Okay, resin mixing is a chemical reaction!

You gotta take it a little more seriously than Modge Podge.

You do not want to get this stuff on any of your clothes, hands, or really anything else important to you. It's pretty much permanent on anything that isn't your skin and wax paper. (Thank god or half of my fingers would be casted in resin at this point)



I use a plastic tray and wax paper as my surface. Follow the instructions on your resin kit to the T. The resin to hardener ratio really completely depends on the brand of resin you are using, but the stirring time is usually 60 seconds for all of them. Use the popsicle sticks or tongue depressors to mix, scraping the sides and the bottom a couple of times during the process. It's important that all of the resin is able to react with the hardener, and if not the project will never completely solidify. Disposable liquid medicine cups are perfect for measuring the parts before mixing. I also always pour the mixture into a new cup after the 60 seconds as a fail-safe.

The only other advice I have is to work quickly after it's been mixed.



The unhardened resin mixture is goopy but still easy enough to pour from a cup into the mold. I first pour a penny-sized amount into the bottom of however many molds I am using. Then I pick the fruit disks up with either popsicle sticks or throw away chopsticks, and push it down into the puddle of resin so that it just starts to seep up the sides of the slice. I do this for all of the molds before I pour anymore resin.

An edit from a friendly fellow-instructabler:

The trick I learned is to heat the resin in a hot water bath BEFORE you mix in your hardener. This will reduce the viscosity or goopy-ness and will be way easier to work with! I take an old margine/butter container, put water in it and nuke it till it's somewhat hot. I then pour the resin into my mixing cup (or take the bottle the resin is in), then put that into this hot water bath. After a minute or two, take the resin out - THEN mix in the hardener. Stir as usual and then just pour. You really don't need the extra step of transferring it into another cup. Just stir gently but thoroughly so you don't get too many bubbles.

The temp and airflow DO affect the cure process. Raise the ambient temp in the room and it will cure way faster OR put a hair dryer on it - it will harden up very quickly!



Thank you CraigRJess!

Once all of your fruit slices are in the mold on top of the first pour of resin, pour another layer on top. I usually fill the second layer enough so that the texture of the fruit is below the surface of the resin.

Again depending on the type of resin you use, or if you have mixed your resin thoroughly enough with the right ratio, these pendants will take a while to cure. Resin doesn't really "dry". Airflow, temperature, or environmental factors don't necessarily effect the curing process. It is a chemical reaction between the hardener and the resin. You don't need to turn on any fans, put it in the freezer or oven, or do anything at all except for put the curing molds in a room far away from where you sleep (it stinks up the house). Outside is also not the best idea... Just make sure no little ones or pets can get their hands/paws on it.