While the basic color ofForton is white, it can
be pigmented with water-base pigments in order to achieve a variety
of effects, including a very convincing "marble." Metal
powders may be added to the Forton producing a superior
metallic finish which may be patinated in the same manner as any
cold-cast metal.
Cabosil or aerosil (glass powders) may be used to thicken the
Forton mix (see tips further down on this page).
When measuring, mixing or otherwise handling metal powders, dry
resin, powdered hardener, cabosil or any other powders associated
with the Forton mix, a high-quality (NIOSH-approved)
dust mask must be worn; as all of those materials represent some
degree of toxicity if inhaled. Once these powders have been dispersed
into the liquid polymer through mixing, the dust mask may be removed.
A gram scale is required to weigh-out the various components that
comprise the Forton casting system.
Biaxial Fiberglass is a superior woven fiberglass that conforms
much more closely to the contours of a mold than does conventional
woven fiberglass which tends to bunch into folds, trapping air-bubbles.
The biaxial fiberglass will stretch-out much more effectively,
and will be about 30% stronger than an equivalent weight of ordinary
woven fiberglass. We at Pink House Studios use biaxial fiberglass
in all our fiberglass-reinforced Forton castings.
Forton Starter Kit...........................$55.00
Includes: one-gallon bucket VF-812 (7 -lbs.)
ten-lbs. FGR 95
1-lb. pkg. Dry Resin
one 22-gram pkg. Hardener
2-lbs. Fiberglass Chopped Strands (3/4-inch)
Forton Sculptor Kit.......................$131.00
Includes: five-gallon bucket VF-812 (40-lbs.total weight)
eight (8) 1-lb. packages Dry Resin (8-lbs. total weight)
eight (8) 22-gram packages Hardener (176-grams total weight)
Forton 55-gallon drum (includes the powders).......................$1100.00
Please note : FGR-95 is not included in the Sculptor Kit or with 55-gallon drum, as it is readily available in most locations. For the location of a distributor of FGR-95 near you, phone US Gypsum at (800) 621-9532.
Fiberglass is also not included in the Scuptor Kit or with
the 55-gallon drum, and may be purchased separately as
follows:
10-lb. barrel Fiberglass Chopped Strand (3/4").$35.00
12-oz. weight Biaxial Woven Fiberglass.........$14.00 per sq.yd.
Metal Powders:
1 bag, 3.75-lbs. of 500 RL Copper Powder.............$34.00
1 bag, 3.75-lbs. of B-178 Brass Powder................$47.50
1 bag, 3.75-lbs. of B-409 Bronze Powder...............$47.00
1 bag, 3.75-lbs. of C-306 Nickel-Silver Powder........$56.00
Please refer to our print catalog for full technical information regarding the
FORTON casting system.
Re: Cabosil use with FORTON
Cabosil (colloidal silica) is a fine silica powder generally used as a thickening agent for FORTON or for resins.
So that your casting will pick-up all of the fine details of your mold, cabosil should be mixed into the FORTON for the initial one or two brush-coats, before reinforcing the cast with fiberglass and Forton.
Always wear a dust-mask when mixing cabosil, because it is
an extremely fine, light powder that literally floats in the air.
Add cabosil slowly, a little at a time; and mix very slowly so
it doesn't all fly up into the air. Use a mixer attached to a
drill for this purpose.
Once the cabosil has been dispersed into the Forton mix, you can
raise the speed on your drill to a higher level and blend until
the consistency is perfectly smooth. You want to achieve a viscosity
(thickness) that is a little thicker than molasses, or a loose
mayonnaise. If it is too thick, brushing will be difficult, and
it will be hard to get good surface contact without trapping air-bubbles.
Too liquid a mix will cause the Forton to sag or run down the
sides of the mold and pool in the bottom. Remember to add the
cabosil only in small amounts, a little at a time. Otherwise you
risk making your Forton too thick. It doesn't take much cabosil
to reach the ideal consistency
Cabosil will not affect the strength or working-time of Forton. You will want to bush back-and-forth across the surface of your mold to make sure that you are getting good surface contact, and then immediately build-it-up with the same mix to about one-eighth-of-an-inch thickness. If you think that you will need to do a lot of sanding because your mold is rough, etc. (e.g. plaster bandage texture),you may want to apply a second coat to an additional thickness of about one-sixteenth-of-an-inch. Otherwise, one-eighth-of-an-inch will be plenty in any Algiform or Ply-O-Life mold.
Let that cabosil thickened layer cure or set for about one
hour or more, and then mix another batch of Forton (without
cabosil), and soak your precut rectangle or squares of fiberglass
in the Forton mix. Lay those over the partially cured Forton-and-cabosil
coat(s). It is a good idea to brush a little Forton to each area
of the cast, just as you are about to apply the soaked fiberglass
there. This aids in the bonding. If you were to brush the Forton
everywhere right away, it would set in some areas before you had
a chance to lay-up the fiberglass there.
Don't get too far ahead of yourself!
Your fiberglass should be well-soaked; and you need to lay in two layers of fiberglass. The most efficient way to do this, is to overlap everywhere by half, as you go along applying each piece. Wear thin Nitril or latex gloves because the Forton dries quickly in thin layers over skin, and it is difficult to remove after you have been working for half an hour or more.
Re: Excluding air in solid FORTON castings
When casting in solid Forton (for hand molds etc.), you will want to exclude as much air as possible from your mix so that your finished casting will not have visible air bubbles. Pressure casting, or using a de-airing or vacuum system will eliminate this problem. However, if you do not have these options available to you, you will want to observe the following procedure:
After mixing-up your Forton, allow it to rest for about 30-minutes. This will allow the air-bubbles to rise in the mixture and break on the surface. You must check it every ten minutes or so and remove any "skin" that may form on the surface; otherwise, this skin will prevent more bubbles from rising to the surface and breaking. Use a spatula to lift-off the skin, and throw it away. After thirty minutes have passed, pour the Forton mixture gently and slowly into your mold. Pour it so that the material runs down the sides of the mold. This way, you will not trap a lot of air-bubbles in a "waterfall effect", which can occur when material is poured straight down into a container (your mold).
At about 40-45 minutes, your Forton will suddenly start to gel, so your pour must be completed before 40-minutes after your initial mix time.