Friendly reminder to all! - Wear masks - Gloves - Work in a very open and ventilated space! For me my dad has an airbrush thing where it has a vent that sucks in fumes, and it works well! Have fun everyone ^^
@@whoisCH3DDAR there's premade ones in online sites, usually around the names of fume extractor. the general idea would be a flexible vent with a fan on the end to redirect the fumes, sometimes with a filter as well sort of like a vacuum in a sense
I've been using the same stainless Steel mixing spatula for over 10years. The resin pops right off it when cured and it saves on discarding so many disposable ones.
i notice there is a mixing tool used at 2:40 attached to the drill. possible plastic. Do you have to replace that tool, or does the resin pop off. Is it a paint mixer?
@@juliec9307 The ones used for resin mixing are made of silicone rubber so the resin just peels off when cured. It's good to have your own mold of one, to make your own whenever you have excess silicone.
Early wins VS big disappointments. Start small and inconsequential. Wisdom! Took me a long time to learn that one but I apply it to every new DIY experiment. Practice makes perfect guys.
I've been holding off on beginning this amazing art because I've been so intimidated, was just scrolling through the subject matter and found this video. Looks like this next weekend I'll get started! Thank you!
I've been watching a lot of resin videos and I've been twitching watching people handling it without gloves and even using their unprotected fingers to move imbeds around that aren't completely submerged but still in the resin. It's been driving me NUTS.
Just tried my very first cast in some dice molds. Overall, relatively happy with the results. They are far from perfect, but I now know that I need a different type of syringe to allow the air to get out of the mold better.
Just poured resin for the 3rd time. Learning so much! I had a exothermic reaction in my mixing cup as I was working with my dried bloom in my mold. I was so focused on my bloom I didn’t realize the leftover resin in the cup was an amount that would heat up and smoke 🥴😩😅🤯
So, there are resins that are more forgiving, but they are of the crafting variety and more expensive because we're all crafting now. There's a product I used to use exclusively called Ice Resin that dries crystal clear, you can mix it as fast as you like and most all bubbles (even the micro ones) will end up floating so they can be heated off, and it's super forgiving in measuring. I never had it fail me. Why don't I use it any more? Because Ranger bought it and now it's twice as expensive as it used to be to the point where it's no longer cost-effective, even at wholesale pricing. Tim Holtz is making a killing on the whole DIY thing and I wasn't happy about this company purchase. That having been said, I still love it and I bought it for a commissioned piece I did because I know it, know how it works, is almost odorless, and it cures nearly bubble free even after aggressive mixing and not exactly accurate measuring ... with only a whiff from a blow dryer or heat gun after it's set for a few minutes (or you can heat the mix in a water bath until ALL bubbles are gone just like all other resins). KNOW your material. Agreed, read the directions entirely before using. Also, a mistake I don't ever see in any of these videos is to NOT store this stuff in a cold place. Dark is good. Relatively cool is good. Being too cold will cause the resin part to crystalize. The stuff I bought from Amazon for the piece mentioned above came entirely crystalized. DON'T THROW IT OUT OR RETURN IT! Resin works rather like honey. All you have to do when it crystalizes is put it in a water bath (bae marie) and heat it to 125 degrees F, let the whole bottle sit in the bath until it re-melts. You have to turn over a few times (not shake because that's useless) in the beginning, but once it starts to "melt" again, you can turn it, swirl it (shaking still isn't good) and get it all to mix until it's all "melted" again. Took about half an hour for my 8oz bottle. And then, in the future, store it in an airtight container (the one it came in should be fine), in a cool (but not cold), dry, dark place. A cabinet with a door is fine. Sadly, I had a kit years ago and if you let it sit in close proximity of sunlight, the resin will turn brown. Boo. Another, though more expensive by far, is UV resin. No mixing. Comes as is. However, I've used it and I can say that a UV light, unless it's super bright (the 36w they suggest, which is hard to find on a whim), is best gathered outside. I had a UV project that hadn't cured in a week with several daily bathings in UV bulb light. Still sticky, which they say you can get rid of with alcohol, but not so much I found. The best time to use UV resin, unless it's a tiny thing with a thin coat, is when the sun is high. I repeated the same project but cured it outside and even under clouds, it cures totally within about an hour if it's a thick coat. (used to seal the wood and cracks for a lid for a jewelry box I was pouring). Always pre-seal wood surfaces. They have a lot of air and you'll get bubbles you didn't expect after you thought you got them all. Wood off-gasses, fyi ... Which is another mistake newbies make ... stirring with popsicle sticks. Those are wood, and wood has a lot of air, so while you stir slowly to avoid bubbles, the longer the wood stick is in the resin to mix it, the more air it will release and thus, give you more bubbles. Use silicone or plastic to stir instead.
#3 I bought little silicone “candy” molds and poured those as my first pour today. Just to see how it all works with mixing and adding colors. Can’t wait to see how they come out!
Thank you! I'm taking the leap soon and have been doing as much research as possible. My first test is a tiny coaster, but maybe I'll try smaller as you suggested with a bottle cap.
@@ZacHiggins great video and thank you for te warning, just started and sadly got some on my hands and did not know that it could be giving blisters i start lookinv for safty methodes and found your video. Btw. If rasin get on lets say te sink (in te kitchen)how do i remove it?
Thanks for all of the informative videos! I started looking into resin crafting about a year ago and i'm finally looking into getting a pressure pot and really diving into it and your videos have been a life saver throughout the entire process!
That's awesome Jason! I'm glad to hear you're jumping in soon. Also, glad to hear the videos have been helpful. Make sure to check out my podcast if you like to listen to audio shows. It's called The Resin Cast, Casey Martin and I discuss lots of different casting and stabilizing topics on it: theresincast.com/
Thanks for the advice,I’m a model car kit builder,and I have rare vintage.ive casted some rims and hoods.and would like to duplicate some of my rare vintage dodge and Plymouth cars. Not all of my parts turned out perfect,but I’m still learning.i give you a thumbs up.good handy advice thanks.
I started using a pressure pot on my new batch of resin castings, the difference is 20 time better than not using one. My problem was air bubbles, in the moulds and in the castings. I pressure my moulds now to 50 psi and the castings the same. Before i poured slowly with both and squeezed out trapped air etc, still had bubbles in the undercuts.. I have also used a multiple leather punch to cut air holes for air to escape in the top mould if i am doing a two piece mould, no need to make spurs for air holes. I fill the bottom mould with the bulk of resin, place the top part of the mould on top and use a syringe filled with resin to fill the rest up through one of the air vents that pushes out any remaining air plus leave a small puddle on top for any resin to fill any air voids that pops out under pressure. Don't forget if you make a two piece mould and want to form lining up lugs in the corners of a square mould only do three not four as there is no way to mistake lining up.
This was one of the best explained tutorials . Thank u so much . Teach the last 5 years of tutorials of many subjects I’ve watched please . Look forward to learned more and deep diving into your channel and work
i get my California Air Tools pot tomorrow for christmas! ive watched a million videos of people doing projects. i just found you, im picking up some basic knowledge for my big day tomorrow! Thanks for the info! Fresh Air Woodshop - Kansas
Great tips! I used to install epoxy flooring, and the heat from curing is no joke! On really warm days the stuff used to get so hot it’d melt the plastic buckets we mixed it in. Nasty stuff if it’s not used properly!
Thanks bro. I visited Cali last Sept 2020, I found there are SOOOOOO many gems in just 1' of dirt. I want to suspend gems in clear resin. This is a cool video
Thank you sir! I have failed a lot with this epoxy resin and slowly, I'm getting there. I messed up 2 gallons and another gallon is on its way (by the way this is really expensive to make a mistake) Thanks for your advice
Great tips!!! I ALWAYS read labels and instructions...I got some resin to start making coasters. New sub!!! I searched for how to use resin and your channel popped up. Thank you for explaining the ingredients and how resin work, with various temperatures...:)
Thank you for the tips. I run a small clothing company and would like to make some small resin items to sell along side my clothing. These seem like they will really help me, and am excited to start experimenting. I will most definitely be looking into your ebook as well! Cheers
I first started using resin when I was 15 or so, so like 3 years ago. But my first time was crazy, I had watched a billion videos and thought I knew what I was doing. Right off the bat it was a nightmare, I had ordered two small bottles of hardener and the resin itself offline. The hardener wasn't closed right and a 4th of it bled out into the box and packaging and plastic around it. Then, me just panicking to get it out, found out if I'm ever to be touching uncured resin products to wear gloves. Its so waterproof and sticky, I had it all over both of my hands covered in fuzzys and fur for two days after trying to just rub it off and then wash it off. Not the smartest thing I've ever done for sure. When I was pouring my first mold It was just some little half-sphere molds. I do a wide variety of arts and crafts, I was in the mood to make some for my other projects. I didn't have a measuring cup or any form of measurement I was allowed to ruin, and it didn't come with anything. so I wung it and tried my best to get it as even as possible. Bad idea, not only did it get everywhere all over again, this time on my desk and again on me, but it didn't cure right and was like soft plastic when the time curing should have been finished. I stayed away from resin for a few months after that, but I couldn't help myself and eventually got right back into it. Now it's one of my favorite materials. Something broken? Resin. Sturdy bond? Jewelry making? Charm making? Doll eyes? Preserving? Resin. And i looooove it :)
You didn’t mention temperature. In work in my garage and sometimes the temperature is in the low 40s. So far so good but when it’s cold I stick to thin layers. What’s your experience
Will try out various mix upon little coaster mold so inexpensive trials, a quick story from painter instructor a lotta years back was of a papering job in purple silk wall hanging. Working out how much was in each roll length and width and as says on every paint tin size coverage Ken worked out how much spare was in hand finding the silk shrunk so worked out by how much so hung each drop with overlap to have success with spit on fit his former boss appreciated saving hundreds in each roll so good on you doing same we just need to listen to you.
I like your video I ain't never did it but I watch other people videos and how they do it and it makes me want to do it cuz it seems like so much fun so I'm so happy that I ran across your video so I could avoid the same mistakes 🙏
I really want to make dice from resin, but I have really shitty anxiety and am absolutely terrified of fucking up. This video really helped me out and made the idea of resin casting significantly less scary
Changed out my compressor a little while back and have recently realized I don't have a water trap on it and have been blowing moisture right into the pressure pot. Very humid in IL.
LOL I just finished a 100L table pour for my first go! had a leak but was lucky enough that it started to hardened as it was leaking so I lost about 20L and topped it up the day after while it was still sticky. I was mega lucky, that would have been one expensive mistake.
My number one issue with alumilite has been humidity, and not baking the wood to dry it out. So coincidentally winter is the best time for me to cast. Nice and dry because of the wood stove.
For moisture control, I purchased a bag of silica gel pellets like you find in the “do not eat” packet. My local sporting goods store had a good sized bag for use in gun safes ~10 bucks. poured it in the bottom of my pressure pot and it works great. They turn from orange to green when they get saturated, and can be recharged in the oven
Thanks! Was thinking of getting into this , your video is super helpful! Honestly! I already make candles and soaps and other stuff, but was thinking of getting into this ti make my own candle jars/vessels and things! Looking forward to seeing your other videos
Hey Zac - First I enjoyed the video! Lots of good basic stuff that is easy to overlook. What are your thoughts on how/when to add pigment(s)? Doing one or two colors I mix part A with part B then add colors. Three or four I add the color to part A mix then combine with part B. I have not had any problems with wither approach. Your thoughts?
thank you for this video! all of my resin materials came in the mail today and i can’t wait to try. you helped me avoid a bunch of mistakes that i would’ve probably made had i not watched this!
Nice list! I have been getting into this recently after watching the Thecrafsman Steadycrafting and Robert Talone molding & casting videos. I have been mainly trying to make copies of my action figures for making custom figures. As I said, great tips for a beginner.
Best way to avoid humidity is mixing resin on a very dry day with clear blue sky and no clouds and don't use resin on days when it is raining because there is too much water in the air!
Great beginner video. Perfect for me. My niece asked me to make a resin cast of her seashell collection. Was thinking of doing a 12x24x1.5 cast and incorporating it into a coffee table. What resin would be best for that application?
Am a former decorator who mixed wall paper paste and mixed my own pale sky blue paint by hand before. Have used ammonia white spirits turps knotting even familiar with modern coshh etc so can see what your saying within reason. So appreciate your heads 😊 up, just watching the video thus is a what five to one part mix or is it a 2% mix as with paint colour change and you have the mix basics, I ain't used let alone got the epoxy yet
Thanks for #3. Before watching your video I asked another artist what kind of piece would they suggest for a beginner. Ive seen a lot that Id like to try but I dont want to invest a lot and not know if it id enjoy resin.
Hey, Nice video. I’m gonna look for an answer to this but..... I’m trying to make a small coin, basically cover an candy with resin so it doesn’t go bad over time (emotional value). The question is. What materials can I use while casting, for example, what plastics DON’T stick to the resin, so i can use it as a base. Donno if that made sense. Either way thumbs up video!
It's not absolutely necessary to use pressure, I think it's the best way to go if you do have one or can get one though. I have a live stream replay that covers some tips on casting without pressure: ua-cam.com/video/sIvDzsUldYM/v-deo.html The only way to remove cured resin is to scrape it off. You can use acetone or denatured alcohol if it's still wet though.
great.. I am thinking I might want to do this.. I have seen some very cool things done... But at 67 I need all the help I can get before I start this.. So thanks for the share.. carry on, stay safe and have fun!
tinkmarshino What I am doing is a bit different from this guy. I’m filling voids in live edge slabs, but the principles of safety, mixing, dyeing, etc, are very similar. Keep watching the vids, talk to the guys at Woodcraft (if you have one around) and go to it. If you screw something up, try it again. Good luck!
@@williammccauley6774 I am going to do some counter tops in my kitchen with live edged slabs.. I want to keep the bark on and stable I was thinking of about a 1/4 - 3/8th think resin across the whole thing.. But I wonder if the resin souls follow the live edge or just make it squared off to give the top a straight edge.. also How do you keep bubbles from forming and can I make a pour that big in one shot..
tinkmarshino How you treat the edge is up to you. I prefer to remove the bark and put the natural bevel down (narrow top wide bottom). Watch some John Malecki videos he does some very nice tables. I do not coat the table top with resin, but then I’m not making counter tops. I use Odies products, oil, wood butter, or wax. They also have vids.
I crochet and would like to make coasters out of the coasters I crocheted. 1. Do I need to seal the crocheted coaster first? If so how? 3. What would be the resin product to use in your opinion?
Can you cast things like paper, air dried clay or things with acrylic paint which prone to being damaged by water and other liquids? Sorry if it's a stupid question. I just want to preserve certain items and I'm hoping there's a way to keep them from being damaged by the resin itself since it is a liquid substance. 😅
Thank you, for this, Zac, I have been accumulating supplies, for months, and for some reason I'm afraid to jump in! I just bought your e-book, and look forward to reading it, hopefully it will ease my irrational fear of the unknown with regard to resin! I don't intend to be turning anything big, mostly jewellery and small trinkets, so I've been looking at "mini" lathes, but they seem to be all over the board, with regard to quality. I bought a "Buddha Bead Machine" (fully aware it's junk), just to see if it's going to be something I can manage (I have some nerve damage, after being struck by lightning) but will want to buy something better, in the near future. Can you suggest a user friendly, lathe that is good quality, without completely destroying the bank ($500 USD-ish, but don't mind spending more for safety and quality, if necessary?
Hey Heidi, best thing to do is just jump in and start casting. It's just best to ease into it a bit, and once you have a few pours under your belt, you'll gain confidence. Just expect to make a few mistakes, but not worry about it. That's part of the learning process. For lathes, I enjoyed my Nova Comet, pretty decent for the price. I think if you plan to turn for a while though, a few extra bucks for the new Laguna 12|16 is well worth the investment. Much heavier duty mini lathe that will handle anything you throw at it
good morning Zac I have a question that perhaps you can help me with. I have made a sign for my arts and crafts booth and I need to know how to pour resin without fully mixing the colors. I cut out a full size Phoenix fire bird and I want to fill the cavities with resin so it looks like fire. I would like to keep the resin mostly clear with ribbons of red, yellow and orange. I am going to back light the sign therefore I want the light to shine thru. I have watched a lot of videos but have yet to see any that show how to do this. I did see one video that showed swirling the color in using a tooth pick but was wondering if there is a better way. By the way, great videos I have learned a lot from watching you.
I'm in Florida and the humidity can get pretty high. I work in a small corner space in my room. If I turn on the A/C to help reduce humidity, then I can't ventilate, although I put a small fan on. I do wear my mask and gloves, but the lack of venting is my concern. Any suggestions? Thank you. This vid was very helpful. ♥️👍
I have a project in mind long story short i gave my late grandfather a preserved butterfly in a shadow box some years ago and the glass broke. Any way my though was to keep it in the shadow box and remove the glass then encase it in resin. My only problem is ive seen where the resin discolors the wings or makes them transparent, now ive thought of lamination to counter that but not really sure if that is the right rout or if there is a resin that wont harm the wings...
if you want to do a fair load of trial runs using cheap stuff before you use the real epoxy or polyurethane, you can try starch, milk protien and ordinary jello, which are all resins too, but they are alot weaker. Jelly is still quite expensive tho, its about 2/3 the price of real resin, milk and starch is about 1/3. i suggest using layers tho, because it all shrinks alot when it dries.
Hey thanks for the information- I’m repurposing a serving tray. I basically used broken stained glass pieces as a mosaic and thought that pouring resin over it to create a “glass like finish” - and I’m totally a novice. Which product do you think might work?
![Why You Should NOT Do Epoxy Resin Countertops [Do THIS Instead]](/img/n.gif)
Friendly reminder to all!
- Wear masks
- Gloves
- Work in a very open and ventilated space!
For me my dad has an airbrush thing where it has a vent that sucks in fumes, and it works well! Have fun everyone ^^
where would you find one of those airbrush things?
@@whoisCH3DDAR Well he uses it for an airbrush, and he actually built it!
@@crossplayed Wow!
@@whoisCH3DDAR there's premade ones in online sites, usually around the names of fume extractor. the general idea would be a flexible vent with a fan on the end to redirect the fumes, sometimes with a filter as well
sort of like a vacuum in a sense
@@ChimpOnComputer bless you!
I've been using the same stainless Steel mixing spatula for over 10years. The resin pops right off it when cured and it saves on discarding so many disposable ones.
Nice! I use HDPE mixing sticks often too. Nice to not have to replace them
Thanks
metal is non porous.
i notice there is a mixing tool used at 2:40 attached to the drill. possible plastic. Do you have to replace that tool, or does the resin pop off. Is it a paint mixer?
@@juliec9307 The ones used for resin mixing are made of silicone rubber so the resin just peels off when cured. It's good to have your own mold of one, to make your own whenever you have excess silicone.
Early wins VS big disappointments. Start small and inconsequential. Wisdom! Took me a long time to learn that one but I apply it to every new DIY experiment. Practice makes perfect guys.
I've been holding off on beginning this amazing art because I've been so intimidated, was just scrolling through the subject matter and found this video. Looks like this next weekend I'll get started! Thank you!
How did it go? Any tips that you'd recommend from where you were a year ago?
#6. Not using proper PPE. Gloves, eye, and lung protection.
Good call! Safety is a given, and it actually comes before #1 on my list
What's a PPE?
@@seyievetolohe2151 Pay Per Ewe
@@seyievetolohe2151 Personal Protective Equipment
I've been watching a lot of resin videos and I've been twitching watching people handling it without gloves and even using their unprotected fingers to move imbeds around that aren't completely submerged but still in the resin. It's been driving me NUTS.
Just tried my very first cast in some dice molds. Overall, relatively happy with the results. They are far from perfect, but I now know that I need a different type of syringe to allow the air to get out of the mold better.
for once, living in a desert comes in handy
Yeah like me living in Las Vegas only 3% humidity today.and 15% in the House.
Australia 99 % humidity nearly every day
Oh damn, uk. Rain nearly every day. Oof the floods
Here lots of rain, wind or crazy heat
Just poured resin for the 3rd time. Learning so much! I had a exothermic reaction in my mixing cup as I was working with my dried bloom in my mold. I was so focused on my bloom I didn’t realize the leftover resin in the cup was an amount that would heat up and smoke 🥴😩😅🤯
I hope you are wearing a good respirator and, and, and!!! in a good ventilated area.
So, there are resins that are more forgiving, but they are of the crafting variety and more expensive because we're all crafting now. There's a product I used to use exclusively called Ice Resin that dries crystal clear, you can mix it as fast as you like and most all bubbles (even the micro ones) will end up floating so they can be heated off, and it's super forgiving in measuring. I never had it fail me.
Why don't I use it any more? Because Ranger bought it and now it's twice as expensive as it used to be to the point where it's no longer cost-effective, even at wholesale pricing. Tim Holtz is making a killing on the whole DIY thing and I wasn't happy about this company purchase.
That having been said, I still love it and I bought it for a commissioned piece I did because I know it, know how it works, is almost odorless, and it cures nearly bubble free even after aggressive mixing and not exactly accurate measuring ... with only a whiff from a blow dryer or heat gun after it's set for a few minutes (or you can heat the mix in a water bath until ALL bubbles are gone just like all other resins).
KNOW your material. Agreed, read the directions entirely before using.
Also, a mistake I don't ever see in any of these videos is to NOT store this stuff in a cold place. Dark is good. Relatively cool is good. Being too cold will cause the resin part to crystalize. The stuff I bought from Amazon for the piece mentioned above came entirely crystalized.
DON'T THROW IT OUT OR RETURN IT!
Resin works rather like honey. All you have to do when it crystalizes is put it in a water bath (bae marie) and heat it to 125 degrees F, let the whole bottle sit in the bath until it re-melts. You have to turn over a few times (not shake because that's useless) in the beginning, but once it starts to "melt" again, you can turn it, swirl it (shaking still isn't good) and get it all to mix until it's all "melted" again. Took about half an hour for my 8oz bottle.
And then, in the future, store it in an airtight container (the one it came in should be fine), in a cool (but not cold), dry, dark place. A cabinet with a door is fine. Sadly, I had a kit years ago and if you let it sit in close proximity of sunlight, the resin will turn brown. Boo.
Another, though more expensive by far, is UV resin. No mixing. Comes as is. However, I've used it and I can say that a UV light, unless it's super bright (the 36w they suggest, which is hard to find on a whim), is best gathered outside. I had a UV project that hadn't cured in a week with several daily bathings in UV bulb light. Still sticky, which they say you can get rid of with alcohol, but not so much I found.
The best time to use UV resin, unless it's a tiny thing with a thin coat, is when the sun is high. I repeated the same project but cured it outside and even under clouds, it cures totally within about an hour if it's a thick coat. (used to seal the wood and cracks for a lid for a jewelry box I was pouring). Always pre-seal wood surfaces. They have a lot of air and you'll get bubbles you didn't expect after you thought you got them all. Wood off-gasses, fyi ...
Which is another mistake newbies make ... stirring with popsicle sticks. Those are wood, and wood has a lot of air, so while you stir slowly to avoid bubbles, the longer the wood stick is in the resin to mix it, the more air it will release and thus, give you more bubbles. Use silicone or plastic to stir instead.
#3 I bought little silicone “candy” molds and poured those as my first pour today. Just to see how it all works with mixing and adding colors. Can’t wait to see how they come out!
Me too, my first sweet/ice cube moulds were for testing out, and I made simple fridge magnets with mica/glitter inside
came here cuz i wanna make a rolling tray🥰
Lol same
Hey me too!
Girl Same 😂
😂😂
Same and still stuck! 😔
my first resin pour was into a plastic spoon with a penny with this year on it so I can get a feel before I take on bigger or more complex projects
Nice! It's good to do smaller projects to start out to get oriented to using the resin =D
I have some roses that I've had since 2019 and they're all dry and I've had them on my shelf ever since 2019 and I want to preserve them in a resin
Zac you need to make more like this. You are a great teacher.
Thank you! I'm taking the leap soon and have been doing as much research as possible. My first test is a tiny coaster, but maybe I'll try smaller as you suggested with a bottle cap.
Have you started yet? If so how did it go?
Did everything for you? Everyone wants to know 😊
I suggest, didn't go that well 😂
Hey Zac, thanks for this video. I’ve just about got myself talked into giving this a try and I think I can use all the advice and tips I can get.
Nice!! I think you'll love it. Just take baby steps and have fun with it =D
@@ZacHiggins great video and thank you for te warning, just started and sadly got some on my hands and did not know that it could be giving blisters i start lookinv for safty methodes and found your video. Btw. If rasin get on lets say te sink (in te kitchen)how do i remove it?
Thanks for all of the informative videos! I started looking into resin crafting about a year ago and i'm finally looking into getting a pressure pot and really diving into it and your videos have been a life saver throughout the entire process!
That's awesome Jason! I'm glad to hear you're jumping in soon. Also, glad to hear the videos have been helpful. Make sure to check out my podcast if you like to listen to audio shows. It's called The Resin Cast, Casey Martin and I discuss lots of different casting and stabilizing topics on it: theresincast.com/
@@ZacHiggins thank you so much again! I'll definitely be checking it out! Do you know of any pressure tanks that could be used horizontally?
Thanks for the advice,I’m a model car kit builder,and I have rare vintage.ive casted some rims and hoods.and would like to duplicate some of my rare vintage dodge and Plymouth cars. Not all of my parts turned out perfect,but I’m still learning.i give you a thumbs up.good handy advice thanks.
That's awesome David! Resin is perfect for making copies of parts. Hope this video helps out =D
I started using a pressure pot on my new batch of resin castings, the difference is 20 time better than not using one. My problem was air bubbles, in the moulds and in the castings. I pressure my moulds now to 50 psi and the castings the same. Before i poured slowly with both and squeezed out trapped air etc, still had bubbles in the undercuts..
I have also used a multiple leather punch to cut air holes for air to escape in the top mould if i am doing a two piece mould, no need to make spurs for air holes.
I fill the bottom mould with the bulk of resin, place the top part of the mould on top and use a syringe filled with resin to fill the rest up through one of the air vents that pushes out any remaining air plus leave a small puddle on top for any resin to fill any air voids that pops out under pressure.
Don't forget if you make a two piece mould and want to form lining up lugs in the corners of a square mould only do three not four as there is no way to mistake lining up.
"early wins" great advice! Luckily I did that before I saw this. Started very small and easy and was very satisfied!
Good video! Thank you
This really is good advice. 3:02 I think it could be generalized to a lot of other things.
What sealant would you recommend for an epoxy resin pendant which will probably contact a good deal of sweat?
Good question... I hope he answers
Please answer
and for those in humid areas. buy a cheap plastic gazebo, mines is 3x3x3 and put in a dehumidifier, works a treat.
This was one of the best explained tutorials . Thank u so much . Teach the last 5 years of tutorials of many subjects I’ve watched please . Look forward to learned more and deep diving into your channel and work
Everyone please remember to give Zac a thumbs up if you liked his video.
Thanks Dave!! I appreciate the support =D
i get my California Air Tools pot tomorrow for christmas! ive watched a million videos of people doing projects. i just found you, im picking up some basic knowledge for my big day tomorrow! Thanks for the info! Fresh Air Woodshop - Kansas
Great tips!
I used to install epoxy flooring, and the heat from curing is no joke!
On really warm days the stuff used to get so hot it’d melt the plastic buckets we mixed it in.
Nasty stuff if it’s not used properly!
Watch it over and over again no problem
Thanks bro. I visited Cali last Sept 2020, I found there are SOOOOOO many gems in just 1' of dirt. I want to suspend gems in clear resin. This is a cool video
Thank you for the tips! My first try and I've done all these 5 mistakes, and more!
I pored in layers, but used different brand epoxies. Big mistake. One cured hard and the other one cured soft.
Oh no! Yeah, sometimes that can happen when you mix things
I have never worked with resin but I’m looking to start making resin art
videos like this are very handy As I’m always up for tips and tricks
Thank you sir! I have failed a lot with this epoxy resin and slowly, I'm getting there. I messed up 2 gallons and another gallon is on its way (by the way this is really expensive to make a mistake) Thanks for your advice
Oh man, that's a bummer Marlon! Sorry to hear that, but just make sure that when you do make a mistake that you learn from it. You got this!!
Thanks man! I'm really learning a lot from this experience and thank you for emparting your expertise with us
Great tips!!! I ALWAYS read labels and instructions...I got some resin to start making coasters. New sub!!! I searched for how to use resin and your channel popped up. Thank you for explaining the ingredients and how resin work, with various temperatures...:)
Thank you, Zac! You are such a trustworthy help to people like me, newer to resin!
I just got a vaccume chamber. That's gonna be a total game changer
Thank you for the tips. I run a small clothing company and would like to make some small resin items to sell along side my clothing. These seem like they will really help me, and am excited to start experimenting. I will most definitely be looking into your ebook as well!
Cheers
Guilty on #3 when I first started out. Great channel, I always learn something.. keep up the great work!
Thanks Joel!! Yeah, I failed a number of these when I first started out. Learned the hard way LOL
I first started using resin when I was 15 or so, so like 3 years ago. But my first time was crazy, I had watched a billion videos and thought I knew what I was doing. Right off the bat it was a nightmare, I had ordered two small bottles of hardener and the resin itself offline. The hardener wasn't closed right and a 4th of it bled out into the box and packaging and plastic around it. Then, me just panicking to get it out, found out if I'm ever to be touching uncured resin products to wear gloves. Its so waterproof and sticky, I had it all over both of my hands covered in fuzzys and fur for two days after trying to just rub it off and then wash it off. Not the smartest thing I've ever done for sure. When I was pouring my first mold It was just some little half-sphere molds. I do a wide variety of arts and crafts, I was in the mood to make some for my other projects. I didn't have a measuring cup or any form of measurement I was allowed to ruin, and it didn't come with anything. so I wung it and tried my best to get it as even as possible. Bad idea, not only did it get everywhere all over again, this time on my desk and again on me, but it didn't cure right and was like soft plastic when the time curing should have been finished. I stayed away from resin for a few months after that, but I couldn't help myself and eventually got right back into it. Now it's one of my favorite materials. Something broken? Resin. Sturdy bond? Jewelry making? Charm making? Doll eyes? Preserving? Resin. And i looooove it :)
You didn’t mention temperature. In work in my garage and sometimes the temperature is in the low 40s. So far so good but when it’s cold I stick to thin layers. What’s your experience
70 to 80 degrees best
Will try out various mix upon little coaster mold so inexpensive trials, a quick story from painter instructor a lotta years back was of a papering job in purple silk wall hanging. Working out how much was in each roll length and width and as says on every paint tin size coverage Ken worked out how much spare was in hand finding the silk shrunk so worked out by how much so hung each drop with overlap to have success with spit on fit his former boss appreciated saving hundreds in each roll so good on you doing same we just need to listen to you.
Very informative video it made me make a perfect choice for my resin business starting soon thank you very much
what about protection? ventilation?
As soon as I get my shop set up, I plan on making a few of these mistake. LOL. Always informative. Thanks Zac.
LOL hopefully you won't make them =D Hope you get it set up quick!
I like your video I ain't never did it but I watch other people videos and how they do it and it makes me want to do it cuz it seems like so much fun so I'm so happy that I ran across your video so I could avoid the same mistakes 🙏
I really want to make dice from resin, but I have really shitty anxiety and am absolutely terrified of fucking up. This video really helped me out and made the idea of resin casting significantly less scary
Changed out my compressor a little while back and have recently realized I don't have a water trap on it and have been blowing moisture right into the pressure pot. Very humid in IL.
That's definitely a problem! glad you found it and fixed it Lee!
Zac Higgins hey Zac very new to pen turning. What’s a good pressure for your pressure pot, I saw people go as low as 40 to 60.
Lee I called Alumilite and they told me nothing above 40% for humidity for Clear.
@@davidfigueroa6050 do 60.
I've used easy cast resin. For my first time it came out good! I did my research and made some halloween charms from a silicon mold!
I appreciate the tip about moisture i wouldnt have expected that.
LOL I just finished a 100L table pour for my first go! had a leak but was lucky enough that it started to hardened as it was leaking so I lost about 20L and topped it up the day after while it was still sticky.
I was mega lucky, that would have been one expensive mistake.
Thanks! So excited to make my first resin project and didn't want to mess it up. 😁
Thanks so much! I'm glad I found this video before I started resining!
Me too!
My number one issue with alumilite has been humidity, and not baking the wood to dry it out. So coincidentally winter is the best time for me to cast. Nice and dry because of the wood stove.
Ugh! Moisture! I had no idea. Tried to do a pen blank using rose petals. Not dried out. Total fail. Thank you for the info.
I hear that!! Moisture is a pain! You'll nail it next time =D
For moisture control, I purchased a bag of silica gel pellets like you find in the “do not eat” packet. My local sporting goods store had a good sized bag for use in gun safes ~10 bucks. poured it in the bottom of my pressure pot and it works great. They turn from orange to green when they get saturated, and can be recharged in the oven
That's a great tip! Thanks for sharing =D
Would the DRY IT pkgs. for use to remove humidity work? Or the small pails of DRY IT that (w) lids removed soak up moisture as well?
Great video!! After a lot of research I’m about to make my first attempt at it tomorrow.
Thanks for the tip! Want to get into resin and this def helps!
I first tried casting a large thing, it failed, i kept it as a reminder to keep trying
Thanks! Was thinking of getting into this , your video is super helpful! Honestly! I already make candles and soaps and other stuff, but was thinking of getting into this ti make my own candle jars/vessels and things! Looking forward to seeing your other videos
Hey Zac - First I enjoyed the video! Lots of good basic stuff that is easy to overlook. What are your thoughts on how/when to add pigment(s)? Doing one or two colors I mix part A with part B then add colors. Three or four I add the color to part A mix then combine with part B. I have not had any problems with wither approach. Your thoughts?
Hey Richard, I usually add stuff after the resin is mixed up. You can go either way though. As long as you mix it properly, you're good to go
thank you for this video! all of my resin materials came in the mail today and i can’t wait to try. you helped me avoid a bunch of mistakes that i would’ve probably made had i not watched this!
Nice list! I have been getting into this recently after watching the Thecrafsman Steadycrafting and Robert Talone molding & casting videos. I have been mainly trying to make copies of my action figures for making custom figures.
As I said, great tips for a beginner.
Best way to avoid humidity is mixing resin on a very dry day with clear blue sky and no clouds and don't use resin on days when it is raining because there is too much water in the air!
Great beginner video. Perfect for me. My niece asked me to make a resin cast of her seashell collection. Was thinking of doing a 12x24x1.5 cast and incorporating it into a coffee table. What resin would be best for that application?
Am a former decorator who mixed wall paper paste and mixed my own pale sky blue paint by hand before.
Have used ammonia white spirits turps knotting even familiar with modern coshh etc so can see what your saying within reason.
So appreciate your heads 😊 up, just watching the video thus is a what five to one part mix or is it a 2% mix as with paint colour change and you have the mix basics, I ain't used let alone got the epoxy yet
Thanks for #3. Before watching your video I asked another artist what kind of piece would they suggest for a beginner. Ive seen a lot that Id like to try but I dont want to invest a lot and not know if it id enjoy resin.
Make sure you shake bottle A and B before mixing both parts together.
BTW thanks for all the most helpful videos - they help me and got me started in the casting side of turning.
Dude yes!!! I needed this so badly! I
also just need to stand next to you doing all things resin, but... baby steps 😝
Nice!! I'm glad it was helpful Jordan =D
Lol
Thanks for this! I haven't had much experience in resin, but I would like to get into it more. These tips definitely help!
Thank you Zac! When starting a project & before you pour, what data points do you record/log?
Hey, Nice video. I’m gonna look for an answer to this but..... I’m trying to make a small coin, basically cover an candy with resin so it doesn’t go bad over time (emotional value). The question is. What materials can I use while casting, for example, what plastics DON’T stick to the resin, so i can use it as a base. Donno if that made sense. Either way thumbs up video!
What if you neither own not can afford a pressure pot or air compressor?
What removes cured resin (in case of spills)?
It's not absolutely necessary to use pressure, I think it's the best way to go if you do have one or can get one though. I have a live stream replay that covers some tips on casting without pressure: ua-cam.com/video/sIvDzsUldYM/v-deo.html The only way to remove cured resin is to scrape it off. You can use acetone or denatured alcohol if it's still wet though.
I'm beginning and this is excellent help.... Thanks
Thank you so much for taking your time to explain some of this! I am new to resin and this was super helpful! Thank you so much!
A good tip as well don't bother if you haven't got the space and tools in first place as turning machines and pressure cookers are expensive
Thanks for sharing! I've been making tiny colorful clay cubes that I'd like to cast in resin bracelets, but I'm not sure if it's worth the effort. :-)
What kind of Alumilite resin do you suggest, “Clear Slow” or “Water Clear” or just “Clear”?
He says clear slow at 4:30
Awesome video Zac. Will be really useful for those just starting on resin but also serves as a great refresher for the rest of us
Thanks brother! I hope it can help avoid some frustration for people starting out
great.. I am thinking I might want to do this.. I have seen some very cool things done... But at 67 I need all the help I can get before I start this.. So thanks for the share.. carry on, stay safe and have fun!
tinkmarshino
I started doing this at 73!
@@williammccauley6774 Outstanding William.. was it hard to learn to do right? what tips can you give me that you have learned?
tinkmarshino
What I am doing is a bit different from this guy. I’m filling voids in live edge slabs, but the principles of safety, mixing, dyeing, etc, are very similar. Keep watching the vids, talk to the guys at Woodcraft (if you have one around) and go to it. If you screw something up, try it again. Good luck!
@@williammccauley6774 I am going to do some counter tops in my kitchen with live edged slabs.. I want to keep the bark on and stable I was thinking of about a 1/4 - 3/8th think resin across the whole thing.. But I wonder if the resin souls follow the live edge or just make it squared off to give the top a straight edge.. also How do you keep bubbles from forming and can I make a pour that big in one shot..
tinkmarshino
How you treat the edge is up to you. I prefer to remove the bark and put the natural bevel down (narrow top wide bottom). Watch some John Malecki videos he does some very nice tables. I do not coat the table top with resin, but then I’m not making counter tops. I use Odies products, oil, wood butter, or wax. They also have vids.
I crochet and would like to make coasters out of the coasters I crocheted. 1. Do I need to seal the crocheted coaster first? If so how? 3. What would be the resin product to use in your opinion?
Thank you for all the tips.
My pleasure Sandy! Hope they help out =D
August in Florida and I just put my supplies away. Lol. I’ll wait until September.
Great tips Zac, I am looking forward to doing my first castings.
I made all of those mistakes in the last couple of days... why haven't I seen this video earlier...😭
Is it better now
Thank you so much for sharing information. Can you please let us know that which type of colorant better for use with resin?
Can you cast things like paper, air dried clay or things with acrylic paint which prone to being damaged by water and other liquids? Sorry if it's a stupid question. I just want to preserve certain items and I'm hoping there's a way to keep them from being damaged by the resin itself since it is a liquid substance. 😅
Thank you, for this, Zac, I have been accumulating supplies, for months, and for some reason I'm afraid to jump in! I just bought your e-book, and look forward to reading it, hopefully it will ease my irrational fear of the unknown with regard to resin!
I don't intend to be turning anything big, mostly jewellery and small trinkets, so I've been looking at "mini" lathes, but they seem to be all over the board, with regard to quality. I bought a "Buddha Bead Machine" (fully aware it's junk), just to see if it's going to be something I can manage (I have some nerve damage, after being struck by lightning) but will want to buy something better, in the near future.
Can you suggest a user friendly, lathe that is good quality, without completely destroying the bank ($500 USD-ish, but don't mind spending more for safety and quality, if necessary?
Hey Heidi, best thing to do is just jump in and start casting. It's just best to ease into it a bit, and once you have a few pours under your belt, you'll gain confidence. Just expect to make a few mistakes, but not worry about it. That's part of the learning process.
For lathes, I enjoyed my Nova Comet, pretty decent for the price. I think if you plan to turn for a while though, a few extra bucks for the new Laguna 12|16 is well worth the investment. Much heavier duty mini lathe that will handle anything you throw at it
@@ZacHiggins
Awesome, thanks for the advice!
That was very helpful. Well explained. Thank you Mr.
Thanks! Glad it is helpful for you =D
I found a gun in an old barn and the termites ate most of the stock and was hoping to find a video that can help me figure out how to fill with resin
good morning Zac I have a question that perhaps you can help me with. I have made a sign for my arts and crafts booth and I need to know how to pour resin without fully mixing the colors. I cut out a full size Phoenix fire bird and I want to fill the cavities with resin so it looks like fire. I would like to keep the resin mostly clear with ribbons of red, yellow and orange. I am going to back light the sign therefore I want the light to shine thru. I have watched a lot of videos but have yet to see any that show how to do this. I did see one video that showed swirling the color in using a tooth pick but was wondering if there is a better way. By the way, great videos I have learned a lot from watching you.
I'm in Florida and the humidity can get pretty high. I work in a small corner space in my room. If I turn on the A/C to help reduce humidity, then I can't ventilate, although I put a small fan on. I do wear my mask and gloves, but the lack of venting is my concern. Any suggestions? Thank you. This vid was very helpful. ♥️👍
I have a project in mind long story short i gave my late grandfather a preserved butterfly in a shadow box some years ago and the glass broke. Any way my though was to keep it in the shadow box and remove the glass then encase it in resin. My only problem is ive seen where the resin discolors the wings or makes them transparent, now ive thought of lamination to counter that but not really sure if that is the right rout or if there is a resin that wont harm the wings...
Great video Zac, hopefully it will help a lot of new casters.
Cheers
Jim
Thanks Jim! I hope so, I always feel bad when people make these mistakes
Thank you for sharing! I now know I need to look into Illumilite (?) clear. 😊
Just starting so thank you for this!!
Thanks for the video. How important is the pressure pot? It seems as though it might be an expensive addition. Thanks.
How do you measure by volume?
if you want to do a fair load of trial runs using cheap stuff before you use the real epoxy or polyurethane, you can try starch, milk protien and ordinary jello, which are all resins too, but they are alot weaker. Jelly is still quite expensive tho, its about 2/3 the price of real resin, milk and starch is about 1/3. i suggest using layers tho, because it all shrinks alot when it dries.
Thanks for the advice! Very informative.
Hey thanks for the information- I’m repurposing a serving tray. I basically used broken stained glass pieces as a mosaic and thought that pouring resin over it to create a “glass like finish” - and I’m totally a novice. Which product do you think might work?