Epoxy how does it work

I purchased this awesome vintage side table but the top is cracked. The glass top is completely attached to the wood design so I cant replace the glass without getting rid of the design. Its it possible to just to use epoxy to cover the glass? This way it feels smooth to the touch? I actually dont mind the cracked look of the glass. Any advice on applying resin to spray painted surfaces?

Trouble is the spray paint keeps leaching into the resin and causing discoloration. Not sure if this is a solvent on solvent issue or what? Starting to think it might be a better idea to make moulds first and then affix them using modge podge or something rather than pouring the resin straight into the bottle caps.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated! I would try coating them with our resin gloss sealer spray after using the colored spray paint layer. Thanks for this Katherine. Do you think this might suffice instead? I have this beautiful reclaimed barn wood table that was done in resin. There is a crack right down the center between two of the boards.

Is there a way I can fix the crevice without sanding the entire table down? The resin is quite thick and the table is enormous. I thought about maybe putting it into a syringe and squirting it into the crack then sanding the entire table and sealing it. What is the best way to avoid fish eyes? What is the best way to fix them? I keep getting them when pouring on a clean, flat surface and then sanding and repouring to fix.

It results in multiple pours that I thought no are unnecessary and expensive! There HAS to be a better way! I have been using resin for a while now and I use real flowers. The flowers with red or pink pigment in them they change color turning either blue or green. Please help me!

I am wanting to make Nav lights for my boat and am thinking of making a 2 pour piece. The back side would be black and the front would be clear. Can I first pour the black and allow it to dry enough to add my electronics and then encapsulate the remaining area in clear?

Yesterday I poured resin over beer caps that I had hot glued down to wood trays, yesterday evening, my husband noticed on the largest tray, the resin, along with the caps, have pulled up in the corner of the tray, can you tell me what is the best way for him to use or do to get something under that lifted resin, then do we put something heavy on it to hold it down til the resin is glued back down!

Please help! You can try to put some two-part, five minute cure epoxy underneath there to get it to glue back down. It sounds like something is acting like a mold release and is keeping the resin from bonding. Hi I have used resin at the bottom third of tall shot glasses to embed beads jewels etc.

I would like to do the same with a large glass bowl but worried about the appearance being spoiled by these cracks. Any tips? It was from eBay. The type that comes in a kit with gloves syringe and a tiny bottle of hardening agent. Quite generic craft resin. Based upon your description, it sounds like you are using a polyester casting resin.

I would switch to an epoxy for next time. I want to make something that is the equivalent of a giant paper weight.

Is there any way around making a mold? You said resin sticks to glass but what about metal? How can I keep the resin from seeping through the layers of soil and rock before it cures? Thank you!! You need to use something to act as a barrier. A thicker clear plastic could work in this case.

Thin plastic wrap like for food storage might melt with the heat of the resin. Dear Sirs. Plz suggest some easy way to soften it before mixing both.

I would suggest speaking with the manufacturer. I would like to make some resin bonded coasters with a paper insert and maybe a cork backing, is this feasible? Yes Pete, this can be done. I am planning on creating a sea glass table top. I followed the mixing instructions to the tee and also was able to get all of the bubbles out with a blow torch. Everything looked perfect. However after returning about a hour later — I found three-four large cracks throughout the box.

What did I do or not do to cause this to happen? Parks Super Glaze by Rust-oleum However, that makes sense as we were working outside under the sun and it was about 78 degrees that day.

Hello… I have just tried my 1st DIY using epoxy resin and created a tea tray. But while trying to remove the bubble the resin cracked. Please can someone suggest how i now repair this crack. The painted tiles have been modpoged on the colored side only and then a coat of mod podge deminssional magic has been added. Does adding a coat of epoxy to ceramic tile yield good results?

Do the tiles need to be sealed? Also, do I need to glue the tiles down before adding epoxy? The Mod Podge should work as a sealant before applying the resin.

Yes, I would glue them down before applying the epoxy otherwise they may shift. I use stainedglass and always get bubbles under the glass and if I try to use a pattern and place glass in the resin it moves and makes a complete mess, can I first pour a bit of resin wait until next day then lightly glue the glass in place and pour more resin?

You can do it this way, but you will still get bubbles underneath the glass. You need to use something other than resin to glue your pieces down, preferably, a glue you can completely brush onto the back.

I am making resin pyramids with a mix of crystals, copper and aluminium shavings added. Some parts are lovely and shiny and some parts are rough. This has happened on all but my first attempt!

Naturally, the added materials sink to the bottom of the mould but I have seen others where they are more evenly spread throughout the whole piece. How would I use epoxy as a rub? To create a thinner epoxy fnish. More like a poly. I know there are different kinds of epxoy, but is there a type that takes longer to dry, or thinner mix? Hi I am having problems with my finished rings. But after some time the image gets discolored. Do you why that is and how do I stop the discoloration. Read through many posts not sure if I saw this above.

This heart is then being attached to a frame for hanging. Is this all crazy or does it sound possible. Hi, I was wondering if I could use epoxy on all sides of a jewelry box by masking off a side at a time? I would pour and let cure, then move on to the next. Would the epoxy hold up on the vertical sides after curing?

What issues do you foresee? Ok, I zero idea how to resin and stumbled onto this site… I have a weird question and hope someone here can give me some ideas. My cat passed away last month and I have her ashes. I am thinking I can then seal the now exposed part with resin and then seal the protective cover permanently this is a Sun Company Wrist Turtle, you can get a idea on Amazon.

Hi there. I will be using resin to cover my new porch with bottle tops. I was thinking of using plasticine in them to fix to the floor. But should I grout them down first as to use less resin? Also would this help with cure time and sinking resin? My idea is little foam roses about 4cm in diameter, heads up in clear glass like resin. Do you have any tips on how to get it as near to perfect as possible? Meaning do I stick the roses to the grease proof paper and pour directly on top on them so the resin gets right in between the petals and what not?

Thank you for your time! I would be happy to set you up for a 15 or 30 minute consultation call. If you want to send an email through our contact page, I am happy to respond with prices and availability. I was wondering if epoxy resin will stick to textured glass? More specifically those microwave round glass turntables. The bottom is textured and I want to adhere a lazy suzan to the bottom. Anybody had any experience in this? Hi… I was wondering how to prevent dried flower from floating and any glitter from drowning.

Maybe You know how to suspend it in the whole resin piece like pendant ar earrings, only small things. Hi Vi, to keep the glitter from sinking you will need to use one that is very fine. I like the Stampendous micro glitter. To keep the flowers from floating, you will need to pour in layers.

Very cool reads here. I am wanting to make a custom cribbage board for my grandma. I have very little experience but am pretty good at getting what I done as long as I have a plan. My idea is to purchase a preglued round board. Sand, and stain and paint any game markings I need around the perimeter. Next lay pressed lilac in the center and then seal with epoxy.

Then I would need to drill all of the tiny holes. I guess im looking for tips on if my steps seem to be the best order for my project and any potential issues i may run into. I can set you up for a 15 or 30 minute consultation call.

I would like to sticker bomb a cooler top and seal it with pouring resin. Do you know if resin can be used to seal plastics like that?

Hi, Im making a river resin table using palette wood. I have 2 challenges: 1- what to tape can i use to hold the mold, we dont have the special release tape usually used in epoxy and if found it will be very expensive. As for the mold itself, if you can find something wax based, that may work. Why is it so hard to clean up my mixing cups and spreaders and even my heavy rubber gloves after I use epoxy resin?

This stuff never seems to go away. I use denatured alcohol and soak my mixing buckets in it but it always seems to be there. Are you wiping the cups as well? I find I need to wipe out as much residue with paper towels, then use acetone on a paper towel to do a final wipe. Hi, I am using train for a art project and I am using seaglass to make a picture, and I was wondering if I need to spray the seaglass with something to seal it or anything like that. If the seaglass changes appearance when getting wet, then yes, you need to seal it.

If I wanted to do an oil painting and mixed media and use resin as a protective topcoat in replace of varnish, which medium should I begin with? A clear-drying white glue is best. I have my eye on a decorative ceramic bowl that I would like to make into a vessel sink, but it will probably not be durable enough.

However, the glass keeps cracking?! Any idea what is happening? The epoxy resin does get quite hot when setting.

I use epoxy artresin by resin for decor. I did a faux marble design on the wall using an acrylic paint and decided to coat the surface of the faux marble with epoxy resin, but instead of having a flat glassy surface I rather obtained a surface that appeared like a texcote surface.

Please how do I apply epoxy on my faux marble and achieve a glass surface. Great Tips! I was looking for something like this. I was actually not able to find the proper tips to use that resin. But, now your blog really helped me a lot. Thank you for such great and informative tips. Please do keep sharing. Question, with epoxy resin adhere to a plastic bucket if I spray with mold release?

Thank you in advance. I have tried twice to cover my acrylic paintings with resin. Each time I clean the canvas and completely dry, level my canvas, and take all precautions for a clear coating. Each time my canvas ends up with pits in the resin after drying.

What am I doing wrong? It sounds like you may not be using enough resin. Have you checked with our resin volume calculator? If I want to inlay into a picture frame and cover with resin… What should i use to caulk the glass to the frame so the resin epoxy doesnt run through? I am working on a tumbler cup. I needed to separate two pieces of vinyl, so I used clear sticker paper and there are large bubbles and you can see the outline of the clear paper. Any suggestions on how to fix this without having to redo the project?

Hi, Can you put resin over flex seal in the spray can. Ok, so I did the black flex seal over the stainless steel cup.

The texture was amazing and in places there were some coverage that was not complete and it had turned bronze. But I liked the bronze peeking out so I left it that way. However, when I applied the resin the textured look that i was going for disappeared. My son loved it though, so I count it a win. Was wondering what i could use to coat resin so that it doesnt melt? Not sure if you already answered this question or not. I am making serving trays and would like to use resin on all surfaces including vertical ones ; can the resin be applied by brush or other tool to paint it on and get a strong thick, glassy, waterproof surface.

Currently I am spraying on a glossy product from hobby lobby. Hi Jill, yes, you can use resin for this purpose, but you need to do one horizontal surface at a time.

Otherwise, the resin will drip off. A doming resin is what you should use. Hi, What if I want to use the quick drying epixy resin available on amazon in a martini glass? Will there be a reaction? Please help me in this. Secondly how do I create space for cube when the resin is setting. Regards, Veda.

When pouring resin onto a polyurethane sheet, should you coat the polyurethane? I would like to use the resin in a mold….. Thanks so much. Hi Jenny, yes you need to use a mold specifically designed for resin. I have a question about sanding resin!

Is it safe to do it in a well ventilated area inside? Would outside be safe? Hello I am building a teardrop caravan with plywood panels Should I use a grp type matting with the epoxy resin I need matting I think as the ply panels are butted next to each other especially on the curved areas. And goodness, what are you doing that the music is that loud. Go girl!! As for its toxicity, it can be dangerous if proper safety precautions are not followed.

Hello, I wanted to ask if epoxy can be used with plastic or metal moulds and if not can I use a separating medium to avoid it sticking to the moulds. Hello Mohamed, resin works great in plastic molds. Katherine, This is my 1st epoxy project. I used tuck tape around the edges of the pour area but I used masking tape to cover the surfaces of the wood to avoid accidents during the pours into areas that can be narrow at different points.

What will happen if epoxy gets on the masking tape? Will it bead up until it cures? Or something worse? What containers do you recommend for the pour? Something reusable. Hi Len, the resin will cover the masking tape. If this happens to you, you will need to remove the resin while it is gelled and somewhat pliable. I am making coffee table from an old pallet.

Once that has cured I want to pour resin on the top for a nice flat finish. What should I seal the wood with before I start to pour? What kind of resin should I use for the slots with the stones? For the table? I have never worked with resin before and am feeling a bit overwhelmed. Hi Kristin, You have a lot going on here! Can you tell me how you are using the plexiglass? This is my first time using Clear Polyester Casting Resin. I am trying to make balls and a bigger sphere with a couple different molds.

And I find that after filling the mold up and leaving it to cure, the resin has sunk down quite a bit- not making a ball. I am mixing and pouring the resin outside in the heat, about 90 degrees, and leaving the molds cover in an air conditioned studio, 72 degrees for a couple of days to cure. Any ideas of what is casing me to not have a smooth object? Hi Jessica, it sounds like your resin is getting too hot. Hi Shannon, it may be that you need to use a harder curing resin. The Resin Obsession super clear resin and deep pour epoxy resin cure hard for projects like this.

I have a project in mind that involves imbedding whole books into the resin. If they are closed do they need sealing? And if one is opened to show a page, that one needs to be sealed but do the rest need to be?

Greetings, I am currently hunting for anyone who can help me on a huge project. Hi, I have hunted high and low and can not find an answer to this question. I new to this whole resin thing but have a rather ambitious project. I would like to put a stacked paper calendar into resin. It is basically a flip a day calendar from left to right.

I am going to have to make a mold because I want to keep the outside shape but encase it in Resin. Would you suggest gluing the stack of papers together first then coating it for the Resin. Would that help remove it from a silicone mold? It would be like opening a hard cover book and encasing it open in resin.

Would be grateful for any suggestions you can provide. I have a quick question! Any advice would be great. Hi Shoshana, you can do a pour on a piece of plywood that thick, but you will need to create a stable supporting structure for it to rest on to serve as your desktop. Epoxy and resin sure are increasing in popularity. Do you sell epoxy for garage floor too, or just crafting? Hi, I am doing something wrong, can you please help?

I purchased glass for fireplaces etc. I want to resin everything except the half glass. My questions are: Will the resin act as a glue with the glass chips when poured inside the half glass or do I have to glue each piece of glass to each other and then to the inside of the acrylic half glass? Will the resin melt the half glass when I cover the glass chips ice with resin? Do I resin everything on the canvass first, then glue the glass? I would appreciate any assistance.

Hi Katherine, Thanks for your tips! When using only clear resin on a large surface, I find that sometimes it shows wrinkles or waves instead of being a glassy surface. Thanks for your help! Hi Kaitlin, it sounds like you may not be using a doming resin. I have both a mold release wipe-on wax, as well as spray mold release from smooth-on… Which would work better for the easiest mold removal?

I am trying to create a bottle cap bar top and first want to glue the bottle caps to the bar top. I was thinking of using a layer of ova glue to place the caps onto and then to pour another layer on top of that to level everything out then pour the resin on top of the ova glue.

The resin will also surround the glue as I have left mm around the edge but will the resin react with the glue? Do these tips also work for epoxy countertops? Also, besides the quantity, are there any differences from regular epoxy to epoxy for countertops? I also read here that spills left for too long can permanently stain the project. They can be used in a wide variety of applications that secure them in the use of epoxies in general. Novolac epoxies are similar in some ways to Bisphenol F epoxies in the way that they are both formed.

Bisphenol F is actually the simplest form of Novolac resins. Novolacs, however, have more reactive groups in their overall subgroup and is more highly crosslinked than both Bisphenol A and Bisphenol F.

You should note that Novolac has higher curing temperatures in general and is more of a delicate epoxy than some of the other ones we've looked at thus far. Novolac epoxies are much more viscous than the others, and this results in what is called higher functionality.

The higher the functionality, the greater the crosslink overall. Bisphenol F resins, for example, have a slightly higher functionality than Bisphenol A resins, and so they have a better resistance to a greater number of chemicals in general. Along with this, the chemical resistance of Bisphenol F resins is better because of its lower viscosity when compared with Bisphenol A resins. There is also percent solid putty epoxies.

These are formulated with liquid epoxies which are then added to other types of formulations. They are bulked up to the consistency of a putty by adding certain other ingredients that contribute to the putty consistency. These solventless solid putty epoxies are commonly used to seal over rivets or other similar areas, as splash zone compounds that can be mixed and cured underwater, and as full surfaces for the protection of concrete walls and floors.

The water resistance of percent solid putty epoxies is very high, but the filler content that's required can degrade its reaction with certain other chemicals that are essential for good working order of the epoxy. Epoxy powders provide performance of a similar quality to liquid epoxies.

The epoxies are made by dry grinding the ingredients involved in the epoxy process in a pulverizing fashion. Thicker protective coatings are made by that dry grinding process. Powder coatings are applied by heating up the item that's going to be coated and dipping it in the powder or by applying the powder with electrostatic spray. Depending on the scope and amount of epoxy applied on a material, the curing time can last for a few minutes to more than 24 hours.

Measure based on weight NOT volume. The 1 cup of resin may not be the same weight as 1 cup of hardener. This is why it is very important to use a scale when measuring. The chemical bond in epoxy resin is firm which gives it the ability to stick together until it fully dries.

When it is dried on open air, the chemicals stick together to form a shiny solid coat. However, when placed between two materials, such as wood or fiber glass, the chemicals bond together to stick to the pores of the materials and solidifies in place. This is why epoxy resin is virtually impossible to remove when used as an adhesive.

Once epoxy resin is poured, cured and solidifies on a material, it's impossible to revert it to its liquid state. Epoxy resin is solidifies when in contact with heat, resistant to chemicals and is an electrical insulator. This is why once it's cured, it can never be "uncured". Preparation and caution are important when using epoxy resin. It is advised to cover your entire work area with plastic, use disposable clothing and protective gloves when using epoxy resin.

Once it is applied on a surface, epoxy resin can be hard to remove, which is why it should be applied carefully as much as possible. As for its curing time, it's important to follow the manufacturers' instructions on the recommended temperature and time. These instructions can usually be found on product manuals and the manufacturers' website.

With proper application, and understanding of how epoxy resin works , pros and beginners alike can properly use this compound to their advantage. From boat fixing to furniture repair, all the way to art decor making, epoxy resin can work wonders on any surface it is applied to.