[Katherine Swift]

I don’t have any experience, so I don’t know how well acrylic paints will do on a tabletop. Pouring resin over them isn’t a problem.

You can try acrylic paints to color resin, but a word of caution. They have more moisture in them as compared to colors specifically designed for resin. This moisture can keep the resin from curing. If you are going to try, use as little as possible.

[Katherine Swift]

I will also add the quick curing polyurethane resins don’t work well with meltable molding materials because they get too hot and melt the mold. Epoxies tend to do fine. I haven’t worked much with UV resins so I don’t know if that will be a problem or not.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Alyssa,

We don’t sell the Alumilite product, but this is the information I got from Composimold:

“We’ve experimented with the UV resin and if you have a UV light to cure the resin it works great. However, you can’t stick the ComposiMold in the hot sun to cure the resin because it will melt the ComposiMold. I tried that and that didn’t work so well.

We’ve also tried curing the UV resin through the ComposiMold, but ComposiMold appears to filter the light too much.”

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Pat,

I have done a little of this, so I’m happy to share my experiences.

I would not use polyester resin in this case. How you mix polyester resin (with hardener) depends on the depth of the casting. I’m afraid it would be rather tedious to get the amount of catalyst just right to allow your resin to cure. Your logic makes sense though, since polyester resin does well on a buffing and polishing wheel.

In this case, I think a hard curing epoxy resin, like the Resin Obsession super clear resin would work well. You can buy it in several sizes in our store here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-super-clear-resin I have used it in cases like this and did well on a polishing wheel. The resin probably works best once the stone has been polished. That will mean there is less total heat/friction applied to the stone.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Anna,

Unfortunately fresh leaves or leaves preserved in glycerin aren’t going to work. Resin hates moisture so the excess water in the leaves may keep the resin from curing. The other problem is that while the leaves may look good right away, they will eventually rot in the resin. Have you considered using ‘silk’ leaves?

As for the resin, the Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast epoxy is what I recommend. It’s considered food safe once properly cured. You can find it in our shop here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/alumilite

[Katherine Swift]

As long as the first layer has partially cured, you can pour the next layer. This will minimize the lines between layers. If you are worried your resin may not be curing properly, keep a little bit in your cup to check on it without bothering the resin in your mold.

When using EasyCast resin, you can make the layers as thick as necessary, but mix no more than 16 ounces of resin and hardener (total) at once.

[Katherine Swift]

If they are getting sticky with your fingerprints, it sounds like the resin didn’t fully cure. It’s normal for the surface exposed to air during curing to remain tacky. You will need to sand that side down or seal it with something like our resin gloss sealer spray. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/castin-craft-gloss-resin-sealer-spray?variant=965319185

As for shipping, I always used tissue paper, but I have seen other artists use glassine paper as well.

[Katherine Swift]

Are you leaving fingerprints and lint on the surface exposed to air during curing or on a different surface?

[Di Lawson]

Hi Katherine
Thanks for your reply and love you’re creations!
Yes I think they’re curing, I’ve been leaving them about a week before sanding, but then I’m getting finger marks on where my fingers have been. Also, what would I pack my pieces in to take them anywhere, as when I’ve tried, I wrapped them in a towel and the towel left imprints on the resin. I also tried bubble wrap which did the same. I know it sounds like they’re not curing…..?????

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Di,

It’s been my experience that a hot mug straight from the microwave or with extremely hot liquid leaves marks on coasters. Polyester does cure quite hard, however, and I would haven’t expected as many problems with that kind of resin. Are you sure it’s fully curing?

[Rhonda]

I have done this. You have to make sure the inside of the shell is full of resin so you don’t have bubbles popping out of it while it’s curing. The resin may change the color of the shell, mine turned darker. The same darkening happens to sand in resin.

[Tammy]

Sharing this info, hoping it helps someone. I also use the Ranger Inks on ceramic tile and then coat with resin. I’ve just recently started using resin so I did a practice pour on on of my old tiles (like 2 years old!) and it turned out beautifully! I then made the mistake of applying resin to my day old pieces for my upcoming show. I could have cried…..any tile that had purples, or burgundy, or in the red family totally disappeared. Now I’m trying to troubleshoot what happened. I took another one of my 2 year old tiles with a vibrant magenta, purple, teal, and lime green color and tried again. It has been sitting for about 2 hours and there is a tiny bit of fade but not enough that most would even notice. I forgot to mention that before I applied the resin I clear coated 4 light coats of Krylon crystal clear. The only thing that is different in the tiles is the “age” factor. I’m guessing that curing for 2 years somehow make the ink less susceptible to the resin? Whatever the case, I’m still trying to find a way to add resin to newly (day old) tiles as I don’t have two years to wait!! I have also noticed that with some colors the Krylon creates tiny white spots where the ink has reacted with it……..Again hope this info helps someone as I could have cried with the lesson I learned!

[Katherine Swift]

It sounds like there were bubbles that formed that popped while the resin was curing. The resin wasn’t fluid enough to fill in the voids.

What kind/brand of resin did you use? How much did you mix?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jon,

Welcome to the world of resin! Here are my thoughts and suggestions with your situation:

1. The best way to keep debris out of your resin while it’s curing is to cover it after you pour the resin. I don’t know how large your pieces are, but a large plastic container placed upside on your piece works best. If your pieces are extra large, a plastic swimming pool can work. Keep your piece fully covered until the soft cure stage.

2. If you do get dust into your resin, you may be lucky enough to cover it with another layer of resin and no one will notice. From time to time, I would find a stray hair in a resin casting only because the surface would look uneven. Another coat of resin smoothed everything out and the hair ‘disappeared’. If you do find you need to sand the pieces, start with a coarse wet/dry sandpaper. Continue to sand until you end with a 1000 grit or higher, otherwise, you may see sanding marks underneath your new layer of resin. Wear a dust mask and be careful not to inhale/ingest the dust. Once you have the piece sanded, recoat the entire piece with a new layer of resin. If you don’t, you will be able to see your patches. By doing it this way, you will get the glossiest and most even finish possible.

3. For resin pouring, you want to be sure you are using a resin that conforms to ASTM D-4236. These are resins that have been reviewed by a toxicologist and are deemed suitable for art purposes. That doesn’t mean there aren’t safety precautions (like wearing gloves, having good ventilation, etc.), but at a minimum, it means that someone has reviewed them knowing they will be used in an small-scale artist environment (home or otherwise) and have found them to be able to be safely used for that purpose. Once you settle on a resin you would like to use, ask to see the safety data sheet (SDS) for that resin. There will be specifics in that document as to safety precautions, how to dispose of it, etc. We also have several safety articles that may be helpful to you: https://resinobsession.com/tag/safety

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Tom,

You will want to use a resin that has a short curing time. Once a resin has soft cured, you can demold it and set it aside to allow it to fully cure. It will be soft and indentable at this point, so handle it carefully.

For the resins we sell, there is a PDF link on this page that details their soft cure (demold time) and full cure. https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-casting