but I expect it will be a hands on experience.

http://www.atshq.org/conference.htm

Ollie Meidinger
Public Relations Officer
American Tarantula Society


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## xhexdx

The scorp kept a lot of air with it; I'm a little disappointed.

Here they are.  P. cambridgei, A. bicegoi, and P. imperator.









































































Bad shot but yes, it still fluoresces:


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## Endagr8

Wow, great job! :clap: 

I might try this with some _dubia_/exuvia before I move on to Ts.


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## BrynWilliams

great job joe! I particularly like the little spiderling, shame that it died but nice that it can be kept like it is


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## pandinus

that's similar to how mine turned out when i did them years ago. it was alright, but to be honest the smoothness and clarity of the casting left more to be desired for me, and i was disappointed with the foggy appearence they took on in some patches, is this cause i messed up the process, or is it dependant on the grade of resin you use?


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## xhexdx

It's probably a little of both.  Although I don't know how you can mess it up in a way that would cause a foggy appearance, so perhaps it was the resin you were using.

I think out of my four, I like the way the P. cam turned out best.

--Joe


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## Strix

Great read with some amazing responses and insight. 

Eventually I want to try this myself with a wide range of objects... makes neat semi-inexpensive personal gifts I think.


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## jebbewocky

Great thread!  Subscribed for when the time comes for my MM.


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## Stan Schultz

Joe and All -



xhexdx said:


> The scorp kept a lot of air with it; I'm a little disappointed. ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here's a trick I remembered as soon as I saw your photo. From the paint department of your local hardware store, purchase a small bottle of acetone. Just before you begin to pour the resin/hardener mixture onto your specimen, dip the specimen into the acetone. The specimen *MUST* be moist with acetone as you pour the resin.

The acetone cuts through the air bubble and wets the specimen. Because the resin/hardener mixture is soluble in acetone it'll absorb the minute amount of acetone on the specimen and seal directly to the specimen's surface, sealing out any air.

In theory, this should also work for clearing the air bubbles from among the bristles of tarantulas.


*HERE IS THE LIST OF WARNINGS AND DISCLAIMERS* (Everybody's got a disclaimer!)

1. Acetone is almost explosively flammable. *DO NOT* use it near any open fires or flames! *DO NOT* smoke while using it!

2. Acetone is toxic. Use it only in a well ventilated space and *DO NOT* inhale the vapors.

3. *DO NOT* allow any acetone to splash onto any painted or varnished surfaces, plastic objects and other cast specimens! It'll ruin the polished surfaces.

4. *DO NOT* dispose of excess acetone by pouring it down household drains or pouring it on the ground or in ponds, streams, or other bodies of water. Call your local authorities (e.g., fire department, city dump) for specific disposal instructions.

5. Practice on one or two specimens of relatively low importance before using it on your prizes. I don't know that this practice is universally applicable to all specimens.

Now, cast yourself silly!

Reactions: Informative 1


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## JonIverson

I realize this is an old thread, but I had hoped to resurrect it.  I have a pair of stag beetles that I want to try and embed in resin.  Since it is a fairly expensive process, I've been hesitant to do it mainly for lack of complete instructions.  I understand the part about pouring in layers to offset heating, floating and other things, but information on proper drying seems to be scattered.  What I'd really like to try is doing the process under vacuum.... like using a simple bell jar with manual pump... I would think this would greatly reduce moisture and bubble concerns and not be at tremendous cost.  However, finding such a process spelled out on the web seems impossible. 

Anyway, I'm looking for complete instructions, and would appreciate hearing from those who have done it.  Thanks!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Trenor

JonIverson said:


> I realize this is an old thread, but I had hoped to resurrect it.  I have a pair of stag beetles that I want to try and embed in resin.  Since it is a fairly expensive process, I've been hesitant to do it mainly for lack of complete instructions.  I understand the part about pouring in layers to offset heating, floating and other things, but information on proper drying seems to be scattered.  What I'd really like to try is doing the process under vacuum.... like using a simple bell jar with manual pump... I would think this would greatly reduce moisture and bubble concerns and not be at tremendous cost.  However, finding such a process spelled out on the web seems impossible.
> 
> Anyway, I'm looking for complete instructions, and would appreciate hearing from those who have done it.  Thanks!


I think @EulersK might have done some of that (i remember something about the colors fading from the heat of the liquid resin) but I might be thinking about someone else. It was a long time ago.


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## EulersK

Yeah, this process doesn't retain the color for spiders. Since their coloration comes from setae and is denatured by heat, any spider will turn out to be a burnt brown color after casting in resin. But other insects work just fine.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## JonIverson

The plan was for casting of male/ female stag beetles and male/ female cicada killer wasps.  EulersK, sounds good, but what precise process did you use?


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## EulersK

JonIverson said:


> The plan was for casting of male/ female stag beetles and male/ female cicada killer wasps.  EulersK, sounds good, but what precise process did you use?


I just bought the typical stuff at Hobby Lobby - it was about $20 for 16oz, not cheap. I never practiced it after my first attempt because of the coloration, but I'd suggest learning how to avoid bubbles before casting your only specimens. Bubbles were a huge issue for me.


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## Trenor

EulersK said:


> I never practiced it after my first attempt because of the coloration, but I'd suggest learning how to avoid bubbles before casting your only specimens. Bubbles were a huge issue for me.


To get rid of bubbles you need a vacuum chamber or a DIY equivalent.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## JonIverson

Trenor said:


> To get rid of bubbles you need a vacuum chamber or a DIY equivalent.


That's one of my purposes for trying to resurrect this thread, to try and learn more about the vacuum process.  I would think the benefits would be elimination of bubbles with additional benefit of ridding moisture from the insect in a much shorter period of time.  Problem is that I see next to nothing on the web about the actual process and equipment needed i.e. would a simple hand held vacuum pump with bell jar be enough, is something more elaborate needed, etc.  On a side note, there is a guy in Japan who resin embeds his beetles and pours his resin through a panty hose filter to rid bubbles.  This seems to work very well for him.


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## JonIverson

EulersK said:


> I just bought the typical stuff at Hobby Lobby - it was about $20 for 16oz, not cheap. I never practiced it after my first attempt because of the coloration, but I'd suggest learning how to avoid bubbles before casting your only specimens. Bubbles were a huge issue for me.


That's what I have here also, the resin from Hobby Lobby, but I've since come across resin that's guaranteed not to yellow over time for not much more cost.  I haven't yet ordered any, but will once I figure out the right process I'm going to need.


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## Trenor

JonIverson said:


> That's one of my purposes for trying to resurrect this thread, to try and learn more about the vacuum process.  I would think the benefits would be elimination of bubbles with additional benefit of ridding moisture from the insect in a much shorter period of time.  Problem is that I see next to nothing on the web about the actual process and equipment needed i.e. would a simple hand held vacuum pump with bell jar be enough, is something more elaborate needed, etc.  On a side note, there is a guy in Japan who resin embeds his beetles and pours his resin through a panty hose filter to rid bubbles.  This seems to work very well for him.


I'd recommend a electric pump. I've degassed mead before with a hand pump and it's not a lot of fun. 

Here is a video that shows some of the process. You can likely find a lot of DIY videos for making one.


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## Rhysandfish

Sounds awesome for when my nonexisent T dies and I want to look at it for the rest of my life!


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## JonIverson

Trenor said:


> I'd recommend a electric pump. I've degassed mead before with a hand pump and it's not a lot of fun.
> 
> Here is a video that shows some of the process. You can likely find a lot of DIY videos for making one.


Thanks.  I've come across videos now for using both vacuum and pressure, not sure which would be best as I can see benefits of using either method.  In the meantime, I have a book on the way that I sure hope will clear up the uncertainties I have.  It was recommended way earlier in the thread, but not sure if anyone ever bought it and tried the methods used (I'd sure be interested in hearing about your experiences if you did).  In the meantime, a video along the lines of what most of you would probably cast.


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## obie

For the guys who have cast in resin. Has any of you guys used this stuff here. https://www.smooth-on.com/tutorials/preserving-tarantula-easy-1-2-3


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## ChaosSphere

I know this is an old thread, but I have a T. pruriens that just molted out as a MM. Since there seems to be no interest in breeding him, I'm looking into this and fell over this paper.
Thought you guys might be interested.
They did note the following on casting spiders: "... The spiders (_Latrodectus_ sp. (Walckenaer) (Araneae: Theridiidae) and _Loxosceles_ sp. (Heineken & Lowe) (Araneae: Sicariidae)) did not yield a good result—air gaps formed around the specimen and resulted in a distorted view." 








						Clear Resin Casting of Arthropods of Medical Importance for Use in Educational and Outreach Activities
					

Abstract. Arthropod-related morbidity and mortality represent a major threat to human and animal health. An important component of reducing vector-borne disease




					academic.oup.com

Reactions: Like 1


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## rusted180

Again.. old thread.. but has anyone read anywhere about maybe soaking them in something like honey? Will the colors brown out like what others reported when they casted them? 

My recent visit to japan reminded me of what i got on my first visit 21 years ago..
Went back to visit last year again! Beautiful country man! U guys should visit if u havent! Natives are very very polite and the food was the best! Visited africa, south america and most European countries.. and in my humble opinion, i had the funnest time in japan! Disturbingly clean too.. Some large cities like tokyo will make u feel like u traveled 20 years into the future. Sorry for the veer in topic.. anywho..

Check out what i got in Japan 21 years ago! A japanese giant wasp submerged in honey! Got it in kyushu (island) off japan.. too many monkeys there that run into convenience stores to steal treats! Just dont stare into their eyes.. and they wont rip ur face off! Lol!
Well.. i noticed that when i tilt the honey and expose the abdomen to the air.. the color looks like it hasnt changed.. it appears to have retained the color of what these guys look like from photos.. maybe honey might be an option?

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## obie

rusted180 said:


> Again.. old thread.. but has anyone read anywhere about maybe soaking them in something like honey? Will the colors brown out like what others reported when they casted them?
> 
> My recent visit to japan reminded me of what i got on my first visit 21 years ago..
> Went back to visit last year again! Beautiful country man! U guys should visit if u havent! Natives are very very polite and the food was the best! Visited africa, south america and most European countries.. and in my humble opinion, i had the funnest time in japan! Disturbingly clean too.. Some large cities like tokyo will make u feel like u traveled 20 years into the future. Sorry for the veer in topic.. anywho..
> 
> Check out what i got in Japan 21 years ago! A japanese giant wasp submerged in honey! Got it in kyushu (island) off japan.. too many monkeys there that run into convenience stores to steal treats! Just dont stare into their eyes.. and they wont rip ur face off! Lol!
> Well.. i noticed that when i tilt the honey and expose the abdomen to the air.. the color looks like it hasnt changed.. it appears to have retained the color of what these guys look like from photos.. maybe honey might be an option?


Never hear of that, but I believe honey Never expires or something like that. I believe they found some in a egyptian tomb that was still good. So maybe. I might give it a try with one of my assassin bugs that just died.

Reactions: Like 1


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## rusted180

obie said:


> Never hear of that, but I believe honey Never expires or something like that. I believe they found some in a egyptian tomb that was still good. So maybe. I might give it a try with one of my assassin bugs that just died.


Yep! I read about honey still being edible when they opened up king tuts tomb.. i wonder if honey can destroy the pigments on our T's... any bio chemists here that can chime in?


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## Mermaid2016

So I just recently got a tarantula sling was wondering if I can use "rock cave" that I made out of resin as a hide?


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## ChaosSphere

I think that would be fine?


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