How to Sand and Polish Epoxy Resin to a Mirror Finish - Step by Step Guide
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- Check out www.glasscastresin.com/how-to... for project details
Further info and product links ▼
Step-by-step video tutorial covering the complete process of how to flat and polish epoxy resin up to a high gloss/mirror finish, including tools and abrasive selection, followed by detailed instructions on sanding action, grits and passes, before progressing to final polishing to a flawless high gloss.
Products used in the video:
UK & Worldwide Customers:
► GlassCast 50 Clear Epoxy Resin www.glasscastresin.com/glassc...
► Mirka Abranet and Galaxy Abrasive Pads www.glasscastresin.com/p120-1...
► NW1 Polishing Compound www.glasscastresin.com/nw1-ep...
► TOPFINISH 2 Polishing Compound www.glasscastresin.com/topfin...
EU Customers:
► GlassCast 50 Clear Epoxy Resin www.easycomposites.eu/glassca...
► Mirka Abranet and Galaxy Abrasive Pads www.easycomposites.eu/abrasiv...
► NW1 Polishing Compound www.easycomposites.eu/nw1-whi...
► TOPFINISH 2 Polishing Compound www.easycomposites.eu/topfini...
For full details, including a full list of products used with links, see the project page on the GlassCast website: www.glasscastresin.com/how-to...
#epoxyresin #sandandpolishing #howtosandandpolishresin - Навчання та стиль
This is the first video I’ve come across that has helped me clearly understand how to sand and polish resin. Thank you 🙏🏻
Glad you found it helpful!
After staring at my first dull Resin effort and wondering why I couldn't get it to look clear, hey presto 1 video later and I can smile again, thanks.
Finally i understand how to sand and polish my resin and can finally complete the 2 side tables i have created. Thankyou
Best of luck finishing your tables.
Love this video. Explained step by step
Hi from New Zealand, thank you for this great tutorial. I get excited when I want to learn new projects, but then I get anxiety. But I try & push myself & after watching this video...well I'm goanna give it ago. I'm happy to to start a new project & I'm happy to be a new subscriber, thanx loads looking forward to watching more from you 🥰
Best tutorial on polishing resin I’ve ever seen. Good work guys 👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Wow! What an excellent video. I have watched several videos from other channels, but they come up short, skipping steps or glossing over details. You provide concise explanations, but with much needed detail on both the procedure and the products used. This will have immediate impact and take my epoxy pours to the next level. Thank you. I'm heading out to your website to look at the products now.
Thanks for the feedback, we try and cover every process in detail and not miss anything out. We think it's important to show not just the result, but how to get there and the work involved.
Thank you wish to start making knife scales using wood and epoxy this tutorial has taught me so much and saved me money as in sanding discs i now know the correct ones to purchase thanks again
Thanks so much for this tutorial, it worked wonders 🎉
Thanks for this tutorial. You sounded very professional. I can't wait to try.
Thank you for commenting, glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you very much for this video. Superbly explained! And many thanks for the helpful information about processing time and material.
Finally, a decent instructional video. Thank you
We really appreciate the kind comment, glad you enjoyed!
I feel like a took a really great course today! I’m ready to finish up this counter top I started 4 years ago!! Thank you!👊🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼
Best of luck finishing it off
Thank you for this very informative video!!! Well done and very descriptive, covering all the bases 👍
WOW! Very nice. Nice presentation. I'll be using these tips in my current project. Thanks
Thank Roy, I'm glad it has proved useful to you - let us know how you get on with your project! :)
Atleast i find the perfect video for the perfect way to polishing thanks
Very well explained! Thank You a lot!
Absolutely great video, thank you.
Great and simple lesson 😉
Perfect. Thank you for being so detailed.
Thanks Jerry, glad you enjoyed the video!
Fantastic tutorial 👍🏻
Thanks. This was clear and very thorough. Just what I needed. 👍😁
Just huge thank you from USA!!!
You're very welcome, hope the tutorial helps.
That answered so many questions i've had
This tutorial is well overdue. I was asking about this from you 3-4 years ago but thankfully UA-cam saved the day back then
Mmm, sorry we didn’t have this video when you needed it but glad you found what you were looking for. I hope the project worked out well 👍.
Fantastic video. So useful. Thank you! Instantly subscribed and bought several products from your site!
Glad you found the video useful!
What a very informative video , found it very useful , and very easy on the eye so it was easy to watch
Thanks Terry, glad you found it useful :)
Excellent demo on the product, will be trying this process out on some knives for my channel. Thanks again!
Thanks Sweetknives :)
Great video! Super helpful
Perfect done !!! 😍
Thank you so much this is an amazing video!!!
What an awesome video thanks
Thanks, very well done!
Fabulous video I will be adding those to my list for sure
Thanks Tracey :)
I’m new to this resin thing but after making a bottle top table for my bar I’m keen to move onto bigger and better. The polishing video will help me as I move ahead, thanks.👍
It is our please Anthony, glad to hear it has been useful :)
Nicely done!
Amazing video
very helpful video
love u & ❤❤I like this job very much, I will start very soon InshAllah
your videos very detailed..thank you for sharing this video sir i learn a lot with this...🎉🎉🎉🎉 please make more tutorial video like this. God bless you always❤
Thanks for the feedback, keep an eye out for our next tutorial project.
Comprehensive ...very well done
Thanks Richard, it put us a bit of time to put this one together - not the actual filming/editing but the planning because we know its one area which causes a lot of headaches, especially if someone hasn't done a lot of sanding and polishing before and we wanted to make sure we covered everything including useful tips we've picked up through the years. Sanding and polishing can be really quite satisfying when you get the hang of it 🙂
Thank you very much! Super useful video!👏🏻🙏🏻
Glad you enjoyed!
I agree. Having the right materials DOES make a world of difference!!
Thankyou this was. really very clear and helpful tutorial. Want to buy some materials.
This video is very helpful for me
Glad it could be of use :)
great video thank you
Great video ... thanks!
Very useful video - thank you
Thanks John, we really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. I'm glad that you enjoyed!
a massive thank you
Finally an alternative to extremely expensive 3M products! *Thanks*
Ahora si entendí cómo lijar y pulir el epoxy. Gracias..!
top man this was perfect!
Thanks for the feedback, glad its been useful :)
thankyou so much!!!
Great vid thanks
Thanks Randall, glad you enjoyed it 👍
Oh, and great video....:)
Thank you so much for your nice video, I have a question please help me how can I use epoxy resin on basin and old basin and how to make perfect and glass glossy smooth finishing
Abone oldum bildirimleri açtım ve ürünleri satın alacam gerçekten eğitici be çok bilgilendirici bir video içerik olmuş teşekkür ederim 🙏🏼
Thank you for a great tutorial. Can you recommend a tool for smaller pieces of resin? I’m working on coasters, so an orbital sander feels excessive for the size.
I use GlassCast resin and it is brilliant, never had any issues with it unlike others that I’ve tried.
The good thing about a random orbital sander like this is that it has a random path, it's not just rotational which means you get a really nice finish with minimal sanding marks. For small pieces you might find a detail sander more appropriate.
Enjoyed your tutorial. Just starting to use clear resin. Up to this point my work has all been done with table top multicolor epoxy inlays. I didn't do any wet sanding or polishing, even though I have been informed it would step up my game. I am now trying to move in that direction. So a couple questions: Seems like a basic question but need to validate I have a Festool 150" ROS. Will the mirka sandpaper and wet sanding discs work with that sander? I am pretty sure the answer is yes but wanted to validate. Second question - looks like once you go to wet sanding you remove the dust collector connection so you don't suck water into the DC - is that correct? Thank you again for the tutorial - very helpful.
For an 150mm disc they should fit no problem. Yes you don't want water in the vacuum cleaner/extraction system.
Fantastic! Such a great video! Any differences to this if your using a white marble finish epoxy? Different compound etc etc????
Hi, thanks for commenting. The process and compound would be exactly the same as the video.
Wow 😍
Awesome video, thanks so much! I am exploring setting in stones with my epoxy, any suggestions on sanding process for this?
If the stones are covered completely then the process is the same. If trying to sand around stones sticking out, that would be much more fiddly.
Great video any suggestions for a mixed epoxy countertop tops?
Hi Robert, the only difference if you were doing a darker colour is that you may wish to use the NW1 and TopFinish black rather than the white.
Everything else would be exactly the same.
Thanks a lot for sharing this video, and really nice work! The tabletop I'm working on doesn't have a 'river' of resin, instead it's scattered across the surface of the wood to fill holes, indentations, etc. What would you recommend I do when it comes to the sealing of wood and polishing of resin stage?
You could do the process in a very similar way. Applying the oil coat before you polish the resin surface will reduce the chances of the compound absorbing into the grain. For small areas you may wish to polish by hand which might reduce the spread of the compound over the wood areas.
Thank u for this very informative video...can u help me where to get the different grit papers n the polishing compound
Glad you found it useful. You can find the abrasive papers and the polish from our website. www.glasscastresin.com/
Hi mate. What adapter do you use for the dewalt orbital sander
Can glass stovetop polish be used for polishing?
Great video and very helpful. You used Danish oil to seal the wood before polishing with the compound. How long after sealing do you have to wait to polish. Is it possible to use like an Odies oil to seal before polishing as well?
It is not a product we have tested. However it looks to be made of oils and waxes so is likely to offer similar levels of protection. However test on a small area first to be safe.
Gonna be rewatching this because seeing multiple passes is new to me! Can this be applied to a resin table top that has a few flowers sticking out so it can be a flat shiny surface?
The flowers should really be fully encapsulated in the resin which will prevent them from absorbing moisture and decaying any further. If they are protruding from the surface then
you should cut the flowers back flush and sand out a small amount of resin around the flowers, you can fill with a small quantity of resin to seal them in place. This can then be sanded flat and polished as demonstrated in the video. Alternatively you could cut the flowers back to the surface and apply a 2mm coating of GlassCast 3. GlassCast 3 cures with a flat glossy finish so you shouldn't then need to do any more finishing work.
I have a few questions about the NW1 and Topfinish 2 polishing compounds.
1) Are they sold anywhere under a smaller quantity? I don't have many resin things to use it on.
2) Can I use it with a dremel tool on small resin projects?
3) If it *can* be used with a dremel tool, what would be the recommended buffing bit?
I can answer you, or i can try at least. So, yes, you can use your dremmel toold with this paste. You can find some other polishing paste from different suplier that does the job and in small quantities ( Meguiars). And you can buff it with the wool disk.
Thanks for the step by step video. I’m wondering if you wore a specific mask during sanding?
A good quality P2 or better quality mask is recommended for epoxy sanding dust.
Great video, very well executed! One thing I didn't see addressed - should this be done on both sides of the piece? I imagine yes as if the bottom is not as clear as the top you'll see that as you look through it.
I've made several river tables, though all with a dark epoxy - not see through, so I sand the bottom up to 180, while the top is sanded to 800 (on the epoxy part).
Thanks for the feedback. Correct If you wanted to be able to see through the entire piece with clarity then you would also need to polish up the underside of the 'river'. If, as in your case the bottom side is hidden then you can do as much or as little finishing as you please.
When staining wood, I guess you wouldn’t want to sand up to 1200? Maybe stop on the wood around 320 and keep sanding the epoxy?
Good video on polishing epoxy, however the danish oil finish doesn't protect the wood from getting stained/stripped off by the polishing compound as you can easily see at 10:50, and from my experience as a woodworker who works with epoxy every day this is something I still struggle with to find a solution, would be nice if there was actually a good method in polishing the epoxy without messing up the wooden sides other than just epoxying the entire wooden surface just to be able to evenly sand/polish the river
THANK YOU...THIS IS THE $64,000 QUESTION! To complicate it even further, I don't like wood to have the unnatural glassy look of epoxy. I would much rather have a satin look on the wood.
(BTW, I asked almost the same Q here 11:49 before I saw yours. I notice he answered all the questions except yours. I.have not seen ANYONE address this critical issue. I do hope he answers.
This answers my question, thank you!
Incase anyone else is struggling with this same problem. I'll explain my situation...
I make Chess boards. Half the squares wood, the other half epoxy. Obviously I can't sand just the epoxy squares without getting the wood. I was wondering what the point of finishing was if the buffer was going to remove material. Now I understand. I guess the only way to seal the wood properly would be to cover it in something that has the same strength at the epoxy and that brings us back to finishing the entire thing with epoxy so it can all be polished to the same level. Thanks again guys. Looks like I have a choice between leaving the wood exposed or coating it in epoxy.
Hi, thank you for this great tutorial 👍 I will do same steps but ı have question mark. You apply that polish also to wood. Are those polish can apply also for woods? Should ı apply only resin part or both of them?
I wish that; ı explained my self clear 😊
Its only really for polishing the resin itself and would be best to avoid getting it onto the wood as if it gets into the grain, it might alter the appearance of the wood itself.
hi, thanks so much for the video - so detailed and helpful! however, no matter what i do, i am getting the swirly pigtail marks from the sander. i am trying to follow the instructions in this video exactly, and the sanding pads do not look clogged, but i cannot get rid of them. any advice is appreciated!!!
Make extra sure both the surface and the pad are clean. If you pick up even the smallest bit of coarser grit or debris, it will scratch the surface leaving those pigtail marks.
Hi there! Your video was substantially more informative than at least 100 others I have seen on UA-cam. I would like to ask, however, the f the polishing should be done both before AND after the seal coat and flood coats. I have yet to find my answer on any video with the hashtag ,"instruction; how to build river epoxy table from start to finish"
You only generally polish as a final stage to finish off the project.
Brilliant. Can you use the sander instead of the polisher?
If you have an appropriate polishing head for your sander then absolutely.
Super nice video!
I have a artwork that I would like to polish but the resin layer is only 2mm thick.
How much material is removed during this process?
Thank you very much!
In reality, very little - fractions of a millimetre as you're only working down through the deepest scratches. As you progress to the next, finer level of abrasive papers, the only material you're removing is between the scratches, you're not going deeper; the idea being that your smoothing out the surface prior to polishing.
would you use the same process for smaller areas of resin-for example is its being used to fill large crack/splits in a piece of wood that will be turned?
Yes, the same process would be used for any size of resin.
Great video with useful info. I'm in Canada, can you ship worldwide? Thanks
Hi Derek, we can ship worldwide. When shipping to Canada we can ship any non dangerous goods no problem to all addresses, although dangerous goods including the GlassCast range can only be shipped to certain postcodes. If you'd like to email help@glasscastresin.com with any enquiries you have we'd be happy to assist.
Can you add a finish like Osmos to both the wood and the epoxy? Great video thanks.....
A product such as that wouldn't improve the finish on the epoxy in any way. As an oil based product it would simply sit on the surface of the epoxy so can be wiped away once applied to the wood. If you are using a one with a stain to alter the appearance of the wood it would be a good idea to so this relatively quickly rather than letting it sit on the epoxy, especially with light coloured or clear resin.
Do you have to polish both sides of the project? Great tutorial 😁
If the resin is clear then yes you will need to polish both sides to give you the best clarity through the resin. If not, then it really depends on the finish from the mould, how likely you are to see under the table and if an unfinished surface bothers you.
Great video! What, if anything, do you do differently on the edges of a table? Particularly if it has a rounded-over or chamfered edge?
You still sand it the same way, just take extra care to keep an even pressure so you sand evenly. On edges its easy to end up putting too much pressure on the corner if you are not careful.
@@glasscastresin thanks
This was exactly my question. Can you do a video on doing the edges? What is considered a single pass on the edge? Obviously you can't go up and down, do you go around it a 2nd time? how do you go about an edge with a round over or a more complicated router bit? How do you handle that?@@glasscastresin
@@sarahweerheim6123 For complicated or undulating surfaces you may find that sanding by hand is better. It may take more time than with a sander, but you'll have more control and a better feel for the contours in the edge.
un grand merci pour ces explications tres utile pour mon projet. je n arrive pas a obtenir une surface correct ( les rayures apparraissent a parir du gain 320 et sont de plus en plu présentes jisqu au grain 3000 !) . des paquest se forment sous les diques et le resutat est horrible. je vais suivre vos conseils et acheter les disques de ponçage que vous conseillez dans cette vidéo. encore merci et bravo pour ce partage.
Thanks for commenting, if the problems persist you can always get in touch by email at help@glasscastresin.com and we'd be happy to advise further.
Awesome! How to protect it from scratches now going forward?
The epoxy resin is generally a hard wearing surface once fully cured. Occasional light polishing will remove any build up of scratches during use.
And artwork
Hey there 👋.
Wondering if the sanding swirl marks will be seen in my opaque black epoxy River table after I top coat with table top epoxy? Or does the top coat epoxy fill on the swirlies and make it all uniform? Thanks!
A flood coating will completely fill any scratches on the surface. In fact, you will want to key the surface with 120 grit abrasive.
@@glasscastresin oh wow, so glad I asked. I thought because it was solid black epoxy that the clear coat would accent the scratches. Thank you so much for responding🙏.
Hi, i noticed at 1200 grit you used a wet sand, the water went onto the wood section - will this not be absorbed into the wood and possibly bow the river table, if i sanded to 1200 or more with a dry sand will the polish compound still take away any small inperfectiond
Only if large amounts of water were used. The amount of time the wood is wet - and also how quickly it will dry in warm conditions - means that it is unlikely to cause any issues.
Thank you. Quick question. I know in the video you had finished the wood. And then you continue to polish the epoxy. However, in the end it look like you took off some finish of the wood. So did you go back and finish the wood again?
It's inevitable that in polishing the resin the pad will cross over onto the wood and take off some of the coating. It's perfectly fine to go back and top this coating up once polishing is finished. It's recommended to give the wood a good clean first to remove any polishing compound which may have transferred onto the surface so as not to trap it under another layer of wood finish.
can you comment on the speed of the polisher for the polishing compounds-starting out and progressing through the passes. Is 5000 slow enough to 10000 too fast or is this adequate? Thank you.
We would typically aim for around 800-1500 RPM. If the surface starts to heat up then reduce the speed and or pressure and wait for it to cool.
Great video, going to redo the top of my bar. Where in the US can I get the PaiBoats NW1 Plus and the Top Finish 2?
I'm afraid I don't know any specific US based dealers or distributors although if you struggle, we can ship these to the US, no problems.
@@glasscastresin Can you tell me what the cost would be for both of those bottles of polish shipped to 32829? Thanks!
Hi. Thanks for the video. I have a question regarding the speed setting of my orbital sander (from 1 to 5) for each grid and polish stage. What’s your recommendation? Thanks a lot.
Hi Eduardo, we recommend a high speed but low pressure. You need to keep checking the surface of the item to make sure that it doesn't get warm, if it does move onto another part of the item.
Thank you very much for your prompt response.
Can you start the wood + epoxy project by running the piece through a standard shop wood planner? Ray.
Yes you can. It can be useful if there is a lot of material to remove or a warp you are trying to sand out. A drum sander can also be used to do the same thing.
I needed help getting the bubbles out of my artwork. Can I use a dremmel and various pads to do this?
you can if they are too deep to sand through. Care needs to be taken so that they can be filled in.
For epoxy strengthened with fiber glass what do you suggest for the 'glass' look ?
Any additives mixed with the resin, be this a reinforcing fibre or filler powder will inherently reduce the clarity and be seen within the resin to some extent.
Hello! Very helpful video. I have an issue with small scratches left by the sand paper I think. I start with 80, 120, 180, 240, 320, 400 (all dry) and then 600, 800, 1000 and 2000 (wet) and 3 step polish. When I start having the gloss, I see small scratches which I didn't notice when first sanding. Please help, what am I doing wrong?
If done properly, each stage should fully remove the scratches from the previous grit. So it is possible you are moving through the grits too fast, or you have a bit or dirt or grit caught on the pad or paper. The NW1 polishing compound can only cut out scratches 1200 grit and above.
@@glasscastresin Thank you for your fast reply. I will be more patient on the sanding process, then and also be more carefull on checking the dust from the sanding pads. Keep up the good work! 👍🏿
Thank you for posting - have a question for you: Will a rotary sander work just as well as the random orbital?
The problem that you might find with a rotary sander is that it leaves swirls in the surface, also due to the fact that the outside of the disk is moving faster than the center your sanding can be uneven. That being said, if you're careful and use the right technique, it can still be done.
@@glasscastresin This is wonderful intel - many thanks!
Does it need to be a disc orbital sander, or will a rectangular one work as well?
Both will work fine for sanding resins.
What do you do to the resin after years of use to get the scratches and small imperfections out?
Put a thin coat of flood coat
As Martin suggested you could apply a thin flood coat like this: ua-cam.com/video/dTLLFntPD60/v-deo.html or you can sand and polish again :-)
Hi there, l just started working with clear gloss resin apoxy. And also l work in a cold environment. How can l dry resin apoxy in a short period of time? Thank you.
Epoxies are very temperature sensitive so we always recommend using and curing at the 18-20C region.
Do you reapply any oil finish after your done? I would imagine the wet sanding and polishing affects the wood itchy next to the epoxy.
The oil finish is generally applied just before the polishing stage so that the oil helps stop the polishing residue sticking to the wood. Most oil finishes are designed for occasional recoating to restore finish over time.