For dotting tools, beginners kits, mandala stencils, stone molds, and ALL of your dot art needs, please visit the one-stop-shop, my website at www.DotArtDepot.com Great deals and a 10% off coupon! Restocking items daily.
Do one half. The top half. Let it fully set. Do the bottom. Let it fully set. Do this a couple times. Make each coat, very thin, so there is minimal drips and runs. watching this video, you used too much at a time. Much thinner, and to get your thickness, do it multiple times.
Thank you 🙏 i am about to do these for my toddler with A-Z letter on them 26 rocks. Wondering do i do the resin first and after drying write the letters with a acrylic paint and then resin again?!? how long will it take to dry the resin once applied with that fire This is my first time ever plz help
Lydia this video is a huge success. Everyone has responded to your own questions & each others' from their own experiences with such generosity of spirit that they combine with you to form an invaluable tutorial. I've been researching heavily before opening my resin bottles and at last all my questions have been answered although I'm sure I'll be chipping in with some more when I start resining in earnest! Sincere thanks to you and everyone who has responded below and urge people to keep responding, this is a living platform!
Depending on how you're going to use these stones, you could glue a piece of felt to the flat spot on the bottom. That would protect a table the stone might sit on as well as covering the dull spot. Just an idea.
Just sub'd to your chanel and I have painted rocks for nearly 16 or 17 yrs . I recently picked up a tip when doing resin on my rocks which I think you will also benefit from. I too have tried the silicone mat and hated the flat bit left underneath , so dont do that anymore, I saw someone putting 4 screws into a piece of balsa wood so the screws are sticking upwards , worked great apart from balsa wood is too flimsy so i changed it to a piece of pallet wood for extra weight and it is brilliant. |Dont put too much resin on , just wipe it on with gloved hands and rest rock onto the 4 screws , check for small drips within half hr or so and wipe them - the result is a perfect rock with maybe 4 tiny dots where the screws contacted the resin , the heavier the rock the more they left a small mark , which you can tap away with a small hammer or another rock ? up to you. This has made my life of rock painting 100 times better so I made several " racks " to accomadate assorted sized rocks from tiny to large....best results i've ever had.
Your solution reminded me of the little doohickies they use when firing glazed items in a kiln. The purpose is essentially the same. You don't want your glaze touching anything else during the firing process to get that glossy look. You will still get the same marks although its possible they could be smaller. They are called ceramic tripod stilts. Not cheap but if time is short and money somewhat plentiful.... haha.
I saw something similar elsewhere. The artist put 4-6 push pins (bulletin board coloured push pins) pointy side up in a shallow plastic container and added resin to cover the pins halfway. When it set, you get a solid tool with pointy tips on which to rest a rock.
Hi just thiught i would try to help with your resin drips, you can actually sand them down until they are smooth and then reapply a very thin layer of resin just in those areas and thats it! Hope it helps😊
What a great idea, Lydia. I learned something new again from you. I love how they turned out. I've read the comments, and people have given some great ideas to solve the bottom flat issue. I've never worked with resin. Not worried about it after seeing this video. I'm gonna give it a go. TFS!
Great to hear someone else applying resin this way Billie. That's the way I prefer to do but as yet I haven't mastered the art of doing it without the odd run here and there. For me, there's nothing to touch a resin finish, I'm using Art Resin as that's one of the few brands available here in the UK but I will look for the Amazing Cast Resin you mention in your post.
You need to sand down the drips on the one done previously. I would do the bottom first and then the top but use less resin! you can always put on a second coat later :)
Thanks a bunch for the video! Was very educational and very good timing, as I ran I to an issue with my rocks and was looking for a better protective coat. Thank you, love your work!
If you resin rocks and place them on a Shiny surface, the bottom will be shiny, Your matte was flat/not shiny that is why the bottom of the rock is not shiny. Also, Gorgeous rocks :)
Maybe an old cookie sheet? When we laminate carbon fibre panels at work we lay them up on sheets of stainless steel before we infuse them with epoxy resin and cure them and the bottom always cures smooth and glossy.
I actually use shiny cheap dollar tree containers to put my rocks in so that the bottoms are shiny. Also, you can use shiny inexpensive clear shower curtain liners. You don’t need to use a lot of resin, I made the mistake of using too much creating a pool on the bottom. I use Art Resin brand and love it! I have a 40 minute working window, it does not yellow or have strong fumes and it is safe to put food on for say a wooden cheese board for example. I use this for all of my rocks. Thanks for all your wonderful tutorials Lydia!
I do that too. It leaves a nice shiny surface. The best i have found are just cheep dollar store containers. I put them on the lid side and then put the bottom on top to keep dust off. I have three cats! I do it this way as I know the rock isn’t hitting the side of the container...I did that once and it left a happy mistake. I now have a rock with a nice flat edge to it up on...anyway as long as you are aware of what ever surface the refined rock it’s on it will transfer onto the rock. I like someone’s idea of putting felt on the bottom of the rocks too!
I have a couple of suggestions - I use an actual silicone mat to put my rocks on (they are actually silicone mats I bought originally for using on cookie sheets, lol) and that makes a big difference, but the first time I tried resin I used similar mats to yours. I’m quite new to resin, but I expected the flat marks as I’ve heard this from a few different people who work with resin as well as this tutorial. Once they were dry, my hubby told me to sand out the flat marks & little ridge off the bottom, which made it look a little cloudy...I was ready to panic, but once I was finished, he hit them with some polyurethane spray (I now use the resin spray I told you about & did the amazon link for in one of your other videos) and they glossed right back up! You have to be very careful to not use heavy grit sandpaper or stones - start with medium grit to get the worst of the ridge off & then finish with fine/extremely fine grit. You CAN do it by hand but you’ll be there forever - I just used my Dremel tool and the little sanding stones it came with...it worked PERFECTLY!! Btw - I ran out of the resin spray recently and ended up trying just a regular polyurethane spray I bought at Walmart (it was a Krylon gloss spray) and it still worked really well...but it just doesn’t dry as glossy as the actual resin finishing spray, so although it’s more expensive, this is one of those situations where you’re getting what you pay for. 😉 One other hint/tip - I live in Alberta, Canada, and it’s VERY cold during the winter...I was warned to warm up my epoxy & harder prior to mixing by putting the carefully closed/sealed containers into warm to hot (NOT boiling) water first. Be VERY careful to NOT Let water get into your bottlrs!! It will turn them cloudy and you’ll have ruined your product! I use the same brand you did in this one, and those red sealer caps under the top caps are wonderful for peace of mind (along with the common sense of just not letting the water be higher than the airspace inside the jugs, lol) I hope these tips help - your stones are SUCH beautiful works of art, and the resin will add such an extra layer of beauty to them. I was very lucky to have your experiences and those of other UA-cam rock artists to go off of prior to trying resin and I’m extremely grateful - best of luck 💕
Very useful information! Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of spray resin to shine up the dull spots after sanding and actually if it is that awesome, I'll try and cover it in a future tutorial to show the results. I appreciate your help. :) :*
I have never done both sides at one time. I always did one side, usually the back side first (IF it has a back side) so I could sand down any drips. I would then flip it over and resin the top. The flat part is just the resin that ran down because gravity made it go. Like another poster said, if the surface it touched was a flat/not shiny surface, you will have a flat look to the resin. I like mine all shiny so I make one side at a time.
I've been thinking of trying this method - doing one side, curing, then doing the other. I'm curious to know if you can see the line of demarcation between the two sides, on the edge of the rock. Can you tell at all where the two sides meet if you apply it thin enough?
I do the same thing as Gin, I put felt with sticky backing on mine. I set mine up on med cups or those 30 ml cups you get with cough medicine (the nurse in me calls them med cups). You get a smaller area of buildup you have to deal with. I just use an exacto knife to cut off what I don’t want and then cover it with felt.
I put a little resin in my left hand and rub onto the backside. Then I put a dab on the top and smooth it all over the front. Most of the time I rub the rock all over like a bar of soap. I then place on freezer paper or on Penguin Art Supplies Arts and Crafts Drying Racks I purchased from Amazon. I tend to use the shorter posts side. I may add a little more resin to the top side. I find I have little to no shelf on the bottom. If I have a few “bumps” from excess resin, I use sandpaper to rub them down. Some people then redab the spots that are a little dull with more resin. As I give away the majority of my stones, I don’t do this - more time consuming for “free stones”!!!
Lydia, for ones that I resin that end up with a flat spot on the bottom I just use a palm sander to sand it down and then I use a spray sealer to seal it as most times there is not anything on the back that is super important. I do put my initials and rock group etc on there but the spray sealer works great for that and the resin epoxy on the top and sides is not damaged by the little bit of sanding on the bottom. If it is a smaller rock I use water bottle caps to set it on and this minimizes the flat resin bottom and I can sand off the little bumps that occur.
Re: the issues in the bottom..I’ve watched several tutorials on resin, and most either put a piece of felt on the resin dot, or else use a Dremel tool once dry, and then paint over it with the black or whatever, and then spray it with a high gloss top coat - OR - resin one side, Dremel off any extra bits and even it out, and then resin the other side. I just tried resin for the first time, and I used a Dremel tool, painted and did a top coat of canned resin spray. Looked almost exactly like the other side...plus I was able to sign & date it. Now I’m going to do resin on all rocks that I’ll be selling to a friend of mine who owns/operates a metaphysical type store (the rocks for her are inspirational word stones).
Lydia May of course!!! 💕 It’s called “Resin Spray” multi purpose gloss finish/sealer from Castin’ Craft. I buy mine through the art store here, but it can easily be found on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. It’s not cheap, but soooo worth it. Especially if you’re using it for this, as it doesn’t fill the way actual resin does, but it’s SUPER shiny! 😍
@@LydiaMay I do the same with the Dremel till smooth, add black paint if necessary but then I just use DuraClear Gloss varnish to add shine to where it needs it. Its the bottom only and you really can't tell where the gloss and resin meet. anyway good luck.
That is what I did with Drexel sanding stone. Just needed to do a little touch up and all was good! Just got a silicone mat and excited to see if the stones wont stick. I was using white freezer paper with wax on one side. Still too sticky. Your dot painting is gorgeous!
You really need to warn people of the dangers of working with resin. I and many others have had horrible chemical reactions. There is a Facebook page "Epoxy is not my friend" full of people who have had horrible reactions, swollen eyes, red faces, itching on the skin, etc. You HAVE to not only wear gloves, you should have your skin covered and be wearing a full respirator mask with filters that filter out organic matter. Please don't use resin irresponsibly. You also must use resin in a well-ventilated room that is not used for anything else. Do not let your pets or children in teh area where you are working with resin. The gases that come off the resin while it is curing is toxic.
Very fine wet sandpaper will help with rough edges caused by those tacks you used. Saw those q tips off, sand, paint and a drop of resin to hide what’s left. 😁
I have had the same disappointing results with resin.. Flat, ridged bottoms. I sanded those ridged areas down, then re-resined, placed on a smooth shiny plastic surface and got the same stubborn dull-looking ridge. I don’t like the feel of that sharp edged bottom. I like to be able to handle a rock and have it be smooth on both sides. I think I’m returning to my rustoleum, glass-finish spray :-) So much for several trials. Don’t like it.
Try putting a small puddle on top, wipe over the whole rock, like you did but stand on a home made stand (using wood and 4 screws poking through) then another puddle on top. You don’t mention the fumes. Do outside or in well ventilated area with a face mask unless they state you don’t need it! Thanks for your video!
Beautiful stones Lydia I also have a stone of red colour but the unusual thing about it is, it has too many dark red coloured straight lines on it. And one of my stone changes it colour when it's dry it looks white and whe it's wet it becomes pink. If you know their name or any information about my stones so please tell me.
Would it be safe to coat unpolished larimar slabs with resin to “polish” them and give them that glossy look? Hoping it won’t wear off of change color and/or damage it
I tried to resin my rocks, and when I was drying them, I put them on a silicone pad with some little techs under them to hold them up off the silicone. When I was done with the resining, the rocks were still a little bit sticky so I let them sit for about three days. But when I lifted them off of the nails, it seem like there was still all these trips underneath where you can’t even read my signature or the number That I painted on the rock. I use the ANB resin, and I use gloves, and when I put it on, I try to do it like I see in the videos so I use very little and I just rub it around like it’s a bar of soap. But it still seems like the resin gets through my gloves and I can’t get anything off my hands. I’ve used alcohol Clorox wipes vinegar, but nothing seems to work. How do I smooth the back of my rocks out? I’ve bought some sanding paper blocks to see if I can smooth them out but now it looks like I will have to resident over again. Would it be better to just lay it on the silicone?
Thanks Lydia, I have learned a lot from you! I think I will avoid resin too as it leaves the bottom with that layer. Can you do the bottom first and let dry and then do the top? Do you think that would get rid of the ridge left on the bottom? I would like to see other ways your “varnish” your stones. TFS
If you get silicone mats/sheets, which can be really cheap, they have a matt and a shiny side. The shiny sides are perfect for resin, which pops off when it's dry if you just flex the sheets. Or you can pick it off. Happy days.
I've seen woodturners making wood and epoxy resin things, they use Abranet sanding then polishing to a brilliant shine, maybe check it out to see if you could improve your finish. Thankyou for sharing your inspirational talent 😊 💖
You can wet sand the bottoms with a Real fine (300 grit) wet sand paper, By Hand, a Light hand... And, go to a polishing grit, still wet, and polish out the marks... I would try the bottom of the flat rock, as, the top leveled nicely... and, I am Know it works... I would advise an open area and a dust mask, for certain, mostly because it is meant for boats. (My brother-in-law works at a marina, fixing, painting, sanding boats, ... he is where I learned these techniques 😉) I hope this isn't redundant
@@LydiaMay Absolutely! I switched to the "craft Specific resin, Because of the toxicity of the marine stuff, However... in Such Small amounts, in a well ventilated area, Preferably with an exhaust fan, a "dust mask" will Actually make This process, with that specific resin Worse. It is Required for my brother-in-law to wear a respirator when he works. I Had to ask him some more detailed questions. Resin is Beautiful, as is your art, ... but, safety matters, ... I read All labels, but, that's me. I Still take "informed risk" too though. In art, sometimes we do that. What would the renaissance have looked like without Cad Red or Cad yellow? And, it is Deadly. Still in use today. I Use it. Anyhow... I asked him How dangerous it Really is, hes had this job for 15+ years... so, he watched your video, and gave me a few more tips. I always did mine outside. . But, that was, in all honesty, because, i got my resin free... when a bucket got low, around 1/2 a gallon, i would receive both parts because, they don't Mix resin from the bottom of the buckets...
A tip to save having to do top / front then back 2 nd - get a piece of wood about 3 inches wide and about a foot long , put some long screws in it , turn it over ( so screws are facing upwards ) put fully resin'd rock on to screws and leave until nearly set , moving once touchable to avoid over sticking , several sets of 4 screws for different sized rocks .
Hello, i'm new in dot art and enjoining your great detailed tutorials. from my experience i do varnish on 1 side and after it dries on the other side to avoid any signs and i use baking paper to put my stones to dry so it does not stick
If u have that flat spot if u are going to recoat u should sand it first so resin will stick..alot of people put felt on bottom to protect the tablevtop anyway.
Thank you 🙏 i am about to do these for my toddler with A-Z letter on them 26 rocks. Wondering do i do the resin first and after drying write the letters with a acrylic paint and then resin again?!? This is my first time ever plz help and how long will it take to dry the resin once applied with that fire gun
I would also try clay that does not harden. Using it to embed the stone making a seal and avoid drips all together. That is my go to tool when doming pieces that are uneven.
When you apply the resin, do you have to coat the entire rock or will it allow you to do just a small section. Reason I ask is I was to put a small tag on it and I’d only like for that piece to be protected. Thank you for your time.
I resin before painting when I do a mandala and the stone is pitted w/ small holes. It fills in the tiny holes and allows for a smooth surface to dot paint, I then apply a small amount of resin over the mandala.
if you still have the 2 big unpainted rocks you coated in the video try a uv or blacklight on them......they appear to be yooperlite/flourescent sodalite they may glow really cool!
maybe I missed you sating this already but are you resinating the stones prior to painting them? I have always painted them then either covered with sealer or resin..same issues as you trying various things to set them on, now I only do the tops and sides. love the wiping it on with a glo9ve idea game changer there!
Perhaps UV resin would be a better choice you can coat half at a time and cure, before doing the other side . Also UV resin only takes minutes instead of hours to cure.
What surface makes it not stick. I have a hard time removing from plastic bin surface. And also tried Costco pumpkin pie lid. Some stones peaked off resin with the paint design
I use a silicone mat and It works great except cleaning the mat afterwards is a bit challenging. When you stir the resin, do you scrape the sides and bottom? I need a torch!
You want to use a surface LIKE the way you want the resin to look when you set it on. The mat you used was Matte- so you got that large matte patch. If you use something glossy, you will most likely get a little patch but it’ll be glossy and you can kinda sand it to smooth it
I haven't read any comments I'm just suggesting that you wet sand possibly or hit it with a torch again. I suggest possibly putting a little less. definitely good work👍 I'm probably going to get done reading this and realize that's his post for 2014 lol. I have a little homemade stone walkway to my man cave. I'm thinking about putting some glass on them to make them look wet. give them a little accent I suppose. AKA make them pop.
Maybe I have an idea. You can do it in two parts. First side A and after some hours side B. But if you want to do all like in your vid, you can use a high gloss silicone mat. That works really great.
@@LydiaMay Here is an example that I bought. Well, I´m living in Germany so the transport-costs are lower but maybe you can find something in your country. www.pati-versand.de/torten-kuchen/backformen/backmatten/backmatte-8mm-rand-42x35cm
I have seen people use plaster/spackling materials but I personally don't like painting over it. Have you watched my video on forming your own stones? I think that could be an alternative to fill in holes. You should be able to just sand off the excess and smooth it out. Or just completely form your own! :) I hope that helps. ua-cam.com/video/o3Hf9UQ9Nik/v-deo.html
Once your stones are all resined and dried softly sand the bottom till you are satisfied with the feel, wipe clean and lightly re-resin the area using a little brush. Make sure not to use too much resin, and let it dry. This should do it for you. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
A wooden breat with some srews onder It. Up side down. There you can put your bigger Stones on and the Resis just Drops off. I Resin in the afternoon and in the Morning you can put the Stones of. Stil you have a few spots, the resin is still soft enough to Push them flat with glups on, or Else maybe you leave then a Fingerprint and Thats Not the meaning.
I found the flexi mats waste ( and wreck ) my work , so im just going to be using them as thick drip trays from now on , I tried them , didnt like the result ...the 4 long screws , pointing upwards is by far the best result I've had so far . less waste like the flat section you got that to me is not only a waste but something we have to try to fix ( not fun ) the only thing i found with screwing , screws into balsa wood is that its light and flimsy I'm going to do a couple of wood ( pallet pieces ) and pit in a array of screws to allow small to large rocks to balance on the screws .Enjoyed your video resin can be a pain but after all these years by far the best I've tried is the screws facing upwards and rock balanced on top, wipe after about 1/2 hr to avoid drips ? bumps AND if you use long screws you do not have to move the rock...give it a go I loved the idea...all the best Yvonne , Sydney Australia.
For dotting tools, beginners kits, mandala stencils, stone molds, and ALL of your dot art needs, please visit the one-stop-shop, my website at www.DotArtDepot.com Great deals and a 10% off coupon! Restocking items daily.
Do one half. The top half. Let it fully set. Do the bottom. Let it fully set. Do this a couple times. Make each coat, very thin, so there is minimal drips and runs. watching this video, you used too much at a time. Much thinner, and to get your thickness, do it multiple times.
Thank you 🙏 i am about to do these for my toddler with A-Z letter on them 26 rocks. Wondering do i do the resin first and after drying write the letters with a acrylic paint and then resin again?!? how long will it take to dry the resin once applied with that fire This is my first time ever plz help
Lydia this video is a huge success. Everyone has responded to your own questions & each others' from their own experiences with such generosity of spirit that they combine with you to form an invaluable tutorial. I've been researching heavily before opening my resin bottles and at last all my questions have been answered although I'm sure I'll be chipping in with some more when I start resining in earnest! Sincere thanks to you and everyone who has responded below and urge people to keep responding, this is a living platform!
Depending on how you're going to use these stones, you could glue a piece of felt to the flat spot on the bottom. That would protect a table the stone might sit on as well as covering the dull spot. Just an idea.
That's what I do, Gin. It works nicely.
Great idea.
Just sub'd to your chanel and I have painted rocks for nearly 16 or 17 yrs . I recently picked up a tip when doing resin on my rocks which I think you will also benefit from. I too have tried the silicone mat and hated the flat bit left underneath , so dont do that anymore, I saw someone putting 4 screws into a piece of balsa wood so the screws are sticking upwards , worked great apart from balsa wood is too flimsy so i changed it to a piece of pallet wood for extra weight and it is brilliant. |Dont put too much resin on , just wipe it on with gloved hands and rest rock onto the 4 screws , check for small drips within half hr or so and wipe them - the result is a perfect rock with maybe 4 tiny dots where the screws contacted the resin , the heavier the rock the more they left a small mark , which you can tap away with a small hammer or another rock ? up to you. This has made my life of rock painting 100 times better so I made several " racks " to accomadate assorted sized rocks from tiny to large....best results i've ever had.
That is INGENIOUS! Love it!
I use to use a nail bed but find those plastic cat scat mats work even better.
Your solution reminded me of the little doohickies they use when firing glazed items in a kiln. The purpose is essentially the same. You don't want your glaze touching anything else during the firing process to get that glossy look. You will still get the same marks although its possible they could be smaller. They are called ceramic tripod stilts. Not cheap but if time is short and money somewhat plentiful.... haha.
aweesome ty for sharing
I saw something similar elsewhere. The artist put 4-6 push pins (bulletin board coloured push pins) pointy side up in a shallow plastic container and added resin to cover the pins halfway. When it set, you get a solid tool with pointy tips on which to rest a rock.
Hi just thiught i would try to help with your resin drips, you can actually sand them down until they are smooth and then reapply a very thin layer of resin just in those areas and thats it! Hope it helps😊
Thank you!
What a great idea, Lydia. I learned something new again from you. I love how they turned out. I've read the comments, and people have given some great ideas to solve the bottom flat issue. I've never worked with resin. Not worried about it after seeing this video. I'm gonna give it a go. TFS!
I use, believe it or not "Amazing cast resin", ... and, I do the bottom, let it dry, then do the top....
Great to hear someone else applying resin this way Billie. That's the way I prefer to do but as yet I haven't mastered the art of doing it without the odd run here and there.
For me, there's nothing to touch a resin finish, I'm using Art Resin as that's one of the few brands available here in the UK but I will look for the Amazing Cast Resin you mention in your post.
You need to sand down the drips on the one done previously. I would do the bottom first and then the top but use less resin! you can always put on a second coat later :)
Thanks a bunch for the video! Was very educational and very good timing, as I ran I to an issue with my rocks and was looking for a better protective coat.
Thank you, love your work!
If you resin rocks and place them on a Shiny surface, the bottom will be shiny, Your matte was flat/not shiny that is why the bottom of the rock is not shiny. Also, Gorgeous rocks :)
Is that right? Wow! I will have to try that. Thank you!
Maybe an old cookie sheet? When we laminate carbon fibre panels at work we lay them up on sheets of stainless steel before we infuse them with epoxy resin and cure them and the bottom always cures smooth and glossy.
Awesome thanks! Do you spray the sheet with anything first?
I actually use shiny cheap dollar tree containers to put my rocks in so that the bottoms are shiny. Also, you can use shiny inexpensive clear shower curtain liners. You don’t need to use a lot of resin, I made the mistake of using too much creating a pool on the bottom. I use Art Resin brand and love it! I have a 40 minute working window, it does not yellow or have strong fumes and it is safe to put food on for say a wooden cheese board for example. I use this for all of my rocks. Thanks for all your wonderful tutorials Lydia!
I do that too. It leaves a nice shiny surface. The best i have found are just cheep dollar store containers. I put them on the lid side and then put the bottom on top to keep dust off. I have three cats!
I do it this way as I know the rock isn’t hitting the side of the container...I did that once and it left a happy mistake. I now have a rock with a nice flat edge to it up on...anyway as long as you are aware of what ever surface the refined rock it’s on it will transfer onto the rock. I like someone’s idea of putting felt on the bottom of the rocks too!
I have a couple of suggestions - I use an actual silicone mat to put my rocks on (they are actually silicone mats I bought originally for using on cookie sheets, lol) and that makes a big difference, but the first time I tried resin I used similar mats to yours. I’m quite new to resin, but I expected the flat marks as I’ve heard this from a few different people who work with resin as well as this tutorial.
Once they were dry, my hubby told me to sand out the flat marks & little ridge off the bottom, which made it look a little cloudy...I was ready to panic, but once I was finished, he hit them with some polyurethane spray (I now use the resin spray I told you about & did the amazon link for in one of your other videos) and they glossed right back up! You have to be very careful to not use heavy grit sandpaper or stones - start with medium grit to get the worst of the ridge off & then finish with fine/extremely fine grit. You CAN do it by hand but you’ll be there forever - I just used my Dremel tool and the little sanding stones it came with...it worked PERFECTLY!!
Btw - I ran out of the resin spray recently and ended up trying just a regular polyurethane spray I bought at Walmart (it was a Krylon gloss spray) and it still worked really well...but it just doesn’t dry as glossy as the actual resin finishing spray, so although it’s more expensive, this is one of those situations where you’re getting what you pay for. 😉
One other hint/tip - I live in Alberta, Canada, and it’s VERY cold during the winter...I was warned to warm up my epoxy & harder prior to mixing by putting the carefully closed/sealed containers into warm to hot (NOT boiling) water first. Be VERY careful to NOT Let water get into your bottlrs!! It will turn them cloudy and you’ll have ruined your product! I use the same brand you did in this one, and those red sealer caps under the top caps are wonderful for peace of mind (along with the common sense of just not letting the water be higher than the airspace inside the jugs, lol)
I hope these tips help - your stones are SUCH beautiful works of art, and the resin will add such an extra layer of beauty to them. I was very lucky to have your experiences and those of other UA-cam rock artists to go off of prior to trying resin and I’m extremely grateful - best of luck 💕
Very useful information! Thank you for sharing! I love the idea of spray resin to shine up the dull spots after sanding and actually if it is that awesome, I'll try and cover it in a future tutorial to show the results. I appreciate your help. :) :*
Please wear a mask when handling powders of any kind or sanding since you could inhale the powder from that. Good video.
I have never done both sides at one time. I always did one side, usually the back side first (IF it has a back side) so I could sand down any drips. I would then flip it over and resin the top. The flat part is just the resin that ran down because gravity made it go. Like another poster said, if the surface it touched was a flat/not shiny surface, you will have a flat look to the resin. I like mine all shiny so I make one side at a time.
I've been thinking of trying this method - doing one side, curing, then doing the other. I'm curious to know if you can see the line of demarcation between the two sides, on the edge of the rock. Can you tell at all where the two sides meet if you apply it thin enough?
I do the same thing as Gin, I put felt with sticky backing on mine. I set mine up on med cups or those 30 ml cups you get with cough medicine (the nurse in me calls them med cups). You get a smaller area of buildup you have to deal with. I just use an exacto knife to cut off what I don’t want and then cover it with felt.
Great tutorial. I just bought resin and wanted to see how it is done to seal rocks. Now I know, thank you.
I put a little resin in my left hand and rub onto the backside. Then I put a dab on the top and smooth it all over the front. Most of the time I rub the rock all over like a bar of soap. I then place on freezer paper or on Penguin Art Supplies Arts and Crafts Drying Racks I purchased from Amazon. I tend to use the shorter posts side. I may add a little more resin to the top side. I find I have little to no shelf on the bottom. If I have a few “bumps” from excess resin, I use sandpaper to rub them down. Some people then redab the spots that are a little dull with more resin. As I give away the majority of my stones, I don’t do this - more time consuming for “free stones”!!!
I use resin and I love it, best to do two thin coats and a shinny silicone Matt will give the bottom a shinny finish ;) x
Doskonale że pokazałaś jak zrobić okrągły kamień.Bardzo dziękuję bo właśnie zaczynam swoją przygodę z malowaniem mandali na kamieniach
Lydia, for ones that I resin that end up with a flat spot on the bottom I just use a palm sander to sand it down and then I use a spray sealer to seal it as most times there is not anything on the back that is super important. I do put my initials and rock group etc on there but the spray sealer works great for that and the resin epoxy on the top and sides is not damaged by the little bit of sanding on the bottom. If it is a smaller rock I use water bottle caps to set it on and this minimizes the flat resin bottom and I can sand off the little bumps that occur.
So fabulous hints. Needed to know whether spray sealer would bond with resin. So I think you answered that question.
Re: the issues in the bottom..I’ve watched several tutorials on resin, and most either put a piece of felt on the resin dot, or else use a Dremel tool once dry, and then paint over it with the black or whatever, and then spray it with a high gloss top coat - OR - resin one side, Dremel off any extra bits and even it out, and then resin the other side. I just tried resin for the first time, and I used a Dremel tool, painted and did a top coat of canned resin spray. Looked almost exactly like the other side...plus I was able to sign & date it. Now I’m going to do resin on all rocks that I’ll be selling to a friend of mine who owns/operates a metaphysical type store (the rocks for her are inspirational word stones).
Sounds good, thanks for the tips! Could you share the brand of resin spray that you used and liked, please?
Lydia May of course!!! 💕 It’s called “Resin Spray” multi purpose gloss finish/sealer from Castin’ Craft. I buy mine through the art store here, but it can easily be found on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. It’s not cheap, but soooo worth it. Especially if you’re using it for this, as it doesn’t fill the way actual resin does, but it’s SUPER shiny! 😍
@@LydiaMay I do the same with the Dremel till smooth, add black paint if necessary but then I just use DuraClear Gloss varnish to add shine to where it needs it. Its the bottom only and you really can't tell where the gloss and resin meet. anyway good luck.
I use the small medicine dose cups to put my reasoned rocks on it make a very small circle on the bottom.
Like Stuart, I do my back first and let it dry for a day then I do the top the next day. When dried, I add another light layer on the top.
Get a dremel. You can use it to saw off the hardened qtips and you can sand down the unwanted drip layers
I also use a dremel to sand of bumps
That is what I did with Drexel sanding stone. Just needed to do a little touch up and all was good! Just got a silicone mat and excited to see if the stones wont stick. I was using white freezer paper with wax on one side. Still too sticky. Your dot painting is gorgeous!
You really need to warn people of the dangers of working with resin. I and many others have had horrible chemical reactions. There is a Facebook page "Epoxy is not my friend" full of people who have had horrible reactions, swollen eyes, red faces, itching on the skin, etc. You HAVE to not only wear gloves, you should have your skin covered and be wearing a full respirator mask with filters that filter out organic matter. Please don't use resin irresponsibly. You also must use resin in a well-ventilated room that is not used for anything else. Do not let your pets or children in teh area where you are working with resin. The gases that come off the resin while it is curing is toxic.
Good looking out. Thanks for the info.
Very fine wet sandpaper will help with rough edges caused by those tacks you used. Saw those q tips off, sand, paint and a drop of resin to hide what’s left. 😁
WHere are you finding those perfectly round stones?
Lydia, you can also get hose cutting mats at the dollar store. I use them for making patterns for my fabric.
AWESOME! I love the dollar store! :D Thank you for the tip!
Great video. Maybe you can sand the bottom of your stones and just put a little resin on the bottom to cover 🤞 ☺️😘
I have had the same disappointing results with resin.. Flat, ridged bottoms. I sanded those ridged areas down, then re-resined, placed on a smooth shiny plastic surface and got the same stubborn dull-looking ridge. I don’t like the feel of that sharp edged bottom. I like to be able to handle a rock and have it be smooth on both sides. I think I’m returning to my rustoleum, glass-finish spray :-) So much for several trials. Don’t like it.
You can sand the epoxy using lighter and lighter paper. Then spray it with a clear paint. That's how we do it when we finish our strip-built kayaks.
Awesome, thank you Larry!
Try putting a small puddle on top, wipe over the whole rock, like you did but stand on a home made stand (using wood and 4 screws poking through) then another puddle on top.
You don’t mention the fumes. Do outside or in well ventilated area with a face mask unless they state you don’t need it!
Thanks for your video!
Would the epoxy resin work to glue the rocks together to make a sculpture??
Beautiful stones Lydia
I also have a stone of red colour but the unusual thing about it is, it has too many dark red coloured straight lines on it.
And one of my stone changes it colour when it's dry it looks white and whe it's wet it becomes pink.
If you know their name or any information about my stones so please tell me.
Would it be safe to coat unpolished larimar slabs with resin to “polish” them and give them that glossy look? Hoping it won’t wear off of change color and/or damage it
I tried to resin my rocks, and when I was drying them, I put them on a silicone pad with some little techs under them to hold them up off the silicone. When I was done with the resining, the rocks were still a little bit sticky so I let them sit for about three days. But when I lifted them off of the nails, it seem like there was still all these trips underneath where you can’t even read my signature or the number That I painted on the rock. I use the ANB resin, and I use gloves, and when I put it on, I try to do it like I see in the videos so I use very little and I just rub it around like it’s a bar of soap. But it still seems like the resin gets through my gloves and I can’t get anything off my hands. I’ve used alcohol Clorox wipes vinegar, but nothing seems to work. How do I smooth the back of my rocks out? I’ve bought some sanding paper blocks to see if I can smooth them out but now it looks like I will have to resident over again. Would it be better to just lay it on the silicone?
Stick a pad of bais (felt) on the underneath to protect surfaces. Glue works great on those rocks with the flat bottom.
Thanks Lydia, I have learned a lot from you! I think I will avoid resin too as it leaves the bottom with that layer. Can you do the bottom first and let dry and then do the top? Do you think that would get rid of the ridge left on the bottom? I would like to see other ways your “varnish” your stones. TFS
I think if your going to use resin, that is the way to go. Thank you.
If you get silicone mats/sheets, which can be really cheap, they have a matt and a shiny side.
The shiny sides are perfect for resin, which pops off when it's dry if you just flex the sheets. Or you can pick it off.
Happy days.
Use a cat scat mat or nail bed to dry resin rocks on. You only end up with a couple dots to touch up .
I have a question after I finish with putting resin on my projects. How do I clean my tools after?
I've seen woodturners making wood and epoxy resin things, they use Abranet sanding then polishing to a brilliant shine, maybe check it out to see if you could improve your finish. Thankyou for sharing your inspirational talent 😊 💖
Thanks for the tip!
You can wet sand the bottoms with a Real fine (300 grit) wet sand paper, By Hand, a Light hand... And, go to a polishing grit, still wet, and polish out the marks... I would try the bottom of the flat rock, as, the top leveled nicely... and, I am Know it works...
I would advise an open area and a dust mask, for certain, mostly because it is meant for boats. (My brother-in-law works at a marina, fixing, painting, sanding boats, ... he is where I learned these techniques 😉) I hope this isn't redundant
Thank you for that info!
@@LydiaMay Absolutely! I switched to the "craft Specific resin, Because of the toxicity of the marine stuff, However... in Such Small amounts, in a well ventilated area, Preferably with an exhaust fan, a "dust mask" will Actually make This process, with that specific resin Worse. It is Required for my brother-in-law to wear a respirator when he works. I Had to ask him some more detailed questions. Resin is Beautiful, as is your art, ... but, safety matters, ... I read All labels, but, that's me. I Still take "informed risk" too though. In art, sometimes we do that. What would the renaissance have looked like without Cad Red or Cad yellow? And, it is Deadly. Still in use today. I Use it. Anyhow... I asked him How dangerous it Really is, hes had this job for 15+ years... so, he watched your video, and gave me a few more tips. I always did mine outside. . But, that was, in all honesty, because, i got my resin free... when a bucket got low, around 1/2 a gallon, i would receive both parts because, they don't Mix resin from the bottom of the buckets...
A tip to save having to do top / front then back 2 nd - get a piece of wood about 3 inches wide and about a foot long , put some long screws in it , turn it over ( so screws are facing upwards ) put fully resin'd rock on to screws and leave until nearly set , moving once touchable to avoid over sticking , several sets of 4 screws for different sized rocks .
what about using pizza savers to hold the rocks
Fab idea!!!!!
What are pizza savers?
Would still leave marks
Hello, i'm new in dot art and enjoining your great detailed tutorials. from my experience i do varnish on 1 side and after it dries on the other side to avoid any signs and i use baking paper to put my stones to dry so it does not stick
Beautiful rocks. They look perfect
Were your stones tumbled before you did them? The unpainted ones? I’d like to start doing this to my rocks but I don’t have a tumbler!
Sit on wax paper to dry. Try a diamond file around edges. I have shined things up with a super fine emery block.
If u have that flat spot if u are going to recoat u should sand it first so resin will stick..alot of people put felt on bottom to protect the tablevtop anyway.
Do the top or bottom of the rock first let dry, then do the other side.
The flat mark is a actually a good thing.
Thank you 🙏 i am about to do these for my toddler with A-Z letter on them 26 rocks. Wondering do i do the resin first and after drying write the letters with a acrylic paint and then resin again?!? This is my first time ever plz help and how long will it take to dry the resin once applied with that fire gun
It's not necessary, just a personal preference. Have fun!
Can you use wax paper for drying the resined stones?
Hi Lydia! One more brilliant idea, I loved it. Thanks for sharing!! :) Have a nice week! xx
Thank you Minnie! You too! XOXO
I would also try clay that does not harden. Using it to embed the stone making a seal and avoid drips all together. That is my go to tool when doming pieces that are uneven.
Thank you! I would love to see an example of that!
Do a thin layer on bottom and let dry before doing the top
When you apply the resin, do you have to coat the entire rock or will it allow you to do just a small section. Reason I ask is I was to put a small tag on it and I’d only like for that piece to be protected. Thank you for your time.
Do you have to resin all objects?
Any ideas why my resin never dries smooth. I have tons of pock marks even after using heat gun
Oh and with the screws you do both top and bottom in " one " go " bonus " lol
Why do you resin a stone before paining? Seems you could just wash, dry, then put on your base coat.
I resin before painting when I do a mandala and the stone is pitted w/ small holes. It fills in the tiny holes and allows for a smooth surface to dot paint, I then apply a small amount of resin over the mandala.
if you still have the 2 big unpainted rocks you coated in the video try a uv or blacklight on them......they appear to be yooperlite/flourescent sodalite they may glow really cool!
Awesome! Thank you, will do!
maybe I missed you sating this already but are you resinating the stones prior to painting them? I have always painted them then either covered with sealer or resin..same issues as you trying various things to set them on, now I only do the tops and sides. love the wiping it on with a glo9ve idea game changer there!
FANTASTIC 😊👌💗💗💗
Perhaps UV resin would be a better choice you can coat half at a time and cure, before doing the other side . Also UV resin only takes minutes instead of hours to cure.
Loved your video, keep up the good work 👋😎👍
What surface makes it not stick. I have a hard time removing from plastic bin surface. And also tried Costco pumpkin pie lid. Some stones peaked off resin with the paint design
I think they are very pretty, good idea
May I ask if you use any protective gear while using resin and if so what kind and brand, as I'm afraid to use resin be side of the dangers of it.
How can you prevent the stone from looking on the backside like this?
Someone knowing the solution? 🙏
where do you buy that torch? seems like more process of doing things require more tools.
Thank you lydia, one question, do we resign on our painted rock. Or should I spray rock sealer first.
Thank you for keeping it real!
Absolutely!
You could use a mini dremel tool to cut of the q-tip. Then you can repaint and deal it.
I use a silicone mat and It works great except cleaning the mat afterwards is a bit challenging.
When you stir the resin, do you scrape the sides and bottom?
I need a torch!
I have used the silicone mats if u let the silicone dry it peels right off
I have wondered about using this resin I have been using spray on clear coat
You want to use a surface LIKE the way you want the resin to look when you set it on. The mat you used was Matte- so you got that large matte patch. If you use something glossy, you will most likely get a little patch but it’ll be glossy and you can kinda sand it to smooth it
Yes! Great tip! I learned the hard way. Fun nonetheless!
I haven't read any comments I'm just suggesting that you wet sand possibly or hit it with a torch again. I suggest possibly putting a little less. definitely good work👍 I'm probably going to get done reading this and realize that's his post for 2014 lol. I have a little homemade stone walkway to my man cave. I'm thinking about putting some glass on them to make them look wet. give them a little accent I suppose. AKA make them pop.
I think you can sand and polish resin to get rid of your flat marks on the Bottoms of your stones
Thank you 💖
Resin one side at a time, sand the sides ; when bottom is dry, then resin top!
Rub less resin on the back. I also made a nail board. I rub just a little bit of resin on the back. If I have a small mark from the nail I sand off.
Glue felt on the bottom so it hides the non resin area and wont scratch anything
Thanks for sharing. Has anyone used polyester resin? Please let me know? Thank you kindly
Hi Lydia do you seal your stones before the resin, or resin directly after rock painting is try?
Seal with what material? You mean with spray?
Maybe I have an idea. You can do it in two parts. First side A and after some hours side B.
But if you want to do all like in your vid, you can use a high gloss silicone mat. That works
really great.
Great idea! I will try it if I can find one. Thank you!
@@LydiaMay Here is an example that I bought. Well, I´m living in Germany so the transport-costs are lower but maybe you can find something in your country. www.pati-versand.de/torten-kuchen/backformen/backmatten/backmatte-8mm-rand-42x35cm
Maybe do the bottoms first then do the tops the next day... I've never used it yet so you might have already tried it xxx
That would have to be the way to do it. Thanks Louise! XOXO
If the rocks are really brought could you just dip it in the resin?
Can't you do one side at a time?
Is there something other than resin that can be used to “smooth out” the stones before painting??
I have seen people use plaster/spackling materials but I personally don't like painting over it. Have you watched my video on forming your own stones? I think that could be an alternative to fill in holes. You should be able to just sand off the excess and smooth it out. Or just completely form your own! :) I hope that helps. ua-cam.com/video/o3Hf9UQ9Nik/v-deo.html
paint one side let it dry turn it over and paint the other side or just sand and paint over the bottom part again it shoul work
Once your stones are all resined and dried softly sand the bottom till you are satisfied with the feel, wipe clean and lightly re-resin the area using a little brush. Make sure not to use too much resin, and let it dry. This should do it for you. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
If you sand, it will look white/cloudy right?
Can we do it on canvas....too
Could you not resin the bottom first and let it dry before doing the top. That would stop the flattening on the bottom.
see for me i would just put some matching felt on the back of the rock to cover it
I am intrsted for study
A wooden breat with some srews onder It. Up side down. There you can put your bigger Stones on and the Resis just Drops off. I Resin in the afternoon and in the Morning you can put the Stones of. Stil you have a few spots, the resin is still soft enough to Push them flat with glups on, or Else maybe you leave then a Fingerprint and Thats Not the meaning.
I found the flexi mats waste ( and wreck ) my work , so im just going to be using them as thick drip trays from now on , I tried them , didnt like the result ...the 4 long screws , pointing upwards is by far the best result I've had so far . less waste like the flat section you got that to me is not only a waste but something we have to try to fix ( not fun ) the only thing i found with screwing , screws into balsa wood is that its light and flimsy I'm going to do a couple of wood ( pallet pieces ) and pit in a array of screws to allow small to large rocks to balance on the screws .Enjoyed your video resin can be a pain but after all these years by far the best I've tried is the screws facing upwards and rock balanced on top, wipe after about 1/2 hr to avoid drips ? bumps AND if you use long screws you do not have to move the rock...give it a go I loved the idea...all the best Yvonne , Sydney Australia.
Can I use a hair dryer to take the air bubbles away?
Where can I buy stones? Love your tutorials!
Blank stones to paint? I make mine using hydraulic quickrete. Natural ones are not readily available for me. Lydia has a tutorial on making them