the cheap way... Make a mold out of layers of corrugated cardboard, and line the inside with painters tape, or a good quality masking tape (so the resin wont stick). Depending on the shape, size and thickness you might want to make it in pieces. If the countertop is thin enough, use 24oz fiberglass in layers, depending on the overall thickness of the slab. When you mix the catalyst, the rule of thumb is 5-8 drops per ounce of resin. The more catalyst, the hotter the mix the faster it will cure, but if it gets too hot, youll warp the mold, crack the curing slab and possibly start a fire. Too little catalyst and youll be there for days. when it is all cured, you can then sand the edges and to the finished shape. Use a rough grit. When you have the desired shape, apply a hot coat with a brush (highly catalysed resin) to achieve a final finishing coat that can be buffed and polished. Visit link and call them if you have any questions. Theyre really helpful.

i'm not sure about the D+S countertop. resin is some pretty fun stuff to work with though it can be messy and get extremely hot during the hardening process. i've only poured small moulds (12" cube) so my knowledge for how to tackle a countertop size project might not relate. someone else might be able to point you to a specific type of resin and where to get it. i have only used the stuff you can pick up at home depot. some can be toxic so you might have to seal it for food use.

Resin is highly toxic, so you might want to consider some hard core selants or what ever else that would help.
If it is cold out or you do not put enough catalyst it will not harden. If you put too much it will harden as you are trying to pour and it will be hard to shape it. I would suggest to practice 1-4 times on a smaller scale before the final pour.

some sort of self leveling epoxy might be better.

no, it really wouldn't be better.

i've used foam core as a formwork material, then used simple vaseline to line in the insides so resin doesn't stick. I always end up adding way more catalyst than I should, but yes, it does get hot and I burned my finger once. I'd also second that you want to work somewhere ventilated, that stuff is so toxic.

good idea to try something new. make sure you test first on a smaller piece(s). fiberglass is key, so is catalyst / UV / temp / fiberglass ratio. check out eager plastics in chicago or hastings in santa monica. dont pour in your building without asking. you may piss a lot of people off. though i love the odor.

you can go with the rigged mold system of cardboard / foamcore / masking tape combo or you can purchase some rubber silicone to make a specifc mold for your resin construct. but doing so may not be an issue if you want a flat tabletop. a combo of form, connections and/or details should be tackled with rubber silicone. pricey but worth time in long run.....i can get you more information if needed. have fun.

i'm assuming you're talking about using polyester resin?

be careful with the catalyst. too much and it'll get hot enough to burn things. it cures pretty quickly which is nice, but the toxicity is quite high so use a respirator and ventilate VERY well while working with it. I've had bad experiences working with even just a few ounces of the stuff so...

don't write off epoxy. epoxy is much less toxic (75% less VOCs than poly) and stronger which means you can use less of it and the fiberglass to do the same job. and if you're using it for a counter. keep in mind the ratios for mixing epoxy with catalyst are different from poly-resin. it's more expensive though.

i'm not sure that resin is toxic in its cured state... i guess it would hurt you if you ate it, but not by touching it.

If resin is poured and cured right it looks incredible. Though be careful. A friend and I used resin to create a waterfall in a Lock Observatory model. When it is curing, you can use pieces of chipboard to make ripples, pour a couple of samples to test it out.

Resin is extremely toxic. After our design review, my friend had to pull over several times on the Southern State to throw-up. It was funny passing by him seeing his head out the truck door puking. Good Luck

PVA Release agent is by far the best i have ever used

be sure to use a mask with organic vapor and dust filters when pouring and sanding

Be careful with resin. I am a sculptor and have used resin for 15 years. I have used it as a casting material(pouring into rubber and plaster molds) and use laminating resin with fiberglas to build forms. I use paste wax as a seperator. It's very toxic, especially the catalyst. Use 2 layers of laytex gloves and change every 10 minutes. Use a respirator with a vapor cartridge and be careful, your skin is a sponge for the fumes.
This should always be done outdoors and be very carful sanding it. I always use wet/dry sandpaper with water.
There is a self leveling resin, might only be useful for thin coats. Laminating resin is for use with fiberglas (cars, surfboards, etc)it has a green to purplish tint if you use too much catalyst. Casting resin is used to pour into a form or for thick clear results. The thicker the cast, the less catalyst you need. If I were you, I would make a form out of plywood and cast into that. The quality of your mold is very important. I would not make a mold from cardboard or styrofoam. Mix carefully to avoid airbubbles, it can set up pretty quick too.
I recently started using WEP (water extended polyester resin), basically the same stuff but cut with up to 40% water. You add the water and mix thoroughly, cheaper and less fumes.
This stuff is no joke, be careful.

good luck
D

Use a latex release, it comes in a plastic screw off cap thing. I can't think of the name right now but it's basically like liquid rubber gloves and you brush it into your mold. It works great, peels right off your work and leaves smooth edges

OH, also try and get surfboard polyester resin, it's clear.

the easiest material to find as a release is motor oil, you will need to wash off the resin afterwards, but it works great. i've used it for concrete, resin, plaster, everything. but surfboard resin sounds like shit.

Hey, alot of chineese food sounds like shit too but it's still good. To be honest though, I only coat with it, never tried to cast a mold with it.

Hi

The issue most often are the plug and the mold. I worked with glasfiber and resin in many applications and first it is a good idea when you make a cast, to first use car wax and then ontop of that a water solutive release stuff , this is how profesional advise. The plug , that is the model you cover with glasfiber and resin to make the form , can be made in many way's ; I produced underwater camera boxes in halve inch laminate and when I shuld make the plug I used styrofoam. Now this would not be a good advise as the resin will eat the styrofoam but what I did, was to cover the plug with plaster some 5 mm. shell and even the fumes went thru the plaster and melted the styrofoam , then the plaster could hold the shape enough, to make the form --- you could think about using polyurethane foam instead of polystyrene as that restand the fumes . Anyway the trick is that by covering with plaster ,you can sand it down very fine, and afterwerts when you are satisfied with the form of the plug, you can use shellack to fill the plaster and get a very gloss surface , one that also is not soluted by the thinner in the resin. ----- So when first making the raw plug in foam plastic covering it with plaster of paris and sanding it down, putting on enough shellack and polishing that, you can wax it and cover that with a water soluted release compoment , that's how I did it. ------- If it is a difficult object you can make the form divide into several that are boltd together with some modeling wax , you place the wax where the form must be divide and form an edge wide enough to hold the bolts then you put on the laminate up to the wax edge, when the resin are hardened you remove the wax and tread the edge with car wax and agent , and then you laminate ontop that edge and the rest of the plug,--- this way you can make a form that can be taken apart for a difficult object.
For small things you use some expensive dentist silicone rubber it is just great as it contain silicone and ask no relese agent , to make it hold the shape --- case you formed liquid rubber around something, then you can place the intire plug covered with rubber in plaster of paris to make the rubber form hold it's shape, you just need to do this before you remove the plug from the rubber form.

us johnson's paste wax as the release, cheap and at every hardware store.
Murphy's oil soap and vaseline too, do a small test first. Ambient temp. also plays a role in how much catalyst to use as well, never use when it's raining.