[Katherine Swift]

Hi Merrily,

While you can use alcohol ink to color resin, too much will keep it from curing.

This article explains some other possibilities: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/12-reasons-why-your-resin-didnt-cure/

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Esther,

This is a great question!

I will use the Resin Obsession deep pour resin on my mold projects when I need to pour into a lot of molds at once. You can buy the resin here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin

This works provided you do the following:

1. Mix at least three ounces
2. Keep the resin casting area warm for the entire curing time.
3. Allow longer curing time for thinner molds, knowing it can take up to 3 days to be able to demold.

Does this help?

[Jen]

Good point! We definitely need to shield the uv light if using it often. I made a uv box with cardboard and tinfoil, very easy and no rays filter out. You can also just put a cardboard box upside down over the lamp. I have very cheap lamps that have lasted years already. The best uv wattage is 24 or 36. Lower and it could take 20 minutes or an hour or two to cure your piece. The box makes the curing more efficient as well. I put my piece on a little solar turntable I got for $4 and raise the lap a foot away from the piece. I also have a digital thermometer to check the temps.

The uv bulbs are the same in a $9 lamp and a $40 lamp. A watt is a watt. The LED bulbs do but they’re unnecessary for uv resin. The number of bulbs will increase, more $ = more bulbs. I’ve used the same $9 24w lamp for 8 years and it’s the same temp and cure rate now as then. You’ll cure faster with a more expensive lamp with more bulbs but it’ll also get hotter and give off more uv rays. Less bulbs and a box lined with tinfoil is safer and more efficient. The bulbs are said to last 50,000 hours. I don’t know about that, but 8+ years is pretty good.

I’m only talking about the uv nail lamps, not uv bulbs in general. I’m sure you’re probably right when talking about the expensive uv sources.

Jen

[Jen]

Hi Everyone,
I prefer epoxy resin for large projects, for all the stated reasons in this thread. But UV resin is useful in certain situations, and I always have some close by.

I buy small bottles, 50g or 100g. Store in an opaque cardboard box in a cool location. I use it occasionally and only in small amounts. The average cost is $10 for 100 grams. I like Hildie & Jo and if I have a Joann coupon that’s what I get. I’ve bought various other brands too, when there’s a sale, and haven’t had problems with any of them – the only difference will be the consistency. Some is thick like honey (great for doming) others are thinner, sort of like cheap maple syrup (excellent for coating/sealing) They all dry crystal clear. I’ve been using it for 8 years, at first for sealing polymer clay, then for tons of other small sized projects and none have yellowed or changed in any way. You can even try it out with a bottle of uv gel nails top coat and cure it under a uv nail lamp or the sun. You only need an inexpensive lamp. I have 2, my old 24w, $9 and a larger “2 hand” 36 watt I bought for $14. Make sure there’s no base or it’s detachable so you can have distance from your piece. I made a cheap uv box from cardboard and tinfoil but it’s not required.

Most important: Super thin layers – like you’re painting your nails. Cure between coats.
Let it sit at least 10 min, then pop bubbles with a needle, sit more, then cure.
If it’s sticky After curing, wipe with a bit of alcohol. Still sticky – cure more.

I’ve got tons of little tips and tricks but I don’t want to take over this thread! I’m sorry for how long my post is already :/

So UV resin is fun, inexpensive for small pieces, super fast and easy. Epoxy resin will always be what I use 75% of the time though. There’s simply no substitute.

Enjoy your day everyone, and be safe.
Jen

[Seda Gün]

Seda Gün
Guest
I have a problem about flowers’ color changing when the resin curing. I use the flowers for a year I did not have this problem but my flowers turn to yellow in resin for 5 months.I mix resin correcty besides I use new flowers but their color still fade. I use same food colouring and I use same parchments when I painting and making dry the flowers. It can related to used parchments or food colour? (My flowers are white Queen Anne’s Lace.)

[Seda Gün]

I have a problem about flowers’ color changing when the resin curing. I use the flowers for a year I did not have this problem but my flowers turn to yellow in resin for 5 months.I mix resin correcty besides I use new flowers but their color still fade. I use same food colouring and I use same parchments when I painting and making dry the flowers. It can related to used parchments or food colour?

[Katherine Swift]

Here are 12 reasons why your resin isn’t curing: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/12-reasons-why-your-resin-didnt-cure/

[CarlyAzuma]

Hello All, as per my experience a longer curing time, might have poorer quality bulbs which would need replacing quicker and have a potential issue with producing lots of heat (fire risk). I wouldn’t want to go too cheap on something like this as I would worry about whether the unit has sufficient build quality and screening to protect me from the UV rays.

[Sina]

Hi everyone! I’m also resin obsessed but this issue of cups sticking to coasters (no tackiness at all on surface) is very disheartening when I’m trying to make a functional product/artwork! In saying that – I notice the BOTTOM of my coaster (the part that was not exposed to air) is perfect and has no issue with cups sitting and sticking to it but my artwork or feature is usually on the top. So – I work with a bunch of engineers (and a few work with resins of all types); but, because they use resin for purposes of manufacturing tankers – they were pretty amazed of the idea of resin coasters lol. To my amazement they could tell the top of the coaster was def less cured than the bottom despite how both seem super hard to me. Anyways, I am merely sharing this info with my fellow resin obsessed people (just in case you did not know).
They advised the following:
1. As many know, the temperature of the room in which your resins are left to cure plays a factor in the curing process, so for instance; my studio is in my garage which is super cold as it’s winter now in Aus and the colder the room – the more moisture/condensation in the air or on the coaster therefore disallowing the surface to FULLY cure. SUGGESTIONS: *Cover the whole project with a container. *Post cure your coasters or *Place a silicone lid on top to mirror the bottom (like sandwiching your resin) so the heat is in a confined space and should cure as the bottom would. In saying this – I haven’t tried this and as my engineer buddies said; would probably take some trial and testing.
2. Post curing could help (the instructions regarding this is usually found in the data/spec sheet) – the supplier of the resin should have this info on their website etc. If not, call them to get it. (p.s I tried this according to my resin data sheet, and – I cracked my coasters so beware – the over exposure to heat). The idea of post curing is to release ALL moisture from the resin. (Another engineer said, UV exposure could work good too).
3. You must ensure the resin you are using has a high tolerance to heat exposure – info usually found in the data sheet as well. This could also play a part in your resin not fully curing.

FINALLY, the biggest suggestion I got which is working OK for me at the moment (a little more time consuming though) is to WORK BACKWARDS, so that the bottom of your coaster, will be the top (considering it fully cures). It’s more fiddly, but the end result – a functional coaster.

SO – I hope this info helps. Check out my page – @serenitycanvascreations – I will be posting up some more info/vids and updates on this issue. P.S I am a super amateur resin user though.

Happy resining. x

[Katherine Swift]

This article explains 12 reasons why your resin isn’t curing: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/12-reasons-why-your-resin-didnt-cure/

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Brent,

What a thoughtful idea!  Heres a few suggestions for you:

1.  It sounds like you’re new to resin jewelry making?  I suggest downloading a copy of my ebook.  It sounds like you have tried a few castings only to have them not turn our right.  I think my book could give you the basic information you need to get started.  Book link: 

https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/books/products/resin-jewelry-making

2.  Were you hoping to dip your finished resin casting into molten gold?  If so, I don’t know of any resin that will take that kind of heat.  I would suggest finding a gold setting you like and creating a resin cabochon to go into that setting or directly casting the resin and clover into that bezel setting.

3.  Including flowers and such in resin can be tricky.  Have you sealed your items before including them in the resin?  They need to be sealed to make sure they don’t take on water marks or so that the moisture in the item (if it is fresh) doesn’t interfere with curing.

4.  As for which resin to use, I suppose that depends on how you go about making this pendant.  If I were going to do it, I would go the route of finding a gold bezel that I liked, then try to cast the resin and clover in that setting.  I would then use the Resin Obsession crystal doming resin as the resin for that project. You can find it in our store here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-crystal-doming-resin

You mentioned which resin and catalyst to use.  Whichever you use, the important part is that you need to use ones designed for each other (e.g. don’t use a resin by one manufacturer and a catalyst from another) and be sure to follow their directions EXACTLY.  Not all resins mix the same way!

I suggest working with a few more test pieces first before trying the clover. 

Good luck!

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Allen,

I haven’t used acrylic rods in resin, so I don’t know how they would hold their shape during curing.

I would take the ‘suspension’ approach instead.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Steph,

It sounds like your resin may have shrunk too much during curing.

[Steph Shore]

I’ve had this problem too with the curing not the cloudiness. I use a polyester resin (1ml to 100ml ratio)

[Ana Atkins]

I was exactly the same and was about to give up but then one final shot and I tried an epoxy resin that voc free and the mixture was 3:1 ratio and it worked. You see the problem we have is the curing and whatever, comes off it in the way of vapours/fumes that seems to be what effects us. With this ratio the curing time is so much longer which to me means I can make my items and be out of the room long before anything starts to cause a reaction. Before I found thus supplier (I am in the UK and they are on ebay) I did think about trying UV epoxy resin as again, we can get out of the way before curing starts. Hope this helps.