Embedments in Plexiglass Acrylic

Embedments in Solid Plexiglas Acrylic

Lucite® is a high quality acrylic product. The versatility of Lucite® allows it to be custom designed into a variety of shapes and sizes, incorporating many different types of embedded elements. However, due to chemical reactions during the process, not everything can be embedded. Here's the top of a champagne bottle (removed with a sword) cast into Plexiglass by a factory.

The process starts with two basic ingredients, an acrylic resin powder and monomer, a crystal clear liquid. The powder and monomer are mixed together in specific proportions. The result is a thick, opaque liquid. The mixture is hand poured into molds and allowed to partially harden. Objects to be embedded are then hand placed into the Lucite® layer. Another layer is poured over the embedded object and the Lucite® is again allowed to harden. Heat and pressure are applied to the parts to remove any air bubbles and completely harden the part. Parts are then sanded to size then buffed by hand to a bright crystal-like finish.

Sounds simple? You need an AUTOCLAVE to actually cast the Lucite or Plexiglass materials. Unfortunately, these chemicals are not available in a DIY shop or to the general public. Then again, not many of us have autoclaves in the kitchen. No, a toaster oven duct-taped shut won't work.

So - a lot of us turn to polyester resins - clear casting resins that emulate this process of clear casting of plastics - and embedding in plastic.

I have successfully cast certain bugs that decided to enter my office or my garage - but I probably "cooked" even more by putting too much catalyst in the resin mix. The problem with casting "organic" items in resin is that they contain water and when they warm up as the plastic is turning to a solid - they expand.

Putting catalyst into polyester casting resin activates the molecules to form a solid. A pretty neat trick. But to do that, the temperature must be raised. Trust me, this can get out of control and you can start a fire with too much catalyst. But when you put something organic - like paper, flowers, crickets and the like, the water in them will go gaseous and muck up your casting.

Pennies, rings, teeth are more stable and you have more successes. The shapes you see in these pictures are cast ACRYLIC shapes that are standard - and that can be used for embedding items into by a factory - not DIY stuff (sorry).

Remember, always try this FIRST on something similar. Write down the ambient temperature, and the amounts of resin and catalysts. When casting in layers, let the layer beneath cool before adding another layer...until you are skilled and learn to adjust the catalyst downwards for the next layer.

Casting resins are not UV stable so make sure you don't put your cool new casting in the sunlight.