[Andrew]

Hello fellow resin fans! I have been making resin coasters for a few years now, mostly bottle cap coasters. I am ready to make a large batch (100-200 coasters) to sell at an upcoming local craft show and am looking for an economical way to purchase my epoxy.

Until this point, I have been using the CastNCraft Clear Polyester Casting Resin, purchased in a gallon for about $85. In my searches, I have found epoxys that are labeled as “table top” epoxys, for coating of bar-tops, etc. I am curious, are “bar/table top” epoxys the same as the Polyester Casting Resin that I have been using?

[Katherine Swift]

Hi Andrew,

No, those are two different resins. Epoxy casting resins mix differently than polyester resins, but the good news is that I think they are easier to work with. In general though, table top epoxies mix thicker and you are more likely to trap bubbles. They are only meant to be poured in layers of 1/8 inch or so. When they are poured in depths thicker than that, it’s harder for the bubbles to rise to the surface.

[Sandi Fraser]

I have been wondering the same thing – good to know !!

[Matt]

Hi Andrew

I work a lot with resin and timber and have experimented with resin coasters. I almost exclusively use Epoxyglass which is a countertop 1:1 mix ratio epoxy resin sold here in Australia. I’ve poured this in thicknesses of up to an inch in one hit so it can definitely be done, you just have to be careful. Some advantages of this resin over casting resin is that it is UV-stable and water clear so it won’t yellow like polyester resin will. It also forms a chemical bond with whatever you pour it into. I’ve connected timber slabs as a tabletop using nothing but rivers of resin.

Basically, the larger the quantities of resin you buy, the more economical it is. But countertop epoxy is much more expensive than polyester resin though and takes more finishing if you need to sand it. When i do coasters, I try to have the top of the coaster so it needs no finishing at all. That way, even if you have to knock off the edges a bit to make it perfect, you’re knocking off the bottom edges 😉

[Author]

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