So you want to start casting epoxy. I’m sure you have seen videos on Instagram or youtube and thought that it looked like a fun hobby. Welp, it is. It’s pretty amazing. You can have fun making all kinds of amazing furniture and art projects with this stuff. For the DIY inspired at-home hobbyist, it can be a perfect addition to your product building knowledge. I have gone over the tools needed to get started when creating epoxy magic but I haven’t really talked about what things to do or not to do when dealing with epoxy

Follow the rules

This seems like something that doesn’t need to be said. You would assume that anyone working with a new product for the first time would take the instructions, and then read them, and then follow them step by step to get the job is done. Right? While this seems like a no brainer more often than not I am reading about how someone didn’t follow the directions and ended up with an uncured mess. Even a well know Youtuber admitted to not following the directions and ruining his project. So make sure you READ the directions. The most important things to worry about when it comes to using resin are the mixing and curing temperature instructions.

Protect your self

So resin can get sticky. It can get messy. It can get everywhere. Protecting yourself is extremely important when working with this material. There have been times when I didn’t think my fingers would ever come apart because I didn’t wear gloves when pouring lol! Wear clothes that you don’t mind ruining because the chances that you are going to get some on you are pretty high. I’m sure the cleanest of clean will have no problem but for your average normal human definitely dawn some threads you can part with and not have qualms about it. Eye protection isn’t really necessary when dealing with a resin specifically. For me, I make a lot of tables and wear glasses anyways so I’m basically always protected. Make a special work area for the mess you are going to make. A lot of people suggest using big huge drop cloths and blankets which can be good. If you are going to be resin casting a lot I would suggest setting up a specific table to create your masterpieces on. I personally have a whole room dedicated to epoxy projects separate from my woodworking area. I could luckily spare the room I know not everyone has this luxury.

Epoxy Ocean

Stop the mess

Resin gets EVERYWHERE! I mean it can get into any nook and cranny and the tiniest of small holes you could ever imagine. If you are like me you aren’t always using really nice silicone molds for little jewelry items. I know a large majority of epoxy resin hobbyists do exactly that but others like me who dive into tables need to hear this. SAND AND SEAL EVERYTHING! Seal your wood, seal the edges of your molds WELL. The resin will find a way out guaranteed. I have had many times when I thought a mold was all the way sealed up just to find myself trying frantically to wipe it clean and add silicone or hot glue why it just seeped out of a tiny missed crack. When taping up the back of the wood to cover holes or nots make sure you sand the wood down first and get good seals all around. Bubbles in your tape will not be helpful and can definitely run the risk of creating a tiny sealed epoxy pod on the bottom of your work. Tape as tight and as secure as you can. When using a homemade mold make sure to seal the inside around all corners and edges. Using black or a dark-colored silicone is actually beneficial for this reason as a lot of molds end up being white on the inside you can see areas where there might be holes and fix them a little easier. I use silicone and hot glue for sealing up my molds and I suggest you do the same. When sealing your wood just mix up a little epoxy and paint it all over. Were trying to reduce gasses trapped in the wood that leak out during the pour process. So make sure that you follow this step as well as it will save you heartbreak and the annoyance of having to sit with a hair dryer trying to pop bubbles in your epoxy as they rise for hours at a time. Dont forget to warm up your epoxy. This will also help keep the bubble population to a minimum when mixing and pouring. Post any questions down below hope this helps!!!