As a beginner, working with resin may seem hard, risky, or even scary. You might worry that you’ll make mistakes! Even if you do, they are fixable, usually by adding another layer of resin or sanding out the imperfections. If you know just a few basic tips you might just fall in love with resin!
Use the Right Resin For your Project
It might be confusing to pick the right product because resins are different, some are made for deep pours for projects like river tables, casting, molding, Alphabet Letters, Jewellery, Coasters, Casting, and Crafting. UltraCast Resin is perfect for these projects.
Some resins are made for coating Table Tops, Countertops, Bar Tops, and Paintings. Our Professional Resin works best for that and dries very fast.
Another type of resin is used for Beach scenes, Tumblers, and coating Acrylic art. Our Regular Epoxy Resin is excellent for coating wood, cloth canvases, or metal.
We have three different resin kit sizes for each type. Find the right one for your project.
Quality of the Resin
Use good quality resin, some Resin brands turn yellow. Our Resin contains zero VOCs, has UV Resistance to protect against yellowing, and provides a crystal-clear finish. On top of that, our resins are safe for incidental contact with food once cured and have a low odour during application. All this at an affordable price and proudly manufactured locally in Canada.
Safety First
Before you start working, always read the safety instructions. The resin kit has two parts: Part A and Part B . Part A is Resin and Part B is a hardener.
You can download the safety data sheet for each of our kits’ parts.
Epoxy Resin Kit safety data sheets Resin Part A and Hardener Part B
UltraCast Resin Kit safety data sheets Resin Part A and Hardener Part B
Professional Resin Kit safety data sheets Resin Part A and Hardener Part B
Read the Instructions
Resins have different mixing ratios, working times, and drying times, so always read the instructions first. Resin’s working and drying times are mentioned in the instructions for each kit
if you are not sure which resin is right for your project read the comparison of all our resins
What you Need in the Process
Before you start mixing grab all the things required, here is a list
- Resin Kit (Resin and hardener)
- Colors (if desired)
- Mixing cup/bowl
- Measuring pump
- Stirring sticks
- Mold (if required in the project)
- A sheet to protect the working surface
- Gloves
- Napkin/towel and acetone for cleanup
Prepare Resin Work Space
Choose a dust-free, well-ventilated, and uninterrupted space to work. Our resins have no fumes or VOCs, so you can safely use them indoors. Resin takes a long to cure so make sure your workspace has no risk of getting dust particles or pet hair in your wet resin.
Tip: Use a sheet or a mat for any spills.
How is The Weather Today
The resin cures best in warm and dry conditions, if the resin is too hot, wait for it to cool. or it will cure quickly and you have less time to finish your project. If the resin is too cold, warm it up in a tub of warm water for 2-5 minutes. Read How to use resin in cold weather?
Tip: Avoid pouring resin outdoors when it’s raining. Resin does not like to mix with water.
Prepare Resin Accessories
Silicon collects dust and particles, so wash your silicon molds and dry them with a napkin. Resin Molds are available in different shapes and sizes. We have a variety of cubes, balls, round disk molds, alphabets, and number molds.
Mix Resin
Find out the mixing ratio instructions on your resin kit and measure out the exact portions of part a and part b. Our measuring pump fits on all our big bottles and is very useful for easy and accurate dispensing of our resin. Aim to mix for 2-3 minutes max.
Grab the silicon stirring sticks and start mixing slowly to avoid bubbles, as vigorous mixing creates bubbles. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of your mixing container to make sure that resin and hardener are mixed thoroughly.
This is the right time to add color if you want, Our resin colors are quite concentrated so add just a small amount of our mica powder, glow powder (yes it glows in dark), or blue pigment to the mixture and mix again. Repeat this process until you achieve the desired shade.
Tips: Mix slowly to avoid bubbles. To 100% ensure that everything is mixed, you can mix once, then pour all the mixed resin into another cup and continue mixing for 30-45 seconds. That way you know everything is mixed thoroughly in the second cup. This isn’t always necessary but if you are working on a particularly important project, it could be worth considering.
The Clock is Ticking
Once the resin is mixed, work quickly because the resin slowly starts curing during the mixing process and the longer the mixed resins stays in the cup, the hotter it gets and the faster it starts to cure. So only mix as much resin as you plan on using right away. Do not leave mixed resin sitting in a cup for longer than 10 minutes as it will start to flash cure very quickly.
How to Avoid Bubbles
Warming the space helps, temperature difference produces surface tension which traps bubbles when you pour your resin. You can also gently warm the molds (generally to 150F) before use.
If you still see bubbles, you can try using a syringe to suck them up or use a heat gun / kitchen torch to pop those bubbles and leave you a nice bubble-free surface.
Not as effective as a heat gun, a blow dryer can also help pop those annoying bubbles although it might move the resin.
Pouring the Layers
If you are doing multiple coats, make sure you follow the appropriate re-coat windows for your type of resin found in the instruction booklet.
Tip: Waiting works great if you want to add different colors to the layers!
Leave it Uninterrupted Until it’s Cured
I know we want to see the results fast but patience is the key here! just don’t touch the uncured resin because you don’t want to accidentally ruin the finish, leave fingerprints or end up creating weird curly patterns. It is best to cover your project to cure with a plastic sheet to avoid dust or hair.
Mistakes are a Fact of Life
It’s okay if something is messed up! If you find a piece of hair or dust particles in your resin. Just heat the area with a heat gun or dryer until the resin starts to soften and then remove the hair or you can sand out the trapped unwanted stuff and add a new layer of resin if required.
If you want it shinier, simply add a glossy resin topcoat to shine up a matte finish. Our Professional Resin is best for glossy top coats and dries super fast.
Clean Up
It’s much easier to clean if you use silicone molds, stirring sticks, and mixing cups. If you don’t have silicone accessories make sure to wipe the resin out while it’s still wet.
Resins are not dishwasher or microwave safe, so wash with hands only. You can use acetone or denatured alcohol to clean resin spills while the resin is still wet.
Store your Resin
Tighten the lids and store your leftover resin kit bottles in a dry, dark, room-temperature location. Our resins have an approximate 1-year shelf life. The Part A resin might crystallize in the bottle overtime, especially if it gets cold during storage. If this happens, all you have to do is dip the bottle into hot water (the hotter the better) until it melts back to normal. Then it’s good to go again!
Remember as Moore said “Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow.”
Have fun and enjoy your next resin project!