SPR 201 CC Clear Casting Resin data sheet (PDF)Ask for a quote
What decorative casting involves
Decorative casting covers a wide range of work: devotional idols and statues, figurines, souvenirs, plaques, inlaid artefacts and clear top coats on furniture. What they share is that the resin forms the article or its visible surface, usually without glass reinforcement, and that appearance matters as much as strength.
The work is usually done in rubber or FRP moulds, often with pigments, metallic powders, marble or stone powder mixed in, and finished by sanding, polishing or painting. Each of those steps affects which resin is sensible.
Questions that decide the resin
Before choosing a grade, settle what the article really needs. The answers change the recommendation more than any single property does.
Service and article questions
- How large is the article, and what is its thickest section?
- Is it clear, coloured, metallic-filled or stone-filled?
- Will it be displayed indoors, outdoors or in water?
- What mould material is used, and how many pieces are pulled per mould?
- Is the finish cast-glossy, sanded and polished, or painted?
- Is it a top coat on another material rather than a solid casting?
Grades that fit, and why
SPR 201 CC is the clear orthophthalic polyester grade the 2026 catalogue lists for statues and idols, decorative articles and artefacts, and furniture top coats. It is supplied non-accelerated and cured with MEKP and cobalt octoate added separately, which lets the caster set the working window for the job through trials.
For polyester buttons, the catalogue points to Button Grade Resin, a separate grade with its own data. For deep, very clear pours such as river tables, the two-part epoxy Clear Casting Resin is a different chemistry with a published pour depth. For stone-filled engineered products, GP Quartz Resin is the mineral-composite route.
Published typical values
The table reproduces each product’s own published values. Polyester gel time and epoxy pot life measure different things, so they are shown side by side for orientation, not as a like-for-like comparison.
| Property | SPR 201 CC Clear Casting Resin | Clear Casting Resin | Button Grade Resin (SPR 201 BGR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Orthophthalic unsaturated polyester | Epoxy, Two-Part System | Polyester (Unsaturated) |
| Viscosity (typical) | 350–450 cPs | 900 cPs (at 25°C) | 1,100 cPs |
| Gel time / pot life (typical) | Under 8 minutes | Pot life 40 minutes (at 25°C) | 9.5 Minutes |
| Reference cure | MEKP 1.5% + Cobalt Octoate 0.4% — added separately during use | Resin and hardener, 2:1 (Resin : Hardener, by weight) | MEKP 1.5% + cobalt octoate 0.1% |
| Source of values | 2026 catalogue; grade TDS | Clear Casting Resin TDS | Button Grade Resin TDS |
Typical values, reproduced from each product’s own published data. They describe the liquid resin at its reference condition, not a finished part, and are not guaranteed limits.
Limits to plan around
Polyester castings generate their curing heat inside the article. In large or thick pieces that heat can cause cracking, distortion or discolouration, and polyesters shrink as they cure, which shows at sharp section changes and around inserts. None of that is a fault of the resin; it is the physics of casting a reactive resin, and it is managed through section design, the cure set-up and pour sequencing established in trials.
The catalogue does not publish weathering data for SPR 201 CC. Outdoor statues and articles exposed to sun should be discussed before selection rather than assumed to behave like indoor pieces.
Trials before production
Trial on the real article or a piece with its thickest section, in the production mould material, with the exact pigment or filler recipe. Record the cure set-up, the ambient temperature and the demould time, and inspect the piece after it has fully cooled and again after finishing. A small clear test cup does not predict a large coloured idol.
When a different route is better
If the article must be a thick, water-clear block, compare the epoxy route. If it is a glass-reinforced shell rather than a solid casting, it is a laminating job for GP Clear Resin. If it is mostly stone powder, look at the quartz and marble grades. The polyester and epoxy casting comparison lays out the first of these choices in a decision table.