[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

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Rolan,

We have a quick-curing polyurethane resin in our store that you can use in molds: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/alumilite-amazing-casting-resin-16-oz-opaque-white

[Axel H]

Hello and good evening all,

Just an update for anyone who might benefit from this info…

It turns out that the liquid pigment I was using is water-based. This threw off the curing process enough to cause bendy, yet brittle, castings that shattered with the slightest of ease.

I cast my next batch in the same mold, with the same ratio with NO pigment. This resulted in EXTRA hard, sturdy castings that can actually be dropped from much higher without a SCRATCH, not to mentioned chucked at the wall fairly hard with NO damage.

Hope it might help someone, and have a good night all!

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Axel,

Welcome to the world of resin! I’m glad to hear you are doing some QC testing of your keychains before letting customers use them. Smart!

Unfortunately, it has been my experience as well that any hard-curing resin can shatter when it hits a hard surface. You can use a softer-curing resin for your keychains, but they will dent when they hit the floor. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a good ‘best of both worlds’ resin for a project like this. Softer curing resins are also going to show more scratches and wear than the harder curing resins.

I wish I had a good answer for you.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Alexis,

Congratulations on getting engaged!

Unfortunately, resin isn’t a good choice for a project like this because the heat of curing will melt the chocolate.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Courtney,

Any time you can create a resin ‘hot box’ in a cold room, that will definitely help with curing. This article will give you some ideas on how to cure resin in cold temperatures: https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/how-to-get-your-resin-to-cure-in-cold-weather/

I like to use the plastic cups in our store for resin mixing. You can buy them here:
https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/1-ounce-reusable-plastic-mixing-cups
https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/large-10-oz-reusable-resin-mixing-cups

There is a video on those pages that show how I like to clean cups to use them again.

As for the resin safety, it’s my opinion that you can never be too safe. This article details more about how to use resin safely: https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/epoxy-resin-safety-precautions/

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jenny,

As long as your glue is fully dry before pouring resin, it won’t impact the curing or clarity. This is the one I recommend: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/ultra-seal-sealant-and-glue

If you don’t seal the fabric before using it with resin, it can take up moisture stains and change colors.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Mone,

What a fun project! Unfortunately, any resin tray that falls on a floor with either dent or bend (soft curing resin) or will break (hard curing resin). Unfortunately, there isn’t one that does both.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Tom,

I think that’s as good a plan as any. You want everything to be as dry as possible so it doesn’t interfere with resin curing.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Gay,

I know we’ve also been in touch with this by email, but I wanted to answer you here too.

I can understand your concern about the length of curing time. It is normal for this resin to take 24 to 48 hours to start to harden. The thinner the pour, the longer curing will take. More details about this resin can be found as a part of the mixing instructions here: https://resinobsession.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Resin-Obsession-deep-pour-casting-resin-mixing-instructions.pdf.

To make sure this resin cures, you need to keep the curing area warm the entire time, which is 48 to 72 hours.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Betsy,

Welcome to the world of resin! I’d love to help you with this.

Unfortunately, all resins are going to yellow over time. Resins with UV inhibitors and stabilizers help extend the time before yellowing occurs. However, things such as mixing off ratio (even though it still can cure without tackiness), putting over an improperly cured lacquer, excessive heat, and or constant exposure to sunlight can speed up the yellowing process. How long the epoxy will last in its clear state is very difficult to predict.

As for the best resin, it depends on what you are making. There is no ‘one size fits all’ resin. Our resin buying guide details the resin we sell. You can get a copy here: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-buying-guide/

For what you want to make, you need a casting resin. These mix thin to allow bubbles to easily release. 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

A heat gun works great to remove surface bubbles. We have some in our store here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/wow-embossing-multipurpose-heat-tool-heat-gun. This article also shares some of my best tips for handling bubbles in resin: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-bubbles/

Resin can break if it’s dropped on a hard surface. Softer-curing resins will dent and not break.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Sydney,

It sounds like you are having a lot of fun with resin. Awesome!

There are a few different reasons why you can have bubbles in your resin. This article talks about the top 10: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-bubbles/. The two big things you can do to prevent bubbles:

1. Warm your resin kit in a hot water bath for 5 to 10 minutes before mixing and pouring. The warm resin makes it easier to mix without including bubbles and makes any remaining bubbles easier to release.
2. Gently warm your mold before pouring the resin. (You can use a heat gun or a toaster oven dedicated to resin projects). Pouring warm resin into a cold mold will trap bubbles that can release later.

The deep pour resin will give you better results if you want more time to get bubbles out of the resin before it starts to cure. You will have hours to do that versus minutes with the super clear.

The big difference between the two is that you should mix no more than three ounces of super clear resin at once. For the deep pour resin, you need to mix at least three ounces in order for curing to occur.

Here are both in our store:

Super clean resin: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-super-clear-resin
Deep pour resin: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin

Does this help?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Caroline,

It sounds like you’ve done your homework. Good job!

Based on what you’ve shared here, I’m not sure Resin Obsession super clear resin will work for what you want to do. It hits gel time about 45 minutes after mixing. After that, it won’t shift and move anymore, but the problem here is that it mixes thin (like water). I don’t know that it will leave an even coating on the inside of your geode. Using a doming resin like the Resin Obsession crystal doming resin will coat more evenly, but will also pool at the bottom of your geode if it isn’t turning while the resin is curing.

Do you have an option to keep your geode moving? While the crystal doming resin cures more slowly, there are some things you can do to speed up resin curing: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/what-is-the-fastest-way-to-cure-epoxy-resin-speed-up-resin-curing/

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Grace,

Some resins, even when fully cured can be bendy. This article explains more: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/why-is-my-resin-bendy/

If you want to cure them in a hot box, they need to be there during the entire curing time. You can see what I’m talking about here: https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/cold-weather-resin-tips/

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Gerry,

What a neat project! Why do you want a slower curing resin? Is it so you will have extra time to form it?