Can You Make A Bowl From Popcorn?!

Peter Brown, a popular YouTube creator known for his innovative resin art, recently shared his process for making a popcorn bowl using Alumalite clear slow resin.

In a video that was inspired by a viewer who sent him a popcorn bowl with red and black husks on it, Brown demonstrated the intricate process of creating a popcorn-filled resin bowl.

To begin, Brown noted that Alumalite resin is a highly reactive urethane-based resin that reacts with moisture, which means it requires careful handling. As such, he advises setting aside older leaves that might have moisture content that could interfere with the process. He also noted that popcorn tends to float in resin, so the process requires pouring the resin in layers.

One of the key features of Alumalite resin is its clarity, which makes it an ideal medium for creating transparent resin art. However, its working time is limited, with only a small window before it starts to cure. Additionally, it needs to be mixed by weight, not volume, which requires careful attention to detail.

To begin the process, Peter mixed the two components of the resin and added the popcorn, which he had allowed to cool beforehand. He then poured the mixture into a pressure pot, where he pressurized it up to 50 psi. He noted that the resin takes about four hours to cure, which gives ample time for the popcorn to settle and become rigid.

However, as Peter poured the resin, he noticed that the popcorn had floated to the top, creating a gap between the top and bottom layers.

This prompted him to pour another layer of resin to fill the gap. He repeated this process a few more times, adding more popcorn and resin until he had a total of 64 ounces of resin.

Once the resin had cured, Peter proceeded to turn the bowl on a lathe using carbide tools, which produced a beautiful, glossy finish.

Although he had a mishap where the bowl jumped off the lathe, he was able to glue it back together and continue with the turning process.

In the end, he produced a stunning popcorn-filled resin bowl that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Pop Pop!