You are so very kind to not only advise us about mishaps but also show the various stages of the process. Your video immediately clarified any potential confusion or questions. Thank you for sharing your resin journey and of course for your delightful humor.
Loved the vid, you mentioned why would someone use polystyrene in resin, I do as I make Dioramas and it’s good for imitating ice. One trick I use with polystyrene is to completely cover it in varnish, several coats, helps stop the bubbles and even helps with stopping the melting when the resin gets hot. 👌
I also use foam an perfect for icebergs lol Than I covered the top with plaster to give that extra ice. I got uv an made these thin ife pods it was dun
I think it’s worth mentioning also Steve that certain brands have different reactions. I have used oils with one brand no issue and another brand and a reaction. So it’s not generic across , hope that make sense. Great video and thanks for sharing your knowledge with others.
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I am not as brave as you purposely seeing the impacts my knowledge comes from discovering the lessons along the way lol. We artist like to push the boundaries 😍
I knew about not putting fresh or wet anything into resin. I have not tried it. I don't plan to either! Thanks for showing these different things in your resin. It helps so many others understand why not to use them.
Thank you so much for this. Im a newbie. I enjoyed a particular resin brand for a few projects, but decided to buy another brand to try it out. I used a styrofoam cup when I ran out of plastic cups. I also had my room way too warm. The first 3 minutes of stirring started to make me nervous because it seemed to be getting thick too fast and smell stranger than just resin smell, so I sat it down to grab my color and drop it in before it was too thick to pour. Before I picked it back up it was already virtually solid in the cup with tons of bubbles and burning the sides of the cup! Less than 1 minute! I was so discouraged and confused, I figured it was the styrofoam but feared the resin brand too so I haven't used any more of those bottles. Thanks to you and this video, I now have the confidence to use the remainder of that resin, and the knowledge to prevent so many other mistakes. Thank you again.
With all you teach and with all you show us I'm so glad that you also show us what not to do. It's wonderful that you are willing to take risks in our place. Thanks again
I just had a disaster with alcohol inks and resin. So wish I would have seen this before I wasted all of that resin (which isn't cheap by the way). Thank you so much for all you do for us.
I was mesmerized watching you crack up that coaster. I've watched so many videos of people using it. Really good to know about the quality degradation before trying it out.
I learned this week why I won't be using black food coloring in any of my resin projects. For some reason, it reacts very differently in resin compared to the basic 4 color set. First off, it's not truly black, it's dark blue. Then: it hindered and slowed down the curing time dramatically, makes the resin sticky, separates from the resin and doesn't stay mixed, and causes horrible pitting. But, I knew going in that what I was doing was an experiment and I really didn't know what kind of results I would get from it. I'll be trying more things later in the future just to see what happens. For me, the whole point is having fun and trying new things.
Didn't know when I wanted to work with clay and resins there was so much to learn, before, I get started. Like you always say. Safety first. So thank goodness for you. I hope you stay safe and happy 😊.
This was a very interesting experiment, I have seen other UA-camrs paint polystyrene with an oil paint first, then coat with resin. The paint seems to seal the polystyrene & stops the reaction. Loving your experiments!
Here's the thing with alcohol inks. Alcohol will light on fire. If you use them, have a heat gun! It's like with polyester resin! It's has a flammable warning on the container because it'll catch on fire if you use a lighter! Don't blame the products when you don't use them properly.
I just ordered my first little resin craft kit. Just to see if I actually enjoy it. So this is perfect timing. Definitely locking up the cats in the bedroom now & buying a fire extinguisher soon.
This was so weird Steve! I never expected the water to do that, I always thought water would prevent the resin from curing at most, but never this! What a fun experiment! I admit, ive mucked up alcohol ink so much I've stopped even trying 😩!
I was able to use a minimal amount of acrylic paint to do a name inside a pendant. It was painted on a cured segment and allowed to dry before the next layer was added.
This is very helpful and I think I know now where I went wrong in my last resin pour I think some water got in my cup when I was debubbling the resin in my hot water bath.
I have been using eye shadow to color my resin and so far it's worked ok but I do wonder if it would keep the resin from curing if I use more than just a pinch. This video was super helpful though! I'm glad I saw this before buying alcohol ink :)
Thank you for biting the bullet for us & diving in to those experiments. The oil paint was a great success although it would be madly expensive to use as a pigment. Appreciate the results of the alcohol ink experiment, that was really useful and I think I'll be careful to limit myself to just a few diluted drops. Your wrist does look a bit sore - was that a kitchen accident?
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts Pleased the cream is helping. Not fair when people are allergic to their passion :( Get those sleeve protectors out again & buy a dozen more, they looked really efficient!
Thanks for showing us your experiments!!. I had not idea about the fire hazard i created using alcohol inks and spraying 91% alcohol spray. When i torched them one started bubbling like crazy before it broke out in flames. Lesson learned.
@@MyFavoriteNolaThings actually I think it might just be the brand of resin he used. Cause the first time I worked with alcohol inks, I didn’t think and burned it. But it still stayed completely hard. I’ve had issues since then with adding too much inks and it taking a few days to fully dry, but that’s different. The resin itself still stayed hard.
This is a great video! I love alcohol ink and use it in resin all the time. HOWEVER...never use an open flame, always a heat gun. Never had any issues 👍🏻
Would like to say if you use high quality alcohol inks and a suitable quality resin it's fine and fading only happens if the piece created is left in direct sunlight for months and months. I've done tests and there has been no fading they look exactly the same as pieces made at the same time same resin/dyes etc and kept in a box and there is no difference... But you'd have to do the same tests with a small piece to see how your inks and resin work
Hi Steve...I'm a woodworker ...I only cast larger pieces...Radio Face Wood Works...I really appreciate your videos...the tips are quite useful... thanks for all you do...stay safe...press on 😎
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I'm making my 1st video now...if I can help you in any way please don't hesitate to contact me at "IMRadioFace@gmail.com "
I use alcohol inks in resin all the time and I've never had it turn brittle like that. I wonder if it's because my resin is a slow one that takes at least 48 hours to cure?
could you use the water & resin as a material for a waterfall effect, for ponds or teacup/coffee cup pour out, it stiffens up quite well for it, instead of glue from a glue gun.
Id love to see you do these tests on UV resin for 3d printers. There's so many resins out there and some claim to be much harder or softer but they're expensive and hard to get a hold of sometimes. They have to be adding something so I'm wondering what can be done at home. Thanks for all the great testing!
I had to smuggle polyester resin into a secured facility once. Only way was to seal it in a Ziploc bag. The smell was really strong still. Bagged it inside TWO more bags and thought the smell was manageable. Hid it in the front of my tighty whities. Huge mistake. Waiting in the que to go into the facility the vapors began burning my john thomas and co. Within 5 minutes I felt like I was being incinerated. I was a human torch for almost an hour. I was in so much pain a could barely even stand or focus my eyes. The only reason I made it through looking half dead was because they saw drug addicts all day long and probably thought I was a crackhead. ALWAYS use proper containers for your resin and I would imagine it would probably not be a good idea to use it to make a mold of your willie. Lol!
You're the first video to be against alcohol ink, every other video I watched, they're using it as if its going out of style. I've just finished making up a batch of diy alcohol ink using coloured Sharpie pens and 100% IPA. I go crazy with the lighter to get bubbles out so thank you so much for the heads up. I'm also trying food colouring paste to see how that goes...again with 100% IPA. So better be careful with the lighter. I did try a fresh thistle one day and it flashed cured. That was a good few weeks ago...I must check it to see if it rotted. Many thanks again for the video, it was an eye opener!
Isopropanol can be used to create reactions in resin and added by spray to a mould then later will kill all bubbles mo need for a lighter unless you want heat to create lacing. Just wait till vapours etc disperse 😉 I use it alot and never had a issue. Each to their own 👌🎯💯👍😉
Enjoy watching your tutorials. Can you do one on how to epoxy over a stained pine wood round/serving tray with htv? Including the best way to add both pull (screw in) and knob (bolt) handles??
If you want fresh items in resin, soak them in acetone first, then put them in the resin. As the acetone evaporates it will suck the resin in. This is basically the method used to plastinate bodies. :)
If u mean acrylic paintings on paper,sketchpads, or canvases I think it should work as long as the paint is dry. I haven’t tried that yet but I poured wet acrylic paint in resin & it worked fine but the plastic polymers inside it ruined the resin causing it to have holes & messed up the mold so it’s hard to clean now. make sure the acrylic is dry. (or use alternative art supplies like pastels to color the resin)
Thats great to know Steve thank you.:) btw I ordered and received the double sided tape Im trying to get my new craft space organized and Im throwing around a few ideas.
I only use alcohol inks! Steve, I think you’re just the hulk in disguise 😂. I’m sitting here trying to bend my coasters and they are not budging! They only thing I do different is that I don’t use a torch to pop the bubbles and I do it before I add the ink.
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts that makes sense. I was scared you were going to burn your house down when you used a torch! I haven’t noticed any fading yet but I’m sure over time it will happen. Especially if it’s in direct sunlight.
Thank you for the video. I use Minimal AI in some pieces... but, I did find that it can create issue. I DO Love Mica much more, myself. I just enjoy the effects of the little mushrooms..
So acrylic paint shouldn't be used with resin because of the water in them? Have you ever try epsom salts in a project? Thank you for there experiment.
Suppliers such as Alec Tiranti and DWR Plastics have online PDF sheets for their products which have along with the safety requirements and information regarding materials and conditions which affect the moulding and casting products, which are useful to have especially as these materials can cost a lot of money.
My alcohol inks from China 2 years ago were used to make a clock. It has been up in direct sunlight since and has not faded one bit. I may have just struck lucky.
Wondering if by using a good UV epoxy with or over alcohol inks would prolong the fade'ness a smidge more versus it not having any UV protection added... No argument that certain alcohol inks and also specific colors will fade over time, so if you want a color to remain and not change down the road, best not use alcohol ink to get your color, unless you don't care if it fades, changes or disappears...
I use alcohol inks in mine but I use alcohol inks that are for resin so it's Amore High saturation of color and not a high content of alcohol again but also do you like the proper amount of alcohol inks to your resin you won't have the breakage because I've made ashtrays and coasters I just made a really nice Moon and start like jewelry dish and it is hard as a rock I mean like hard as a rock there is no give to it I can't I can break if I wanted to. They took a hammer to it but I also use the different type of resin that is for table tops bar tops and cutting board I think it just depends on the resin that you use I don't know it's probably an old video to when my luck but yeah that is definitely an interesting experiment I've noticed if I used too much alcohol ink in a small mold that will cause it to be like not yellow but rubbery on the top where most the ink settled on the top instead of the bottom or excuse me reverse it the bottom of the mold instead of the top of the mold what I do in that case if that happens is I don't it not like a perv dome but I put a layer of resin over what is rubbery so that way it doesn't chip away or break or anything
As a kid decades ago, I discovered that fingernail polish melted into Styrofoam. I kinda went crazy with it as it was fascinating. I hate to think what I was breathing in.... 😭😅 Still alive and well, but the things we did back in the day, lol.
I think the biggest issue is when people try to do Styrofoam in resin I has alcohol paints because the alcohol eats away at styrofoam quicker than anything
Fantastic video steve. This is brilliant. Can't believe the alcohol inks did that. I've made a coaster eith alcohol inks and it been fine thankfully haha.
Thx for doing this however I do use alcohol ink in my resin which is safe when using a heat gun you should never use flame also you put way to much ink in there 😉
I made coasters with alcohol inks 4 years ago and their colours are as vibrant and clear as ever. Not sure why he's saying they fade quickly because they really don't. And yeh, if you use them right they're not dangerous at all. Who in their right mind would use a naked flame over alcohol anyway?
Hello Steve. I'm wanting to make a 2 part mold for my Byrna Launcher. It's a co2 paintball 68cal projectile round 17.22mm round. any input would be appreciated.
I really like your vids they are so informative since I use epoxy since 2 months, I had a question though, you said don't do fresh flowers in your resin, I'm with you ofcourse lol but someone who sells them said I'm doing this for 6 years fresh flowers in resin but only resin that does not warm up?? I have no idea if that excist and if she's telling the truth , do you know if this is true? Thanks again for your great video's
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts Yesss that helps a lot, thank you so so much (now I know that I don't have to buy resin what not get's warm) and I just need to wait for dried flowers Thank you 🤗
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I'm trying lol but my roses are moldy or fall apart, so I need to learn it , and yesss ofcourse pot pouri Thank you , that I didn't think of it myself lol, I'm going to watch more video's on your playlist now ❤
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts Steve, I don’t understand why fresh items (flowers, fruit, etc) will “rot away,” as oxygen is required for decay and the items are “preserved” in resin, i.e., oxygen can’t get to ‘em so they can’t decay, or so it seems to me. (NB: I only work with resin to coat the odd polymer piece.) If you’d explain how something encased in resin can “rot,” I’d be grateful. (There could conceivably come a time when I decide to use resin for more than varnishing, hence my curiosity.) (Well, that and it’s interesting!) Thanks very much for helping me to understand!
There's like a whole "thing" of people putting fresh stuff in resin and taking pictures every few weeks, many of the things last a surprisingly long time, especially flowers.
Alcohol inks are awful in my opinion in resin… I use pigments or micapowders… i love to use eye shadows… I was absolutely amazed at how well eye shadows worked…
I won't beat you up about it but I've been using ink in resin for years and inks in general since 2004 or 2005 and have perfect pieces from years ago. Never had anything snap in half like that....
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts it's actually weird that that overloaded it even cured I think that shocked me more than it breaking! I love your experiments! Keep on keeping on! Never know what to expect next and sometimes it's a total surprise when it works or doesn't!
"You're filling the room with alcohol fumes..." I'm quite sure that RESIN fumes would "fill the room" long before the alcohol fumes would, simply because there's so much more resin thank ink in any given project. Basic resin tutorials warn against using too much ink, because too much can prevent proper hardening. Resin packaging invariably includes a warning against improper ventilation. Outdoors is best, where any fume issues are moot.
The problem with “resin fumes” is that when people can’t smell any, they think they’re safe. They forget that things like carbon monoxide and radon have no smell yet they’ll kill you anyway. Folks need to remember that just because they can’t smell something doesn’t mean it’s safe to breathe!
You don't use a lighter, when also using alcohol. You are supposed to use a heat gun for some seconds, by rotating around the mold. I mean, you shouldn't use a lighter with resin at all. No matter what. But I also saw many people doing so on UA-cam. But there also people who don't even bother to read the instructions, and warnings on the bottles, and later cry on UA-cam because they didn't use any protection and now are sick. Sometimes I ask myself if people have unconscionably, a death wish. :/ Oh, I've read on different resin bottles, that the resin takes days to cure properly. So yeah, it MIGHT be normal if they break after "just" 24 hours. The water experiment though... made me think if this method couldn't be used to archive a special effect, which wouldn't be possible with normal resin, since it is to liquid. Hm.........
I have lit alcohol ink and resin on fire multiple times until I started holding my torch a hell of a lot further away and waiting a little bit before torching it Most of the alcohol evaporates off But it will absolutely destroy your molds and you might have part of it stuck to your finished piece lol
about month ago I used resin for the first time ever. mixed it in a plastic cup, and made way too much. when it had cured, I pried/cut it out of the cup and have left it on my work bench. going on 4 weeks now. if anything comes in contact with the top of this piece of resin for any length of time, it will stick to it. it's a 'light' stick and it doesn't actually feel sticky, maybe just a teeny bit softish. for my future reference, is there something I am missing here? if I had made a cast with this, it would be unusable as anything touching it for more than 3-4 hours would tend to stick a bit.
May have been your mixing method and/or inaccurate measuring. Sometimes colors or fillers will cause a problem; especially if you put too much in the resin. Also the temperature of the room you are in can effect the cure process. You need to be as precise as possible. Whatever increment is required for measuring, you can not fudge. Some people think putting in a little extra hardener will make a harder product. That can throw off the curing of the mix. If you want a harder resin, then purchase a resin with a stronger shore hardiness. Most companies list shore hardiness tables for you to decide which will work for your project, or you can call customer service. Many companies are happy to help you choose which of their products will work for you. Mixing is a common issue. You have to thoroughly mix -- no fudging there. If the instructions says to measure each part in separate cups, then combine and stir, then pour into fresh cup and stir again -- do that. Also most resins will list a specific room temperature you should be working in. Sometimes even humidity in the air can affect the cure process. There is a reason for the specific instructions. Resin is kind of like a science in the fact that you must be precise. I have purchased brands of resin that got horrible reviews by users; yet I had no problem at all using them. But I am a meticulous person by nature; so I follow instructions exact. Good luck, do not get discouraged. It can be really exciting to create something unique with resin. Also there are many utilitarian uses for resin. Lately I have been mixing and pouring resin into the base of my kitchen cabinets. I have done the sink, garbage and pot cabinets. I get so frustrated with water stains; garbage spills and oil leaks (from pots) in those cabinets. Wood is real bad about absorbing odors and stains. So when I installed a new kitchen, I poured rein into the bottom of those cabinets and let cure for 2 weeks before using them. It has been great! Such an easy clean up. The wood bottom inside the cabinet is completely sealed and protected and not to mention pretty as I made a marble effect with colors. I ended up coating the entire inside of the garbage cabinet. Back, sides and bottom. NO smells now -- no matter how long the garbage is left in it. I can pull the can out, disengage the glides and completely wipe down the inside with sponge and cleaner. So don't give up on resin. Such a wonderful medium to work with. Good luck. Sorry for the long wind -- but I get excited about things I like doing.
Take Steve’s results with a bit of salt, remember, he burned off the alcohol and then spritzed more on. That could’ve caused reactions that made them wonky and breakable. I’ve been using alcohol ink in coasters and other items for over a year. I’ve NEVER had them crack or be flimsy like his did. I still have some of the first ones I made with, mostly, no problems. I have noticed a couple of my pieces did fade or change color, got kind of milky, after a few months. I’ve not paid enough attention to know if it was a particular brand of ink or what resin I’d used with the couple that faded. I’ve made many many pieces in the last year and have only had a couple fade. I highly suspect which brand of ink I’d used for the items that didn’t hold correct color. There is definitely a difference in how much pigment is in different brands. I’m just realizing as I type this, the less pigmented inks may have more water vs alcohol in them and that may be causing the milky look over time. Steve and Artsy MW are BOTH EXCELLENT resources for information on resin working!
Can you tell me if none cured/wet UV Resin is poison to the skin? also, like for making jewelry? wearing the jewelry? Cured touching the skin? I'm pretty sure the UV I get from China is different from the UV that's used in 3D printers?
You are so very kind to not only advise us about mishaps but also show the various stages of the process. Your video immediately clarified any potential confusion or questions. Thank you for sharing your resin journey and of course for your delightful humor.
Loved the vid, you mentioned why would someone use polystyrene in resin, I do as I make Dioramas and it’s good for imitating ice. One trick I use with polystyrene is to completely cover it in varnish, several coats, helps stop the bubbles and even helps with stopping the melting when the resin gets hot. 👌
I also use foam an perfect for icebergs lol Than I covered the top with plaster to give that extra ice. I got uv an made these thin ife pods it was dun
I think it’s worth mentioning also Steve that certain brands have different reactions. I have used oils with one brand no issue and another brand and a reaction. So it’s not generic across , hope that make sense. Great video and thanks for sharing your knowledge with others.
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I am not as brave as you purposely seeing the impacts my knowledge comes from discovering the lessons along the way lol. We artist like to push the boundaries 😍
I knew about not putting fresh or wet anything into resin. I have not tried it. I don't plan to either! Thanks for showing these different things in your resin. It helps so many others understand why not to use them.
Thank you so much for this. Im a newbie. I enjoyed a particular resin brand for a few projects, but decided to buy another brand to try it out. I used a styrofoam cup when I ran out of plastic cups. I also had my room way too warm. The first 3 minutes of stirring started to make me nervous because it seemed to be getting thick too fast and smell stranger than just resin smell, so I sat it down to grab my color and drop it in before it was too thick to pour. Before I picked it back up it was already virtually solid in the cup with tons of bubbles and burning the sides of the cup! Less than 1 minute! I was so discouraged and confused, I figured it was the styrofoam but feared the resin brand too so I haven't used any more of those bottles. Thanks to you and this video, I now have the confidence to use the remainder of that resin, and the knowledge to prevent so many other mistakes. Thank you again.
With all you teach and with all you show us I'm so glad that you also show us what not to do. It's wonderful that you are willing to take risks in our place. Thanks again
I just had a disaster with alcohol inks and resin. So wish I would have seen this before I wasted all of that resin (which isn't cheap by the way). Thank you so much for all you do for us.
I was mesmerized watching you crack up that coaster. I've watched so many videos of people using it. Really good to know about the quality degradation before trying it out.
Thank you I just started resin crafting and made similar mistakes 😜 Now I know where I went wrong❣️ you're a valuable resource 🥰
This is a good "shortcut" video for anyone who may wonder what and what not to use in resin but doesn't want to hunt and peck for the answers.
I learned this week why I won't be using black food coloring in any of my resin projects. For some reason, it reacts very differently in resin compared to the basic 4 color set. First off, it's not truly black, it's dark blue. Then: it hindered and slowed down the curing time dramatically, makes the resin sticky, separates from the resin and doesn't stay mixed, and causes horrible pitting. But, I knew going in that what I was doing was an experiment and I really didn't know what kind of results I would get from it. I'll be trying more things later in the future just to see what happens. For me, the whole point is having fun and trying new things.
These videos save us all sooo much money!! You are a real trooper out here risking it all to show us how to resin correctly!!!
Didn't know when I wanted to work with clay and resins there was so much to learn, before, I get started. Like you always say. Safety first. So thank goodness for you. I hope you stay safe and happy 😊.
I’m glad you said that bit about fresh items because I was going to start putting fresh flowers in the resin makings I am doing. So I’m glad!
Dried flowers are definitely best ! I put red geraniums in fresh and they turned blue!
Whoa! I'm how does it look now? Any decay to the germaniums now?
Seems like the milky white resulting from adding water, would work well for wave highlights and splashing effects in dioramas.
This was a very interesting experiment, I have seen other UA-camrs paint polystyrene with an oil paint first, then coat with resin. The paint seems to seal the polystyrene & stops the reaction. Loving your experiments!
Here's the thing with alcohol inks. Alcohol will light on fire. If you use them, have a heat gun! It's like with polyester resin! It's has a flammable warning on the container because it'll catch on fire if you use a lighter! Don't blame the products when you don't use them properly.
I've seen a tutorial on here where they set fire to the alcohol inks on purpose!
I've done it a time or two even though I clearly know better. I also set plastic wrap on fire mid video once....
I do burn inks on tile and glass though on purpose and outside....
....I’m clearly going to need to rethink my bubble popping stage now....
Yeah, heat gun doesn't always work as well, but I agree with you: fire bad with flammable inclusions require different methods to avoid open flame.
I just ordered my first little resin craft kit. Just to see if I actually enjoy it.
So this is perfect timing. Definitely locking up the cats in the bedroom now & buying a fire extinguisher soon.
I love those!
I have a lot of stencils and now I can use them for resin crafts!
I'm excited
I’ve never wanted to join a group on here until I saw your videos can’t wait to join
Some fresh flowers are okay to use in resin as long as they have a low water content
This was so weird Steve! I never expected the water to do that, I always thought water would prevent the resin from curing at most, but never this! What a fun experiment! I admit, ive mucked up alcohol ink so much I've stopped even trying 😩!
Same here with the alcohol ink 😩
Use the water one for frozen waterfall effect. You can use very small fresh flowers in a small piece. A large piece would get too hot.
I was able to use a minimal amount of acrylic paint to do a name inside a pendant. It was painted on a cured segment and allowed to dry before the next layer was added.
Thanks for the safety info! I have a safety-related question. Is there a specific resin or epoxy that is meant to be heat resistant after it cures?
I love that you do the experiment s for us. Thank you.
This is very helpful and I think I know now where I went wrong in my last resin pour I think some water got in my cup when I was debubbling the resin in my hot water bath.
I have been using eye shadow to color my resin and so far it's worked ok but I do wonder if it would keep the resin from curing if I use more than just a pinch. This video was super helpful though! I'm glad I saw this before buying alcohol ink :)
He talks about using mica powders in other videos and thats what they use in lots of eyeshadow. :)
Thank you for biting the bullet for us & diving in to those experiments. The oil paint was a great success although it would be madly expensive to use as a pigment. Appreciate the results of the alcohol ink experiment, that was really useful and I think I'll be careful to limit myself to just a few diluted drops. Your wrist does look a bit sore - was that a kitchen accident?
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts Pleased the cream is helping. Not fair when people are allergic to their passion :( Get those sleeve protectors out again & buy a dozen more, they looked really efficient!
Thanks for showing us your experiments!!. I had not idea about the fire hazard i created using alcohol inks and spraying 91% alcohol spray. When i torched them one started bubbling like crazy before it broke out in flames. Lesson learned.
Hi have you tried making a hand with resin and a rubber glove ( by pouring the resin into the glove)
What do you think the best resin is for crafts?
I was glad to see this vid, I had ordered some alchohol inks. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Could be an effect of burning the resin. Never ever had that happen.
@@MyFavoriteNolaThings actually I think it might just be the brand of resin he used. Cause the first time I worked with alcohol inks, I didn’t think and burned it. But it still stayed completely hard. I’ve had issues since then with adding too much inks and it taking a few days to fully dry, but that’s different. The resin itself still stayed hard.
This is a great video! I love alcohol ink and use it in resin all the time. HOWEVER...never use an open flame, always a heat gun. Never had any issues 👍🏻
Would like to say if you use high quality alcohol inks and a suitable quality resin it's fine and fading only happens if the piece created is left in direct sunlight for months and months. I've done tests and there has been no fading they look exactly the same as pieces made at the same time same resin/dyes etc and kept in a box and there is no difference... But you'd have to do the same tests with a small piece to see how your inks and resin work
Hi Steve...I'm a woodworker ...I only cast larger pieces...Radio Face Wood Works...I really appreciate your videos...the tips are quite useful... thanks for all you do...stay safe...press on 😎
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I'm making my 1st video now...if I can help you in any way please don't hesitate to contact me at "IMRadioFace@gmail.com "
Very interesting effects that you got. Thanks for sharing the information. Good to know!
I never knew alcohol inks fade. Thanks Mr Steve.
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts 🙄😪
@steve McDonald arts and crafts does that happen even if it is sealed? If so, does the seal at least prolong the inevitable? Thanks!
Thanks for this, I was going to waste resin to do the same
Wow. I had no idea about the alcohol ink fires. Makes sense though. I’m going to use resin for the first time so I’m watching a lot of resin videos
Please can you advise on a good mask to wear when working with resin?
I use alcohol inks in resin all the time and I've never had it turn brittle like that. I wonder if it's because my resin is a slow one that takes at least 48 hours to cure?
could you use the water & resin as a material for a waterfall effect, for ponds or teacup/coffee cup pour out, it stiffens up quite well for it, instead of glue from a glue gun.
Very helpfully video! Thank you for saving me from errors. I did wonder about the styrofoam. I always appreciate your videos. Again thank you
Id love to see you do these tests on UV resin for 3d printers. There's so many resins out there and some claim to be much harder or softer but they're expensive and hard to get a hold of sometimes. They have to be adding something so I'm wondering what can be done at home.
Thanks for all the great testing!
Excellent video! Thank you!!!
I had to smuggle polyester resin into a secured facility once. Only way was to seal it in a Ziploc bag. The smell was really strong still. Bagged it inside TWO more bags and thought the smell was manageable. Hid it in the front of my tighty whities. Huge mistake. Waiting in the que to go into the facility the vapors began burning my john thomas and co. Within 5 minutes I felt like I was being incinerated. I was a human torch for almost an hour. I was in so much pain a could barely even stand or focus my eyes. The only reason I made it through looking half dead was because they saw drug addicts all day long and probably thought I was a crackhead.
ALWAYS use proper containers for your resin and I would imagine it would probably not be a good idea to use it to make a mold of your willie. Lol!
I made letter keychains with styrofoam pastel balls and it turned out cute. No problems
Thanks for the cautionary items to not use ...
You're the first video to be against alcohol ink, every other video I watched, they're using it as if its going out of style. I've just finished making up a batch of diy alcohol ink using coloured Sharpie pens and 100% IPA. I go crazy with the lighter to get bubbles out so thank you so much for the heads up. I'm also trying food colouring paste to see how that goes...again with 100% IPA. So better be careful with the lighter. I did try a fresh thistle one day and it flashed cured. That was a good few weeks ago...I must check it to see if it rotted. Many thanks again for the video, it was an eye opener!
Isopropanol can be used to create reactions in resin and added by spray to a mould then later will kill all bubbles mo need for a lighter unless you want heat to create lacing. Just wait till vapours etc disperse 😉 I use it alot and never had a issue. Each to their own 👌🎯💯👍😉
Will you do a video on what does work good in resin please?🙂
Enjoy watching your tutorials. Can you do one on how to epoxy over a stained pine wood round/serving tray with htv? Including the best way to add both pull (screw in) and knob (bolt) handles??
Greatly appreciate you testing and sharing this information with is!!
If you want fresh items in resin, soak them in acetone first, then put them in the resin. As the acetone evaporates it will suck the resin in. This is basically the method used to plastinate bodies. :)
Would this work for flowers and would the acetone not damage the colour of petals? Is this method better than drying flowers with silica sand first?
I also wonder about preserving leaves in glycerin and their reaction. Will have to try that one and see
I also wonder about preserving leaves in glycerin and their reaction. Will have to try that one and see
I was wondering if you can put your own small acrylicic paintings in Resin
If u mean acrylic paintings on paper,sketchpads, or canvases I think it should work as long as the paint is dry. I haven’t tried that yet but I poured wet acrylic paint in resin & it worked fine but the plastic polymers inside it ruined the resin causing it to have holes & messed up the mold so it’s hard to clean now. make sure the acrylic is dry. (or use alternative art supplies like pastels to color the resin)
Thats great to know Steve thank you.:) btw I ordered and received the double sided tape Im trying to get my new craft space organized and Im throwing around a few ideas.
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I cant wait to share pics and Im going to play with some ice resin and UV resin in coming days and weeks.
I only use alcohol inks! Steve, I think you’re just the hulk in disguise 😂. I’m sitting here trying to bend my coasters and they are not budging! They only thing I do different is that I don’t use a torch to pop the bubbles and I do it before I add the ink.
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts that makes sense. I was scared you were going to burn your house down when you used a torch! I haven’t noticed any fading yet but I’m sure over time it will happen. Especially if it’s in direct sunlight.
I recently bought alcohol inks to use in my work but now I dont know if I should. Its kinda freaked me out haha. Thanks for this video 😊
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts haha okay I won’t. I do use 99% rubbing alcohol to dissolve my micas and I havent caught anything on fire yet! 🤣
Thanks steve.
Did not know that about the flowers
Thank you for the video. I use Minimal AI in some pieces... but, I did find that it can create issue. I DO Love Mica much more, myself. I just enjoy the effects of the little mushrooms..
So acrylic paint shouldn't be used with resin because of the water in them? Have you ever try epsom salts in a project? Thank you for there experiment.
Suppliers such as Alec Tiranti and DWR Plastics have online PDF sheets for their products which have along with the safety requirements and information regarding materials and conditions which affect the moulding and casting products, which are useful to have especially as these materials can cost a lot of money.
My alcohol inks from China 2 years ago were used to make a clock. It has been up in direct sunlight since and has not faded one bit. I may have just struck lucky.
Wondering if by using a good UV epoxy with or over alcohol inks would prolong the fade'ness a smidge more versus it not having any UV protection added... No argument that certain alcohol inks and also specific colors will fade over time, so if you want a color to remain and not change down the road, best not use alcohol ink to get your color, unless you don't care if it fades, changes or disappears...
I use alcohol inks in mine but I use alcohol inks that are for resin so it's Amore High saturation of color and not a high content of alcohol again but also do you like the proper amount of alcohol inks to your resin you won't have the breakage because I've made ashtrays and coasters I just made a really nice Moon and start like jewelry dish and it is hard as a rock I mean like hard as a rock there is no give to it I can't I can break if I wanted to. They took a hammer to it but I also use the different type of resin that is for table tops bar tops and cutting board I think it just depends on the resin that you use I don't know it's probably an old video to when my luck but yeah that is definitely an interesting experiment I've noticed if I used too much alcohol ink in a small mold that will cause it to be like not yellow but rubbery on the top where most the ink settled on the top instead of the bottom or excuse me reverse it the bottom of the mold instead of the top of the mold what I do in that case if that happens is I don't it not like a perv dome but I put a layer of resin over what is rubbery so that way it doesn't chip away or break or anything
As a kid decades ago, I discovered that fingernail polish melted into Styrofoam. I kinda went crazy with it as it was fascinating. I hate to think what I was breathing in.... 😭😅
Still alive and well, but the things we did back in the day, lol.
Great experiment!
Have you ever dried flowers with borax? Does it work? How long does it take?
I think the biggest issue is when people try to do Styrofoam in resin I has alcohol paints because the alcohol eats away at styrofoam quicker than anything
Good to know
I appreciate your videos I learned a lot from you.
Thank you. very informative! great idea to have a bucket of water and a fire extinguisher near by!
Great info. Thanks for sharing!
Not a fan of alcohol inks either. Just don't like how it comes out but that could be cause I don't use them enough to practice it lol
Fantastic video steve. This is brilliant. Can't believe the alcohol inks did that. I've made a coaster eith alcohol inks and it been fine thankfully haha.
Thx for doing this however I do use alcohol ink in my resin which is safe when using a heat gun you should never use flame also you put way to much ink in there 😉
I made coasters with alcohol inks 4 years ago and their colours are as vibrant and clear as ever. Not sure why he's saying they fade quickly because they really don't. And yeh, if you use them right they're not dangerous at all. Who in their right mind would use a naked flame over alcohol anyway?
ty so much for ur info by the way can we use matic while making rechargble pens ??
Hello Steve. I'm wanting to make a 2 part mold for my Byrna Launcher. It's a co2 paintball 68cal projectile round 17.22mm round. any input would be appreciated.
I really like your vids they are so informative since I use epoxy since 2 months, I had a question though, you said don't do fresh flowers in your resin, I'm with you ofcourse lol but someone who sells them said I'm doing this for 6 years fresh flowers in resin but only resin that does not warm up?? I have no idea if that excist and if she's telling the truth , do you know if this is true? Thanks again for your great video's
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts Yesss that helps a lot, thank you so so much (now I know that I don't have to buy resin what not get's warm) and I just need to wait for dried flowers Thank you 🤗
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts I'm trying lol but my roses are moldy or fall apart, so I need to learn it , and yesss ofcourse pot pouri Thank you , that I didn't think of it myself lol, I'm going to watch more video's on your playlist now ❤
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts Steve, I don’t understand why fresh items (flowers, fruit, etc) will “rot away,” as oxygen is required for decay and the items are “preserved” in resin, i.e., oxygen can’t get to ‘em so they can’t decay, or so it seems to me. (NB: I only work with resin to coat the odd polymer piece.) If you’d explain how something encased in resin can “rot,” I’d be grateful. (There could conceivably come a time when I decide to use resin for more than varnishing, hence my curiosity.) (Well, that and it’s interesting!)
Thanks very much for helping me to understand!
Thanks Steve, again very helpful.
There's like a whole "thing" of people putting fresh stuff in resin and taking pictures every few weeks, many of the things last a surprisingly long time, especially flowers.
Alcohol inks are awful in my opinion in resin… I use pigments or micapowders… i love to use eye shadows… I was absolutely amazed at how well eye shadows worked…
Hi Steve, I’m a new member but my name isn’t on the list. I’m loving the videos and have just bought my first batch of resin.
Hi, have you tried using our everyday writing pen/ink?
I won't beat you up about it but I've been using ink in resin for years and inks in general since 2004 or 2005 and have perfect pieces from years ago. Never had anything snap in half like that....
@@SteveMcDonaldArtsandCrafts it's actually weird that that overloaded it even cured I think that shocked me more than it breaking! I love your experiments! Keep on keeping on! Never know what to expect next and sometimes it's a total surprise when it works or doesn't!
"You're filling the room with alcohol fumes..." I'm quite sure that RESIN fumes would "fill the room" long before the alcohol fumes would, simply because there's so much more resin thank ink in any given project. Basic resin tutorials warn against using too much ink, because too much can prevent proper hardening.
Resin packaging invariably includes a warning against improper ventilation. Outdoors is best, where any fume issues are moot.
The problem with “resin fumes” is that when people can’t smell any, they think they’re safe. They forget that things like carbon monoxide and radon have no smell yet they’ll kill you anyway.
Folks need to remember that just because they can’t smell something doesn’t mean it’s safe to breathe!
You don't use a lighter, when also using alcohol. You are supposed to use a heat gun for some seconds, by rotating around the mold. I mean, you shouldn't use a lighter with resin at all. No matter what. But I also saw many people doing so on UA-cam. But there also people who don't even bother to read the instructions, and warnings on the bottles, and later cry on UA-cam because they didn't use any protection and now are sick. Sometimes I ask myself if people have unconscionably, a death wish. :/ Oh, I've read on different resin bottles, that the resin takes days to cure properly. So yeah, it MIGHT be normal if they break after "just" 24 hours. The water experiment though... made me think if this method couldn't be used to archive a special effect, which wouldn't be possible with normal resin, since it is to liquid. Hm.........
Woo! That was a fast demo! Thanks again!
Always learning ty
I have lit alcohol ink and resin on fire multiple times until I started holding my torch a hell of a lot further away and waiting a little bit before torching it Most of the alcohol evaporates off But it will absolutely destroy your molds and you might have part of it stuck to your finished piece lol
How many hit 👍 the minute he said, I’ve got a fire extinguisher here? 😬😂🤣😬
😂
I certainly did!👍
about month ago I used resin for the first time ever. mixed it in a plastic cup, and made way too much. when it had cured, I pried/cut it out of the cup and have left it on my work bench. going on 4 weeks now. if anything comes in contact with the top of this piece of resin for any length of time, it will stick to it. it's a 'light' stick and it doesn't actually feel sticky, maybe just a teeny bit softish. for my future reference, is there something I am missing here? if I had made a cast with this, it would be unusable as anything touching it for more than 3-4 hours would tend to stick a bit.
May have been your mixing method and/or inaccurate measuring. Sometimes colors or fillers will cause a problem; especially if you put too much in the resin. Also the temperature of the room you are in can effect the cure process. You need to be as precise as possible. Whatever increment is required for measuring, you can not fudge. Some people think putting in a little extra hardener will make a harder product. That can throw off the curing of the mix. If you want a harder resin, then purchase a resin with a stronger shore hardiness. Most companies list shore hardiness tables for you to decide which will work for your project, or you can call customer service. Many companies are happy to help you choose which of their products will work for you. Mixing is a common issue. You have to thoroughly mix -- no fudging there. If the instructions says to measure each part in separate cups, then combine and stir, then pour into fresh cup and stir again -- do that. Also most resins will list a specific room temperature you should be working in. Sometimes even humidity in the air can affect the cure process. There is a reason for the specific instructions. Resin is kind of like a science in the fact that you must be precise. I have purchased brands of resin that got horrible reviews by users; yet I had no problem at all using them. But I am a meticulous person by nature; so I follow instructions exact. Good luck, do not get discouraged. It can be really exciting to create something unique with resin. Also there are many utilitarian uses for resin. Lately I have been mixing and pouring resin into the base of my kitchen cabinets. I have done the sink, garbage and pot cabinets. I get so frustrated with water stains; garbage spills and oil leaks (from pots) in those cabinets. Wood is real bad about absorbing odors and stains. So when I installed a new kitchen, I poured rein into the bottom of those cabinets and let cure for 2 weeks before using them. It has been great! Such an easy clean up. The wood bottom inside the cabinet is completely sealed and protected and not to mention pretty as I made a marble effect with colors. I ended up coating the entire inside of the garbage cabinet. Back, sides and bottom. NO smells now -- no matter how long the garbage is left in it. I can pull the can out, disengage the glides and completely wipe down the inside with sponge and cleaner. So don't give up on resin. Such a wonderful medium to work with. Good luck. Sorry for the long wind -- but I get excited about things I like doing.
Will resin pigments fade like the alcohol inks ? Ty for your value time.
I'M SURE MOST OF US KNOW WHAT NOT TO ADD LIKE PVA GLUE ETC,. INTERESTING VIDEO
Can you pour resin over an oil painting that has dried, with favorable results?
Wow I watch Artsy Madwoman and she uses a lot of ink in her projects, thank you for sharing that it gets very brittle.
Take Steve’s results with a bit of salt, remember, he burned off the alcohol and then spritzed more on. That could’ve caused reactions that made them wonky and breakable. I’ve been using alcohol ink in coasters and other items for over a year. I’ve NEVER had them crack or be flimsy like his did. I still have some of the first ones I made with, mostly, no problems.
I have noticed a couple of my pieces did fade or change color, got kind of milky, after a few months. I’ve not paid enough attention to know if it was a particular brand of ink or what resin I’d used with the couple that faded. I’ve made many many pieces in the last year and have only had a couple fade.
I highly suspect which brand of ink I’d used for the items that didn’t hold correct color. There is definitely a difference in how much pigment is in different brands. I’m just realizing as I type this, the less pigmented inks may have more water vs alcohol in them and that may be causing the milky look over time.
Steve and Artsy MW are BOTH EXCELLENT resources for information on resin working!
@@lindacondray7918 I was and am, I've used ink and haven't had a bad reaction but it's good to know what might happen.
Can you tell me if none cured/wet UV Resin is poison to the skin? also, like for making jewelry? wearing the jewelry? Cured touching the skin? I'm pretty sure the UV I get from China is different from the UV that's used in 3D printers?
I haven't used alcohol ink but have used acrylic in a thick green mold... didnt work, but does work in clear molds weird😅😅😅