Unicone Art vs Dr Crafty

After casting keycaps over a couple of months, I’ve finally finished my first bottle of resin. Now I’m trying out a different brand and realize not all epoxy resins have the same properties. I started with Unicone Art a couple of months ago and now am using Dr Crafty.

Here’s a comparison of the resin brands Unicone Art (left) and Dr Crafty (right):

Epoxy Resin Brand	Unicone Art	Dr Crafty
Cure Time	18 hours – hard enough to work with, 24+ hours – full hardness	24 hours – still very pliable, 30 hours – hard enough to work with
Casting	Great for casting	More viscous and will not conform to certain complex molds
Clarity	Clear but small trapped air bubbles will make the keycaps appear cloudy	Crystal clear and fewer air bubbles
Odor	I couldn’t detect anything	Strong chemical smell from the hardener

If you look closely at the photo above (and ignore the different dye colors), there are a lot more tiny air bubbles in the left keycap than the right. I let all resin degas before casting, but it seems like for Unicone Art, the air bubbles have a harder time making their way out.

I prefer strongly Unicone Art for its casting property and turnaround time. However, Dr Crafty is visibly clearer.

Maybe I’ll try to cast the bottom pieces with Unicone Art and the clear top with Dr Crafty. Will report back.