You invest your time and effort in selecting the best resin for your projects. Have you thought about storing your epoxy resin so it stays at its best?
You need to.
Like you wouldn’t buy a super-expensive, overpriced sports car only to park it on the street. In a sketchy neighborhood. Under a broken light. Overnight.
Show the same love to your resin. Here are the 4 biggest mistakes about storing epoxy resin that you don’t have to make.
Mistake 1: Thinking you have forever to use your resin.
Epoxy resin generally has a shelf life of one year. Does that mean you should buy resin a year’s worth at a time?
No. Only buy enough resin you can comfortably use within six months.
Why? When you get to six months and a day, will you toss it out? No, of course not. It’s like telling yourself you need to leave at 4:30, knowing you won’t leave until 5.
Or later…
What about storing resin types other than epoxy?
Polyester resin only lasts six months. Some polyurethanes only have a shelf life of three months.
Mistake 2: Not knowing how long your kit has been open.
Who hasn’t bought resin supplies only to find them in a closet or box months later and think, “I totally forgot I had this.” Write the date you open your kit on the box. Then, keep a running tally of how much you’ve used somewhere conspicuous. It’s a reminder of what you’ve got open, the amount left, and how soon you should use it.
Mistake 3: Keeping your resin in direct sunlight.
The best place to keep resin is in a closet in a climate-controlled environment. UV light exposure speeds up yellowing, and temperature swings form condensation inside the lids. Keep your resin in the dark and at a temperature between 60 and 80 F.
What do you do if your resin yellows?
All resins eventually yellow. Besides UV light exposure, hardener yellows once it’s exposed to air. When you buy resin next time, switch to smaller-size kits to use up a kit quicker.
💡 Pro tip: If you have yellow resin and it’s been well-stored, it will cure, but with a yellow tint. If you have a project that takes resin colors, this is a great time to use it. You can see what I’m talking about here: What to do with yellowing resin?
And don’t store resin kits in your freezer. Storing epoxy resin at temperatures of less than 60 F can cause crystals to form and make your resin cloudy.
The good news is that a resin kit isn’t flammable, so you don’t have to worry about care instructions for resin catching on fire. Unless it gets too hot after mixing. Resin getting hot and smoking is a whole other problem.
Mistake 4: Throwing away the resin kit inserts.
Keep your original packaging. Besides instructions and manufacturer information, it may also have production/lot information. This may be important for resin troubleshooting with the manufacturer.
💡 Pro tip: Keep liquid resin products (resin, hardener, colorants, etc.) in a plastic bin. Then, should there be a leak or spill, it’s contained and not making an even bigger mess.
⚠️ IMPORTANT If you’re tired of storing epoxy and don’t want it anymore, dispose of resin properly.
Feeling hesitant to create with resin because you’re worried about making mistakes?
Or maybe you’ve already made a few, and you’re scared to try resin again. I’ve been there. I made lots of resin mistakes when I was a beginner. It was almost enough to make me give up on resin altogether. That was 17 years ago, and since then, it’s been my mission to fast-track your resin success.
That’s why I wrote the resin book for beginners, Resin Fundamentals. Instead of trial and error, you can learn from my mistakes. I share the important things you need to know to succeed with resin starting with day one. Buy the ebook now and get an email download link in minutes.
Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2023 Resin Obsession, LLC
I bought resin in December and left in the garage,cold but not freezing. It has been to cold to work in garage.
Will it be useable in a couple months when warmer?
Not sure that is will be. Can you bring it indoors now? I would also warm it up in a water bath before using it.
I bought some resin a couple of years ago but got onto other projects and never even opened the bottles. Should I consider them a total loss, or is there any possibility they might be usable?
What kind of resin is it?
Oops, I should have mentioned that. It is ArtResin epoxy resin.
If it has been properly stored, it should still cure, although it has likely yellowed.
Thank you, I’ll give it a try, and add some color if it is yellowed.
My original containers broke, what can I transfer the two part resin into safely?
Hi Megan, I would use plastic chemical containers (don’t know what kind of plastic that is) that haven’t been used for anything else. Maybe you can get them at hardware stores? Don’t use anything metal. You can use plastic funnels designed for kitchen use, but don’t use them for food again.
Hello,
I use UV resin and I want to mix my coloured powder pigment into the resin, pour the mixture into a smaller bottle (so I have a bottle ready rather than mixing up individual batches for one project). Do you think this would ‘spoil’? I can imagine it might separate but if i mix it, hopefully it will still be usable. I would keep it in a UV proof container.
Hope that made sense!
Thank you!
I purchased boatyard polyester resin 5gal, never opened and the job then got postponed. It is now 10 months old. Has been stored in a fairly even cool temperature with a black plastic bag as well covering the container.
Should I assume its gone bad or ?
Yes, Mark, you should assume it’s gone bad. Polyester resin only has a shelf life of 6 months.
I’ve bought a liquid epoxy resin recently 50 ml to cover the bottom of a wooden tray 15″ x 11″ for about 1″ depth. I have researched everywhere to find out how much resin I need as I don’t want to waste it if I can use a smaller amount as it is expensive. Can you help me please?
Hi Elizabeth, this article will tell you how much resin you need: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/how-much-resin-do-i-need/
I am putting the resin on some autumn leaves. Can you give me any advice re doing this please?
They are going on the base of my tray as sent before.
Hi Elizabeth, you’ll want to use the resin as a coating. This article will help: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/how-to-use-epoxy-resin-on-wood/
If I wrap my resin containers in a duvet and put in a cupboard will it be warm enough to use ? The room I use is cold this time of year ( in Portugal no central heating cold floors and walls lol )
Jojo
Hi Josephine, you need a way to increase the heat. I don’t think a duvet in a cupboard is going to be enough.
I did a resin project today and after mixing I added pouring paint for color and the resin got thick. The thickener resin container has white oxidation on the bottle. Is it the problem?