[James]

Hi Katherine,

We’re using UV resin so we can separate the curing process into two stages, and to control the extent of curing. If there’s another variety of resin that would work more consistently, we’re certainly willing to try it.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Samantha,

Degassing (vacuum) is best for mold making. It brings bubbles to the surface where they may not always pop. (think the foam on beer)

Pressure pot casting squeezes the bubbles so tight that you can’t see them with the naked eye. And you’re right — you must leave a resin in the pressure pot for the entire time it’s curing.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Susan,

Yes, you’re going to need a mold for your project. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything like this in our store.

Once you get the mold, you’ll need to know how much it holds so you know which resin to use.

Since you’re working in molds, you need to use a resin designed for those. We’ve got two. The one you use comes down to how much resin you’re mixing and pouring at once.

For pours of 3 ounces or less, the Resin Obsession super clear resin is what you want: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-super-clear-resin
For pours of 3 ounces or more, the Resin obsession deep pour casting resin works great: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin

If you need help figuring out how much resin you need, our free resin calculator can do it for you: https://resinobsession.com/resin-calculator/

You’ll need to put the shells in while the resin is still liquid. Otherwise, you’ll introduce bubbles that likely won’t come out before it begins curing.

If you can’t find a bowl mold, here’s an article showing how to put shells in a resin business cardholder: https://resinobsession.com/resin-tutorials/diy-business-card-holder/

[Kristin]

Katherine do you have recommendations for the tinting combination? Do you recommend a fast curing resin that will have that clear finished look to use with this tint?
I’m a bit fearful to change the dye with the current resin. I’d prefer having two known goods vs more experimentation since these products ship all over the world!

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Paul,

If you’ve got a test piece, try that first with these steps:

1. Paint and let fully dry. As for the paint, I only have experience using acrylics.
2. Embed in a slow-curing resin. This is the one I use: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin

If the paint chips off, then seal with this before testing another piece: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/envirotex-high-gloss-resin-sealer-spray-clear-spray-for-resin-finishing

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Dan,

Great questions! I’m glad to hear you’re taking safety seriously.

If your resin is under a box that the sun doesn’t penetrate and it’s in the shade, it will be fine. The resin is 90% cured in 12 hours, so you can bring it inside and demold at that time. Any fumes will be gone by then. The extra curing days let you get that bit of extra hardness.

Since you’ll be using the super clear resin in small volumes (3 ounces or less) outside, a respirator isn’t absolutely necessary, but I don’t want to discourage you from wearing it if it makes you feel safer. If you’re curious as to what I do for ventilation, there’s a video on this page: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/can-epoxy-resin-make-you-sick/

You don’t have to demold right away. I’ve left cured resin in molds for days before demolding. But, it will be formed enough to demold in a day. You can remove your cube from the mold, then set it aside for the other 6 days and use the mold for a new project.

[Loren]

Hello if you are first sanding then spray painting the cup make sure to let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before applying epoxy so the spray paint can de-gas if u don’t this will cause fish eyes, if no spray paint is being used I suggest making sure u are sanding well enough to create tooth for the epoxy to hold onto. I would also make sure safety that your resin is FDA compliant and food safe. And remember always wear your PPE and have proper separate ventilation because epoxy is toxic while curing.Hope this helps!

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Tad,

I’m also in Florida and have a lot of experience with this. These articles sum up what you need to know:

https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/epoxy-resin-overheated/
https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-mixing-temperature/

While not exactly what you’re doing, this article talks about how to remove heat from curing resin:

https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/deep-pour-resin-casting-tips/

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Kathy,

I’m afraid mineral oil will mix with your resin and keep it from curing.

This is the mold release I like to use for silicone molds: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/ultralease-mold-release-specially-formulated-for-epoxy-resin

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jamie,

I’m afraid I don’t. If it’s a hard-curing resin, I think sandblasting is worth a try.

[Katherine Swift]

I’m glad to hear you are taking resin safety seriously. While the resin is curing, there is a potential for fumes.

I have a video in this article that explains how I handle room ventilation when I’m creating with resin: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/can-epoxy-resin-make-you-sick/

[RQ]

For a pressure pot to be effective, the resin should stay in (under pressure) the entire curing time. This will ensure that the air that has been compressed (Positive pressure = microscopic bubbles, too small to see) doesn’t re-expand and put those bubble back into your casting.

Vacuum pressure will make the air expand/bubbles grow (negative pressure = bubbles expand). This allows the air to expand, move up and be popped, thereby creating a bubble free pour (yes, you should release the vacuum after a minute or so, to allow (with help) the bubbles to pop.

I’m going to postulate that if you are using pressure, you want the bubbles gone, but it will be in the working during curing process, (casting pen blanks, Jewelry stuff, e.g. small stuff); if you need to remove the bubbles, but you can’t put the entire piece into a pressure pot (Haven’t found a pressure pot to handle a river table yet), then ‘de-gassing’ your resin in a vacuum chamber will allow you to remove a lot of the air before you pour. (large(r) pours = $$)

Although I haven’t tried it myself, but everything I’ve said here (from what I’ve read) also applies to silicone mold making as well. That’s on my experiment list for next week! (Going to try that next so I don’t hand over a small fortune in molds)

[Amanda]

Forgot to ask, is acrylic casting resin a thing? The originals from my doc are made of CNC routed acrylic, and they’ve held up pretty well. If acrylic resin is a real thing, does anyone know where I can find it, and whether it requires a pressure pot or curing oven?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Keith,

A pressure pot is meant to reduce the bubble size of resin already in a mold. The resin should be kept under pressure during the entire curing time.

You can try using a vacuum chamber to remove the bubbles, but it’s been my experience that it takes the bubbles to the top and makes foam (like beer).

[Emily Hayes]

Hi, I have started gathering the required materials and am looking for a good outdoor space to work with casting resin. We have plastic folding tables and I was wondering if I put down wax paper or garbage bags would that protect the table from the resin? My dad thinks that the resin if spilled could melt the table due to the exothermic curing reaction. I also was thinking through the set up and my thought was to set up the table, cover it and then use my silicone molds. For drying and curing I was thinking of using old tupperware or boxes to cover the pieces. The project would stay outside and we live southeast of houston where it is usually hot and humid. Would any of these described conditions cause any problems for my epoxy resin pieces? I am already aware that they may not have as long of a pot time because of the warm temperatures, should I be aware of anything else?

Thank you,
Emily