Had a similar experience when working on custom drawer pulls for an interior renovation—resin shrinkage really threw off the precise alignment we needed. Switching to a slower-curing resin definitely helped, but honestly, injection molding crossed my mind more than once. In the end, though, it just wasn't practical cost-wise for a limited run. Sometimes it's about balancing precision with feasibility... and maybe leaving room for some creative problem-solving along the way.
I ran into similar issues with resin shrinkage during a custom hardware project—definitely frustrating when precision is critical. Injection molding was tempting, but as you mentioned, the upfront costs and tooling just didn't justify the small batch we needed. One workaround was adjusting our mold slightly larger to compensate for shrinkage, though it took some trial and error to get right. Sometimes it's about accepting minor imperfections or cleverly hiding them in the design details...
"Sometimes it's about accepting minor imperfections or cleverly hiding them in the design details..."
This resonates so much with me. Had a similar experience recently when working on custom decorative handles for cabinetry. We initially went with resin casting to keep costs manageable, but shrinkage threw off the precise alignment we needed. Injection molding was tempting, but the price tag for tooling just wasn't practical for our limited run.
What worked in the end:
- Tweaking the mold size slightly larger (like you mentioned), though it took a few rounds to nail it.
- Embracing slight imperfections by incorporating organic textures and finishes that disguise minor dimensional inconsistencies.
- Adjusting hardware placement slightly to accommodate subtle variations.
Honestly, sometimes those imperfections lead to unexpected design breakthroughs... or at least that's what I tell myself during frustrating trial-and-error sessions.
