Medallion casting 101

Show holders wear a lot of hats, and in the case of the Jennifer Show, one of the most important hats is that of medallion maker. We will be giving away close to three thousand resin medallions at this show. That's a lot of medallions.

Because I have spent so many hours making medallions this month, I feel compelled to share the process with all of you.

The first step is to put on your protective gear. Resin contains a lot of nasty chemicals, and the less contact you have with it the better. Gloves, goggles and a respirator are all recommended.

After that, it's time to prepare the mold. My tool for this is a cotton sock filled with baby powder. 

This is a trick I learned from Jenn, who learned it from Maggie.

Tap the sock into each mold depression.

This distributes the powder quickly and evenly.   

Turn the mold upside over a trash can and shake out the extra powder. 

The mold is now ready for resin! 

I am using Smooth-Cast 300, which is a two part resin with a short pot life. 

Pour equal amounts of Part A and B into two plastic cups.

Select a color...

and add a few drops for the cup with Part B. 

Stir until the color is evenly distributed. 

Then pour both Part A and B into a third cup. 

Stir, stir, stir! The resin starts curing immediately, so from here on in, everything needs to be done quickly.

Using a steady stream, pour the resin into the deepest part of the mold, letting it pool outward from there.

Once all the molds are filled, lightly spray the backs with Mold Release. 

This releases surface tension and removes air bubbles. 

Depending on temperature, the medallions will cure in five to ten minutes.

Gently remove the medallions when cured.

Allow the mold to return to room temperature, then repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat... until you have made three thousand medallions!