How It's Made: Lucky Turtle Charms

Here's my story and process of how I created our lucky turtle charms!

Idea: 

I started becoming curious on how action figures are made after picking up a Spanish bootleg TMNT toy and it just really got me wondering.... I did some search on YouTube and stumbled upon this YouTube channel. Crafsman had me hooked! I started looking around to see what TMNT toys I could try and replicate via epoxy resin. I found some old TMNT pencil toppers and instantly knew it was the perfect item to start my resin art journey with.

Supplies: 

• Turtle Pencil Topper
• Moldstar 15 (Silicone Mold)
• 2 Part Epoxy Resin
  
• Mica Powder
• Glow in the Dark Mica Powder
  
• Silicone Release Spray
• Oil Based Polyurethane
• Kitchen Scale 
• Popsicle Sticks
• Little paper cups
• Wet/dry sandpaper

Steps:

1. I took the ninja turtle head and placed it in a small cup. I used some modeling clay to secure the mold to the cup but you can use some super glue. You want to make sure you secure the item so that it doesn't float to the top once you've poured your silicone. 
   
   
2. Once the mold is cured, I removed the turtle head and sprayed the mold with the silicone release spray. This just helps make the cured resin pop out easier. (It also gives it a shiny finish, but I amplify that later with a polyurethane finish.) I'll prep the 2 part resin by using a small kitchen scale. First I'll place an empty cup on the scale and zero out the weight. Then I'll pour Part-A into the cup to whatever measurement I need, followed by equal parts of Part-B. I'll then select my mica powder, add in a sprinkle and begin slowly mixing the resin. Then I'll slowly pour the resin into the mold, continually turning the mold and giving it a few gently taps to pop any air bubbles. Once the molds are filled, I wait 24 hours to let the resin cure.
   
   
   
   
3. Once cured, I'll use 320, 600 and 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth the bottoms. 
   
   
4. Afterwards, I'll use some clay and superglue to secure the charms on some cardboard or the bottom part of the cups while I apply 1-2 coats of oil based polyurethane. This is where the magic happens. This is when the sparkles come out to play. It's a crucial step for a polished look when it's all said and done. Once the top coat is dry, I'll sand the bottoms down once more and apply a coat to the bottom of the charms.
   
   
   
   
5. Viola! That's more or less how I make our lucky turtle charms!

If you end up getting into the art of resin making, consider using the links above to buy your supplies!

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