[Katherine Swift]

Hi Christina,

Each chemical that goes in to formulating resin, silicone, or other plastics has to be tested and tested again for curing properties, for safety and to make sure they don’t leech into food. Products that don’t have a ‘food safe’ designation have either not been tested or have been tested and not found to be safe for food contact.

[Katherine Swift]

8. Painters tape should work for this.

9. Yes, provided it’s something that is designed for resin. If it’s not designed for resin, you may not get the color you were expecting.

10. What effect are you trying to get with your back layer?

11. The resin needs to be in the gel phase before you pour the next layer, otherwise the two layers will blend. If your previous layer, though, is not cured before pouring the next layer, any heat production is additive to the next layer.

12. It might, but because of the nature of wood, bubbles are still a concern. You can fully dry it first, dip it in some resin, then let it cure on a piece of wax paper. That will seal bubbles in. Because the resin is in a thin layer, it should make it easier for them to come to the of the resin and escape before curing.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Chris,

Yes, you are right in that cold resin can lead to bubbles. Here’s a few things you can do to try to avoid bubbles:

https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-bubbles/

One of the things mentioned in the article is to warm up your resin first.

Using a hot box is also a good idea. One of our resinistas shows her hot box for resin curing in this article:
https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/resin-casting-in-cold-weather/

Low humidity isn’t a problem. If anything, it probably helps a little.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Jane,

This is the mold release I like to use: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/petrolease-non-silicone-food-grade-mold-release . I use it on all my molds, whether plastic or silicone.

Baby oil won’t work as a release as it will interfere with the resin curing. Petroleum jelly can work but I have found that it is impossible to get it on evenly. You are going to see streaks in your castings.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Joyce, I don’t think resin will work for what you want to do. It isn’t flexible after curing and also doesn’t have the ‘grip’ that people would expect when using a pot holder.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Mark,

I don’t know that I would use spray foam for something like this as it will likely release bubbles into your resin while it’s curing.

Perhaps you could use a clear acrylic plug as a filler? You can resin either end.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Debs,

This is a two part mold. If you place the two halves together, the tabs will fit into the recesses around the dinosaurs. At the dinosaur’s feet, there will be an opening. That is where you will want to pour the resin. You will need to find a way to keep the mold vertical the entire time it is curing.

[Toma Ana Maria]

Hello! I am on my first resin pour on a table top, and after curing time the edges started to peel off. Don’t know why, hope you to answer me what mistakes I’ve done and how to fix it. Thanks!

[Katherine Swift]

What are you using to cover your art while it’s curing? Is it able to completely cover the it on all sides all the way to the table?

[Dymond K Spain]

I have sprayed water on the floor, covered vents, i always cover the project when it’s curing, turning off the ac, even a tarp to hang over it while drying. Not sure what else to do!

[Katherine Swift]

Unfortunately, there isn’t a coating that can make them heat resistant. You will need to use something like a hard curing polyester or polyurethane resin.

[Cate]

Hi Ann, I’ve also used some resin that just has such a low viscosity and long curing time that any inclusions, including pigment colouring, won’t stay put and either float or sink. My solution was to switch to another variety of resin that had a pot time of about 15 minutes.

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Amy,

I’m sorry to hear you are experiencing bubbles with the super clear resin. Have you tried warming up the resin first? That is what works best for me. I show how to do that here: https://youtu.be/ugQSgVIP2Uk

As for a pressure pot, the resin has to be under pressure the entire time while it is curing. In the case of the super clear resin, this will need to be 12 hours. The compressor may or may not need to be running the entire time. If you have a good seal on your pot, I would expect you would not need it running.

Pressure casting makes the bubbles so small that you can’t see them. Vacuum casting pulls the bubbles to the surface to try to get them to pop. In your case, you will want to pressure cast. Vacuum casting works great for silicone, but I find with epoxy resin it makes ‘beer foam’ on the top of the castings.

I have not pressure cast with plastic molds, but haven’t had a problem pressure casting silicone molds.

If you want to get a pressure pot, I recommend Grainger. Their pots are a little more expensive, but I think they are better made and safer.

[Katherine Swift]

HI Nikki,

Thanks for the picture. Yes, this helps a lot.

I’m afraid I don’t have many good options for you.

Option 1: Cast the entire piece in a light beige or white color. Paint with acrylic paints after demolding.
Option 2: Use melted wax in strategic places to create a dam. Cast your resin, then remove the wax before making the new pour.
Option 3: Try ‘painting’ the areas of the mold with a quick-curing resin. You wouldn’t have to fill the mold, but as long as the resin sticks to the sides, it could start curing quickly enough that it wouldn’t run down into your mold. You could then fill the mold with a neutral color to fill in the rest of the mold once the first layer has cured.

Any of these sound like something you want to try?

[Shannon]

I have experimented in past with resin adding micas, embedments, etc but I too don’t want a failed attempt in making a jewelry piece using my mother’s ashes.

I have previously poured resin into molds, waited for it to come to gel state, and then added mica powder etc and used toothpick to suspend it within. After that cures, I have found finished product is better if I add a second resin layer. I have also used this process and 3 part layered piur

In theory, do you think process above could be done with human ashes? Or perhaps accelerating the curing process? I’m concerned that the ash will gravitate to the bottom or top. Equally concerned the ash will become layered and not suspended in a fluid manner. I want to avoid air bubbles at all costs.