[Katherine Swift]

Hi Gena,

The two biggest reasons why resin doesn’t cure is either from inaccurate measuring or inadequate mixing. You have to be precise in both, otherwise your resin will not cure.

There are also other factors, such as colorants/inclusions added, mixing amounts and crafting area temperatures than can affect curing. This troubleshooting article should also give you some ideas: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-troubleshooting-tips

[Katherine Swift]

Resin won’t stick to masking tape, packing tape or wax. Have you considered using a two-part, quick curing epoxy to bond the chain to the wood? Something from a hardware store could work in this case and you wouldn’t need to dam it up.

[Katherine Swift]

Thanks Jaime, the pictures help a lot.

Bubbles are going to be a major concern since there are a bunch of cracks and crevices in your project. For what you want to do, I recommend the Resin Obsession dee pour resin. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin If you are careful in mixing, bubbles are almost never a problem.

I would suggest trying to seal the wood interior if possible. Bubbles trapped in the wood could come out later as the resin is curing. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good advice for how to do that. As for the visible holes, be sure to cover them with a good masking tape before pouring. The resin won’t stick to the tape and you can peel it off after curing. With that said, I would still tell you to expect some resin runoff. You will likely want to babysit your tree for the first hour or so after pouring.

There isn’t going to be a good way to add glow/resin to the interior. You could try brushing it on, but gravity is going to take over and it will drip to the bottom. If I were going to try this, I would find a way to paint/prime the interior, then add glow powder to the paint for the next layer. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/colorants/products/day-glow-in-the-dark-powder-for-resin (This powder works great with paint too.) Once everything is dry (couple of days at least) then add the resin. The couple layers of paint may be all you need to seal the wood to keep bubbles from coming into your resin.

Please come back and share a picture when you are finished!

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Priti,

Yes, using alginate is a great way to make a mold of body parts. It generally only lasts for one casting though as they tend to be rather flimsy. They also have a lot of moisture in them, which can impact your resin curing. As for a resin to use when casting in an alginate mold, I’m afraid I don’t have a recommendation for you. I would suggest asking the alginate mold material manufacturer of the product you intend to use. They can recommend a resin that will handle the extra moisture the best and cure properly.

[Katherine Swift]

You are getting scratches with the TotalCast resin? Are you using it on artwork or something else?

I would expect acrylic paint to work, just know if you add too much there will be curing issues.

[Katherine Swift]

All resins need a certain amount of heat to induce curing. If the resin is poured in thin layers, there may not be enough heat to allow curing.

[Kellie]

Sorry, I didn’t see your reply before I posted the other question!

For ‘pearls’ I was thinking more of resin mixed with color or glitter – a ball but pearl sized.

So at least for bezels, stick with epoxy. Would Ice Resin give a harder cure? Or are self-curing dents acceptable in the resin jewelry world?

For any kind of mold, poly is the way to go then?

It’s weird that poly won’t cure hard in thin layers, I think that’s throwing me off.

Thanks again for all of your help!

[Katherine Swift]

Polyester resin is meant for molds and deep pours. I would not use it in bezels for two reasons:

1. It may not cure in the thin bezels.
2. The layer that is exposed to air during curing may remain tacky.

It will dry very hard (harder than an epoxy) but for bezels, an epoxy will do fine. Either of the epoxies I mentioned above will work for bezels.

When you say you want to make pearls, do you have a link you can share of what you want to create?

[Katherine Swift]

To attach the hair to the outside of the bead, I would suggest a 5 minute, two-part epoxy. You can find them at hardware stores. Mix up a tiny amount, then use it to adhere the hair to the bead. (Work quickly!) It will then be compatible with another layer of slower curing resin.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Maggie,

I’m sorry to hear your resin is not curing well for you. I have a few questions:

1. What are you casting the resin into?
2. What kind/brand of resin are you using?
3. Are you mixing anything into the resin?

You are correct in that when resin is cold, it may not cure properly. Here are some cold weather casting tips that may help you: https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/resin-casting-in-cold-weather We have some other troubleshooting tips as well to help: https://resinobsession.com/tag/troubleshooting

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jackie,

Do you warm up your resin before pouring? That would help. A ‘hot box’ while curing is helpful as well. You can see how to do both in this blog post: https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/resin-casting-in-cold-weather

As for the yellow tint, how old is your resin?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Alexandra,

I love your attention to detail. It’s thoughtful of you to make sure your earrings are going to look great for years to come.

How flexible are the animals? I ask because while the resin can produce a shell, a hard resin will crack if someone tries to squeeze your animals. A softer curing resin may be a better option.

The other thing I’m concerned with is how well resin is going to stick to your animals. Rubber is used for resin molds because resin won’t stick to it. I don’t know if a coat of paint is going to be enough to allow the resin to stick.

Have you tried clear coat acrylic sprays as a sealer?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Pat,

A few comments regarding your situation.

1. I have had good luck with ‘like adhering to like’, even if they were different brands. For example, I have used one brand’s epoxy on another brand’s epoxy and have not had problems with things adhering. From what I know about polyester and epoxy, I would expect it to work there too, assuming the first layer had completely cured. I haven’t specifically tried this though, so proceed with caution.

2. As for the wood, epoxy would be my choice to use in this project. Polyester resin will shrink too much after curing. It may even shrink so much it doesn’t stick to the wood! Polyurethanes can be used with wood, but your wood will need to be dry and sealed first. Polyurethanes hate moisture.

3. As for ‘seamlessly’, yes, they will attach, but a seam may show depending on how you color it, if you color it, etc. Pouring the next layer while the first layer is curing will minimize the seam.

Good luck!

[Diane]

Hi, I have questions. When making a piece that involves several layers of resin, which require fully curing each layer before adding the next, would you wear a ventilator mask during the entire process? If you want to draw on a fully cured layer or apply some kind of artwork to it with pen or brush, still need to wear a ventilator mask while doing that? Thanks.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Bev,

If you are referring to a two part resin (not a UV activated resin), then no, the Part A will not cure on its own. It needs the Part B hardener mixed with it to create heat. That heat is what causes curing.