Do you want your mixed epoxy resin to cure? Of course, you do. If you want to make something sticky, there are tons of slime recipes out there.
So how do you make sure your resin cures?
You’ve got to make sure your epoxy resin is completely, thoroughly, entirely, conclusively, and outright mixed.
Was I clear there? Pun intended. 😂 😂 😂
And if you’re someone who’s looking for pre-mixed epoxy resin, you can back out of this article right now. Because there is no such thing.
So now that we’re both on the same page,
How do you know when your epoxy resin is completely mixed?
When you first mix your resin and hardener parts together, you should see they look cloudy or wavy. This is normal. But, you should notice that the more mixed the epoxy resin is, the clearer it gets.
How long does it take for epoxy resin to be mixed well?
It depends on two things:
How much resin you are mixing?
An excellent place to start is with your resin’s pot time. Ten percent of that value will give you a ballpark estimate of how long you can expect it to take for you to mix your resin. For example, a resin with a pot time of 30 minutes will take about 3 minutes to mix together. Of course, this number is just an estimate and can move up or down depending on the total volume you are mixing.
What’s the temperature of your resin and work area?
The colder your resin, the thicker it will be. Not only will it take you longer to mix it, but it’s going to hang to bubbles easier too.
⭐️ BONUS: Get my cold weather resin tips
What if you’ve mixed epoxy resin for several minutes, and it’s not clear?
Resin turning or staying cloudy is never a good thing. Read up on the reasons where your resin is cloudy.
I thought my epoxy resin was completely mixed, but when I checked later, it was sticky. What happened?
Some of your resin wasn’t completely mixed. And don’t feel bad. This is the number one mistake I see beginners make.
And here’s how it usually happens:
You did an excellent job mixing the resin and hardener in the center of your cup. But you didn’t scrape the edges of your container and stirring stick while mixing.
Being a thrifty artist (which I’m all for), you scraped out every last bit of resin in your mixing cup. What you thought was mixed epoxy resin was undermixed epoxy resin. And that resin cures sticky.
⭐️ BONUS: Learn more reasons why you have sticky resin.
What else can you do to make sure your epoxy resin is entirely mixed?
Pull out your smartphone and set a timer. A timer helps you be mindful when using your resin supplies. It’s great for making sure you spend enough time mixing your resin. Plus, it’s also great for reminding you when your resin’s pot time is almost up.
Ready to jump into the world of resin but overwhelmed by where to start?
Learn the resin basics that will take you from confused to confident in an afternoon. Get your copy of the PDF ebook Resin Fundamentals. You’ll get all the important details you need to know to make amazing resin crafts.
Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2023 Resin Obsession, LLC
I don’t understand this resin I hit that uses drops for hardener. Says per 1/8 but done at say how big. Very confusing. I haven’t used it yet. Got it at Micheal’s.
Hi Debs, it sounds like you bought polyester casting resin. This article will help: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/polyester-casting-resin/
Thank you so much! This has helped me a lot!! I know to cast outside and to use for my big projects. Like my chest board and a serving tray. I will let ya know how they come out. You ROCK! Biggest fan from Texas m, debs
I resined a bunch of painted rocks and dried them on a wired rack 🙁 needless to say some of them stuckbto the rack and some of the paint came off the back. My question, what do you dry resin rocks on?
Hi Karen, one of our drying mats would be great for a purpose like this: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/resin-obsession-drying-mat-for-resin-non-stick
Thank you so much! Had no idea there was such a thing!!
I’m a beginner well not even a beginner I make custom and personalized medical cannabis rolling tray kits and everyone is telling me to try it to make my ash trays & even rolling trays. I wanna make all kinds but I mainly wanna be able to put stuff in them like glitters and objects. What kind of resin to I need to buy for that and can someone text me a list of what all I need to buy or post a link if there’s a kit with everything I need in it to make ash trays.
Hi Dani, unfortunately, resin is not suitable for ashtrays. The resin can melt with the fire from a cigarette.
I am wanting to doa silk flower arrangement using the resin to hold it firm, What are the proportions I need, and what is the acetone for in my pack.Anne Short
Hi Anne, you want to follow the mixing instructions included in your resin kit for the mixing proportions. I’m not sure why you received acetone in the kit.
I left a couple of fingerprints on my tumbler, accidentally touched it. Do I need to re eproxy the whole tumbler again or can I just redo those s 2 areas? Please advise.
If resin is not suitable for ashtrays why are there so many resin molds for ashtrays
Hi Susan, it might be that the molds are meant for something else and people use them for resin.
Hi what resin is best as I’m a complete beginner, for casting a tray and matching coasters?
Hi Deborah, 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
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND TIPS !!
You’re welcome Andri!
i do not know how to explain what happen when i mix my resin, but it looks like if it has sand, a lot of it, I say sand because it is very tiny, not really bubble but l tiny , the size of sand. What am I doing wrong? may be i mix it too long, I do not know. Please help. THanks
Hi Daniele, it sounds like you have a bunch of microbubbles in your resin. Have you tried warming your resin kit before mixing? This article explains how: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/resin-casting-in-cold-weather/
Hi, I’m thrilled I found this site! I used ArtResin and happen to use the epoxy machine mixer I got on Amazon. It looked beautiful when mixed until my Art/Glass work on my canvas became sticky! I found this site and it answers my question as to how to not make it sticky, however, my next question is since I got the machine, how can I let it mix and then not le tit stick? Do I mix it for 3 minutes and then for two minutes mix the sides in myself with the same silicone stick used in the machine? The Machine obviously only does the circulating and touches the bottom of the cup and not the side. I only had a small part be sticky and that was on my glass part of my canvas, the rest was crystal clear when I used the machine. So, I’m trying to give it another chance. What is your opinion here on this and what should I do?
Another question I have, I also resin another art work and did not use the machine, I realized now that I did not wait 2 minutes before pouring to. let it sit, etc. but when I poured it onto my canvas, there were noticeable bubbles that did not pop with my heat gun or my torch! it looked frozen which it turned out like that. Luckily it was one I was experimenting with, but was it the temperature of the room and why did it ” freeze”. Thanks so much for helping us all out with this! Barb
Hi Barb, I don’t use machines to mix my resin. Here’s how I do it: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/mixing-resin/ As for your resin freezing, it sounds like it overheated. This article explains more: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/epoxy-resin-overheated/. By the way, I’d love to help you with the resin for your next project. Our resin quiz tells you the specific formula you need based upon what you’re making. You can take the quiz here: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/resin-buying-guide/#quiz-cat-help
Hi, we used to make resin ashtrays years ago as it was considered a suitable gift for a man or a smoker and looked quite elegant but you bought a glass ashtray that sat inside your resin project and the resin did not burn or get damaged. They used to be available at your dollar shops. Take the mold with you when you shop so you get a suitable fit.
Someone here asked why acetone was included in their resin kit. Acetone is for cleaning up. It’s more effective than alcohol and can shift resin spots and spills even when the resin is very nearly cured.
It will also ‘clean’ things you maybe don’t want it to, and will strip paint and varnish, so it needs to be handled with a bit of respect.
Hi am Jenny, I always have issues with resin, today it is completely cured,when I mix another one it bends , have to try several times before getting a cured resin, have a lot of bent work,could it be the mixing or what , so confused
Hi Jennifer, this is usually due to the measuring and/or mixing. Assuming your measuring is 100% accurate, you want to make sure you are completely and thoroughly mixing the resin. That includes scraping the sides and bottom of the cup (even scrape the stir stick if you need to) thoroughly for several minutes. It could also be a climate issue, resin doesn’t get to full cure if the temperature is too cold or too humid.
I painted a wooden box, added seashells glued to bottom, poured resin, maybe pored too much all at once? My project is sticky, cloudy & looks like it has an oil slick on surface. Is there any fixing it?
Unfortunately not. 🙁 It sounds like the mixing ratio or technique may have been off (and as you said, it could be because of too great a pour depth).