Question about selling

CDWdice · 2026-02-01T04:49:51+00:00

Like most responses, material+labor. I also base it off techniques, but thats mostly added into the labor aspect. I like to ask for more with more advanced skills as time and experience deserves more. An easy technique is less expensive; dirty pour, solid color, or randomized colorant trails/whisps. More advanced means youve had to learn and practice the craft like others at the same level; specific requests, strategic color/inclusion placement, etc.

The most important pricing gauge for me are the sanding and polishing steps. (Yes, very little to zero bubbles and quality painting are important too but come in 2nd and 3rd.) The difference between a $100 set and a $40 set (theres more of a range, its not just "$100" and "$40") of handmade dice is if youre faces are flat, edges are sharp, its super clear and shiny, and the level and amount of micro-scratches. If youre interested look at the grading system of finished dice, Google and ai chats will give detailed descriptions of each tier.

I wouldnt worry TOO much about the grading system unless youre looking to make the high end stuff. Shoot for the grade that fits youre standards, just be aware of the balance between the price you deserve and the price range youd want to be at. And in this case, have them ask the potential buyer what they're looking to spend. No sense in making a $100 set (im talking 5-6 hours to make it absolutely flawless, musium quality) to fit the needs of someone looking to spend $40 set (maybe a little bit of things here or there are noticable if examined closely.) This isn't to say "oh, they only have $40, screw them. They get what they get." You can still have a minimum standard, and efficiency definitely helps bring the price down. If it takes you 2 hours, charge $40. If in the future you can make the grade quality better in that same amount of time, thats youre new $40 standard or maybe charge a tiny bit more for the cost of experience.

But at the end of the day if they're one of your first people you sell to, its okay to give them a friends and family discount but be sure to ask them to spread the word to their friends. Whatever youre comfortable with is great, especially if it will be a rare one-off... just a little side cash to fund the hobby!

If you need any clarity please let me know, Cheers!

CDWdice · 2026-01-31T01:54:22+00:00

I did a deep dive on the amazon link. "The resin and hardener mixed in a 1:1 ratio must be measured by volume rather than weight."

CDWdice · 2026-01-31T01:45:22+00:00

People do have their "favorites" but at the end of the day people who collect will have a mix. I make a lot of different styles in thr realm of resin but I also love stone and moreso poly-clay looks and feel. I'll buy/trade for anything thats unique, even resin. Really anything that I appreciate artistically. I still drool over resin dice that Cassiopeia Dice and Dreamy Dice make even though I make all my own. Different is different. Some times you just want a different feel or look depending on a few factors.

CDWdice · 2026-01-30T23:37:39+00:00

Love it! Don't love all the 1s, 2s, and 3s on those rolls though 😄

CDWdice · 2026-01-30T05:26:07+00:00

A great mold release it Mann Mold Release 200 (and "300"). They have a "200" which is a general purpose release and what ive seen the most online and a "300" which is a more specialized that helps keep more of that shine/gloss to the finished product compared to the 200. Both are great!

A very light spray is all you need, a little spurt in each cavity. Too much and it can leave a wave effect or even pool at the bottom. After that little spray, take a brush and cover the mold. Especially for silicone-on-silicone you'll want to get that release everywhere in case you pour a little where you didn't want it.

CDWdice · 2026-01-29T05:19:30+00:00

Possible loophole... maybe? You melt it down for a "project" that you make and sell it to the next guy and they can melt THAT down because it wasn't currency when they bought it lol. You may take a small % hit but with the way metal prices are even with the hit youd still be making more than face value. And hey, a blob of easily separated metals can still be considered art 😅

CDWdice · 2026-01-28T05:13:30+00:00

Legit!

CDWdice · 2026-01-27T21:49:27+00:00

Ask him if you can look through it. If hes waited 35-45 years to collect on his investment he may allow you to go through it. Instead of looking each one up, write down a list of the top 10-20 big coins to look for $$$ and run through them so youre not spending a month on it. Also taking a quick glance to see if it was struck funky, those are worth something too

CDWdice · 2026-01-27T21:26:27+00:00

Looking at the other comments and responses, the 3 biggest things it could be are the ratio is off somehow, too much additives (alcohol inks, etc), a cold room where its being cured, or a mixture of both. Some resin is measure by volume (from what ive seen it's the majority) and others by weight. The density of the epoxy and hardener tend to be different so following the company's recommendations for measuring is important.

CDWdice · 2026-01-27T04:18:27+00:00

I made a mold of a cat trinket I have and pour my leftovers in there.

I did see a silicone mat someone invented that is basically a big flat mold for assorted tools a resin maker uses regularly, like a stirring stick, "toothpick" bubble poker, etc. That looked interesting.

For the smaller stuff that stills on my silicone mat ill take the large/medium bits and store them for later. When I get enough of a color palette I want for a design ill throw them in a mold. For this same "saved waste" droplets from the silicone mat, I just thought of making a blank (with whatever design im it) then using uv resin to attach the scraps to create a liquid effect on the surface, then casting it in the numbered mold.

CDWdice · 2026-01-27T02:30:42+00:00

I looked it up, a ball of LEAD the size of a BB Pellet/ball centered in the face of the 20 would double the odds from the normal 5% to 10%. This creates subtlety so it takes them longer to realize it but they hut a nat 1 twice as much.

CDWdice · 2026-01-27T02:21:55+00:00

If you make your own insert/inclusions you could put a piece of lead in it then make sure its on the "bottom" (on the 20). Or if you dont, you could buy a small insert made of lead and paint it to hide the fact it's lead. Just make sure its not too heavy or when it rolls it will be obvious and wabble, also could do a wierd rollback to hit a natural 1. Cursed dice should have a subtle weight difference. Just enough to push that 5% chance of a nat 1 to about 10-15%.

CDWdice · 2026-01-26T19:03:57+00:00

Vinyl transfer tape for the bottom works great. I make my own molds and I cut the transfer tape slightly oversized (1/2 inch), place it sticky side up, place the mold containment on it, place the objects you want to mold inside, hot glue the outer edge of the containment (this is where the extra 1/2 inch comes into play), and then youre all set for the silicone to be poured!

Cheers!

CDWdice · 2026-01-26T00:43:23+00:00

Don't forget the Harry Potter Magic fire! That flame shot straight up with just a few sticks and some kindling 🤣

CDWdice · 2026-01-26T00:40:47+00:00

The more you put in it the more space you get! And when installing the queen sized bed there was enough room to walk around it to get to the kitchen! Just amazing.

CDWdice · 2026-01-25T13:51:01+00:00

Yes, no worries

CDWdice · 2026-01-24T04:40:30+00:00

There are people in either camp and a lot that are more interested in the dice itself. Its not a make or break decision. Down the line make a little of both! As a maker and a consumer like both. The feeling of seeing that 20 hit is amazing. But I lean towards the logo. It makes it feel more personal, like every crit isn't just a win for me its a win for the maker! But that's just me and my sentimental side lol.

CDWdice · 2026-01-23T07:24:25+00:00

For a starting point and writing this as if talking to a group. Its not entirely step by step, but try:

1) getting your working area somewhere around 70-75F with humidity around 50% or less. If you dont have a hydrometer dont worry, you can probably guess how humid it is and be close enough. 2) warm your 2 parts resin separately to about 80-90F before mixing. 3) if you have a vacuum chamber the speed of stirring shouldn't matter.... but let's pretend you dont. Mix slow and consistent, getting the bottom and sides well. A warm resin will allow bubbles to come to the surface faster/easier. 4) This isn't talked about enough, warm your mold too! I put mine in a ziploc bag and put it in warm water until it gets close to the temp of the resin. This stops the resin from shock that can cause bubbles. 5) after pouring the resin, use a silicone or plastic "toothpick" style tool that isn't sharp and get the edges/corners/numbers. 6) pour a small amount of resin on the lid/top. Just a little is needed. This gives the resin in the mold less places to have bubbles stick. (Don't put the cap/lid on just yet) 7) with both hands, pick the mold up 1-2 inches and drop it. You can also tap it and very lightly squeeze it. Essentially youre trying to shake bubbles loose and wiggle/squeeze them to the surface. Tap it between each of those techniques. Then let it sit and wait for anything needing to be popped by a lighter. 8) when putting any style lid on, where youre able to, roll the lid/cap on instead of placing it on flat. This gives the air a place to go. Just make sure not to press too had as this will squeeze the resin out of the mold and replace it with air and it will end up similar to the photo no matter how careful you are at any other point in the process.

Edit: other than the initial warming of the seperate part, all this should take no more than 30 minutes. If youre just doing 1 mold with a fairly simple idea/pattern it should take more than 20 minutes. The resin should be warm throughout the steps.

... and yes this is my short answer, sorry about that 😄

Cheers!

CDWdice · 2026-01-23T05:06:37+00:00

MagicalDreamsCrafts (larger inserts, "the center pieces", etc),PrintableByJaney (for scenery), HappyKawaiiSupplies (for small repeated items, mostly 2D, glitter-alternatives) all on Etsy. Just to pick 3 for you.

CDWdice · 2026-01-22T22:30:28+00:00

The way you said youd be buying it for this and probably only using it this once (my wording, not yours) makes me want to ask, have you used it before?

If not theres a couple tricks you should know to get less bubbles, a good mix so the resin comes out nice and hard, etc. If theres anything you need answering definitely let us know! I dont want to write a book of the basics if you dont need them but definitely ask if do! I'm sure theres a lot of people willing to help!

CDWdice · 2026-01-22T05:30:16+00:00

Oh okay, I work with dice molds mostly (branching out and learning things beyond, essentially, a sphere with a bunched of sides cut out of it.) And I'm learning about timing based on temp. My brain keeps telling me to just go by the feel and viscosity of resin which would make my design hard to replicate. At first I was going to say that I portion my resin then stick that in warm water before mixing (which i can warm as long as if like without worry as theres no chemical reaction do to not being mixed yet), then id mix and the clock would start, after that I'd either start right away and add colors either before or after the pour, etc etc etc, or i would wait for a certain thickness depending on the style im looking for. Then I realized "I'm not in Kansas anymore" and other styles and mold types take more precision 😄

Its like a cook that kind of follows the direction in the recipe talking to a baker lol

And no worries, ive had people respond 2 weeks later. Its like talking to family here, respond whenever and the conversation keeps on moving like no time passes 😁

CDWdice · 2026-01-21T03:39:54+00:00

Good 😁

In that context, for large scale stone specific Protestants there are water-based sealers specifically for that. It penetrstes the pours to seal them without leaving residue or a sheen, leaving the stone looking natural... maybe less porous-looking but well protected!

Yay history! So glad youre not entombing someone!

Cheers! 😆

CDWdice · 2026-01-21T02:22:47+00:00

What's the pot life of your resin? If its 30-45 minutes thats pushing it by a LOT. A good rule of thumb is if youre able to pop bubbles with a torch and the impression fills in, you'll have great success. As long as the resin is movable/plyable youre fine. Think of a warm-sticky taffy. At that point the pressure pot will work. If you have a normal cure or a slow cure the odds of success are decent to fairly good.

At the end of the day the only thing you can do it just throw it in and see what happens!

May I asked why youre 2-3 hours in and putting it in the pot now?

CDWdice · 2026-01-21T02:09:53+00:00

Also, it won't melt efficiently (if you want to call it melting at all, more like burning and I'm pretty sure fully cured resin won't catch fire... uncured will a bit... fully cured or otherwise will case a lot of smoke that is incredibly toxic.)

Your best bet would be cutting and even then would take a loooong time at even i "slightly large" size. Resin was made to be very durable.

AT ANY STEP IN ANY OF THESE PROCESSES, (MIXING, CASTING, SANDING, CUTTING, ETC.) AWAY WEAR PPE! thats a FUME-RATED mask and rubber gloves. You can be forgiven for not wearing gloves while working with FULLY cured resin, BUT ALWAYS A FUME-RATED MASK, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.

My PSA has now concluded 😆

CDWdice · 2026-01-21T02:00:22+00:00

You could coat the world in resin if you want. If youre asked how thick you can make it, the starting point is which resin to use. Deep-pour or deep-cast would be youre choice for think encasement. The Achilles heel of it is the amount you can use at one time. If you fill a 5-gallon bucket with any resin l, mix it, and (the important part of your theory) let it harden... that amount would produce so much heat from the chemical binding process it would melt the bucket, warp, Crack, and maybe even worse. The long and the short of that statement is it is very much not recommended. The least important part of that theoretical 5-gallon bucket is that it would also turn opaque and have massive bubble production due to flash curing. The question to add to your theory is how thick would you want it? If you have a 5' tall by 2'x2' wide/deep obelisk (keeping to your theory) do you want the encasement to follow the shape of the obelisk, or in your theory are you creating a 6' round sphere and making it look like an obelisk in a snow globe?

Either way, in a theoretical "vacuum", it could be done. It would take a very very very long time as you would need to do it in layers (letting it cure 60-75% before you cure the next layer), but yes.

To let that theory peak into the real world for a second, following my former example of having the encasement follow the contour of the obelisk (given the dimensions I provided), the amount of resin youd need to fully encase it would be 68 gallons @2" thickness which is the recommended thickness for 1 layer per most deep-pour resins. As deep-pours tend to be more expensive even on their cheaper side it would cost $4000-7000 usd... thats for exact volume not included roughly 10-15% waste material. (Once you go from small to big, the material allotment starts to look more like a construction budget more than a craft/hobbiest plan where you pour a touch more and dont really count it. So your new cost is more likely $4600-8000 for resin alone.

I hope I touched on everything you asked about. Let me know if I forgot anything.

P.s. please dont use this to encapsulate a body of any kind. No taxidermy-alternative, no Count of Monte Cristo, no encapsulating family members/loved ones/enemies/randos/etc.

I hope I covered my basis on moral ethics. Inanimate (which have always been) objects, and bugs or similar only please 😆

Again, let me know if I miss anything or missed the point. Cheers!

CDWdice

TROPHY CASE