The Secrets That No One Told You About When Using Resin

Fun Tip: If you use a big silicon mat like the one Steve showed, you can make "resin sprinkles" with leftover resin from your pours. Just scrape out your pot of tinted resin (or put a little pinch of mica to color clear resin). Then make tiny drops of resin or even lines of resin directly on your resin mat. Let it cure then pop it off with tweezers or just a fingernail. Store your "sprinkles" in a little pot to use in future resin projects. If you have enough leftover resin, you can even use a pipette to write letters, symbols, or just doodles on the silicon mat... let it cure and pick it off when it's hard enough.

Hi, I have a few more suggestions: When it’s rather cold I warm up the 2 bottles first, either in warm water or on the radiator. This helps to minimize the micro bubbles. If you do it in water make sure to dry the bottles very well so you don’t end up getting water into your resin. After mixing I leave the resin stand for about 5min to allow the bubbles to rise to try to get rid of the majority before I start pouring. Personally I prefer my heat gun to pop the micro bubbles & I even use the heat gun while mixing depending on how cold it is, by having it blow on my mixing cup. Just make sure to use tge low setting & to not letting it get too hot or it will cure too quickly. I also try to pour slowly to minimize the risk of micro bubbles. Also if you are like me you end up with sticky fingers no matter what. Fair enough the gloves will protect my hands. But what about the phone since I use it to time when I mix the resin as well as waiting for the bubbles to rise. Plus I use it also for music while I work on my projects. To make sure my phone doesn’t end up as sticky as my fingers [& god knows it happened more often then I’d like to admit] every time before I start a project I use cling film to cover the phone very well. Make sure it’s tight and smooth on the screen then you have no problems using the phone while working with the resin. And if you want to listen to music or need to charge ensure that you leave those openings uncovered. You also should always use Purple as there is no colour more awesome … EVER 💜 And Glitter … lots and lots of Glitter ... Because everything is better with Glitter❣️

I appreciate you & your channel, thank you! Some tips from my current 2023 set-up: 1. I use a lint roller to clean my silicone mat work area, it rolls quickly. Glitter cannot escape its sticky awesomeness. <3 2. Use a freezer-safe zip bag to keep phone safe from everything (cheap, slightly durable, reusable, waterproof phone case). 3. Use a seedling mat from the plant nursery if you can't find an affordable resin curing mat (gentle electric heating mat) under molds to cure 2 part epoxy faster. *Seedling trays are also cheap & come with a lid to keep the dust off your resin molds as they cure. You can have multiple trays curing on a bookshelf or bakers rack, out of the way. (I find a lot of affordable resin tool "alternatives" at big box & garden supply stores of various types.) 4. I use a pair of standing air purifiers made to go inside a resin 3D printer hood, and place them on either side, right next to my work space when doing smelly work (i create small items mostly with uv resin). This helps trap the fumes in the carbon filters; it's safer for others if you work from home, too. 5. I use a hair dryer in place of a heat gun for a lot of projects that need a lower heat setting & higher air flow. There is a button on it so i can turn off the heat element entirely, so it's just room-temp air flow at varying speeds. 6. Magnets & steel trays are your friends: i glue magnets to the bottom of my uv light units, then stick them to a stainless surgical tray. The reflective metal tray helps the light refract back onto the resin, too, from underneath. Raise your mold off the bottom of the tray using a small clear piece of acrylic, or glass coaster, with a few small magnets glued to the bottom. Everything is thus more stable if bumped, jostled, or moved around. 7. I use a hand mirror to block the uv light opening area & reflect it back into the resin. My main uv light is one of those nail LEDs that is shaped like a cave: the mirror makes a cave "door." For larger pieces, i use a smaller uv light unit (6w) on its side as the door, which i can turn on for full 360 uv curing. 8. I cover my LED lamp set-up lightly with a dark hand towel or piece of black shower curtain while on, to block escaping uv light. Alternatively you can use a photographers photo cube to help block escaping uv light, instead. If you can afford it, go for the full 3d printing hood/box, and set your uv light curing station up inside there, with the 2 air purifiers. 9. I recommend sunglasses or uv-ray blocking eye protection if you need to look at/near the uv light frequently. 10. I wear a lab coat & apron, nitrile gloves, and cover my work area with an absorbent chucks pad (wee-wee puppy pad works the same) under my silicone mats & metal lamp trays. Makes set up & clean up a breeze & i don't have to worry about what I'm wearing, i can spontaneously create something any time. 11. Always wet-sand resin; the unsafe particles are less airborne, easier to control & clean up after. (Same with abalone shell: the dust from sanding is very damaging, always wear a mask, eye protection, and wet-sand Only!) 12. Mixing colors inide the mold must be done very carefully to not scratch the molds. I recommend using tiny silicone pouring bowls to mix in as much a possible, and only use rounded, blunt, or soft-tipped tools with a light touch when working with the inside of the molds. 13. When purchasing molds, buy a 2nd backup of your favorite ones. They do wear out, and it can be hard to find the exact same molds again, if your supplier stops carrying them. When i find one i absolutely love working with, i buy a backup (or 2) & store it safely. Alternatively you can cast your own new molds from the resin pieces themselves for backup (but not recommend if you're buying copyright protected molds; check with the mold creator first & get permission). These 2nd generation molds might not be as crsip with angles and edges as the originals, so keep that in mind. Hope it helps <3

One thing that really helps me get rid of bubbles before I even start to pour is sitting the resin tub in hot water for 5 or ten minutes!

Another tip for resinwork: Get an adjustable heat gun: one that you can turn the fan speed up and down and the temperature up and down. It's a lifesaver for getting bubbles out. Also if bubbles are a major concern, the slower the cure the less likely you are to have bubbles (generally). This is a great video and should be required viewing before getting into resin work!

With the silicone cups I didn’t like marking them on the side because sometimes I would do three or four pours one after the other rather than pouring a lot at a time because then that would give me more work time with each individual pour. What I would do is I would set a flashlight (a little mini flashlight) next to the silicone cup and then pour the resin into the cup. If you aim the light slightly behind the raised labeling on the cup, the light will highlight it very well to make it easier to read and see. What I discovered about mica powders is that there are two kinds. There’s the one that we use for resin but apparently there’s another one that they use for soaps and it is made with oil which, if you mix it with a resin, will never ever ever ever ever let your resin cure. It makes quite a mess when you try and clean it up. Great tips thanks so much. Take care and stay safe!

Hello Steve, you can resurface your "Flat" molds, nothing with texture. All you have to do is mix a small amount of 2 part silicone, spread it evenly on the bottom of the mold. Make sure the mold is level, the silicone will self level. Let it cure. As we know silicone will stick to silicone so it works very well. Thank you for the tips! 💙🐰💙

I saw 19 minutes 35 seconds and almost didn't watch this. I AM SO GLAD I DID! You sir, are a delight to watch! You got stuck into the info straight away, always to the point & there is sooooo much here to take away. Thank you for your time & for sharing 🥰🥰

I just want to say thank you for an educational video! As a complete beginner, I found this video the most helpful so far out of all of the videos I've watched here on YouTube with this subject. I even found myself taking notes! Thank you for all the helpful tips! I'm going to go binge watch the rest of your videos now. 😅

One tip I found important is to invest in some bullseye levels to check that your work surface is level before you start.

I used resin for the first time recently and didn’t wear gloves. Needless to say my hands were full of resin. I tried everything to try and get it off to no avail. I finally found out that I should use vinegar. It worked perfectly. Phew.

Love your videos, needed the refresher. My tips : -I place wax paper on top of a cling wrapped table to keep the integrity of my table. I learned quickly that resin on table is a no no. -When measuring tap the silicone measuring cup so it is leveled before adding the other mixing part to ensure more accurate mixing. -Use a silicone popsicle stick when mixing the epoxy and hardener to reduce bubbles and it does mix a bit better. They're easy to keep clean! Thank you everyone who contributed, I did edit my comment to reflect the change! I appreciate the tip on silicone mixing sticks!

I saw a tip to revive silicone mold shininess. (for the flat surface on the bottom.) Just put a tiny bit of silicone for mold making in the bottom of your tired mold to cover the entire bottom. The mold will stick to the new silicone and you have a new shiny surface!

Very informative video! Clear and detailed with very good reasons why you do your list of things. I do not work with resin, I just love to watch and learn. Resin art can be very very beautiful. Thank you!

Is it weird that I'm jealous of your work studio!? 🤣🤣 Seriously, though, I loved your video...far more informative than most I've listened to, and I look forward to listening to more! Thanks, Steve!

I stumbled on your channel by accident and boy am I so happy that I did as I'm about to start delving into using epoxy resin. You have supplied me with sooooooooo much fantastic information and great tips. I'm so very grateful to you and your experiments are so worthwhile. PLUS!...I discovered your other channel too which is also awesome and valuable to me. You're amazing!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! X

Thank you for your help and kindness with those of us who are in the middle of using resin.

thanks :) I just wanted to say you never stop learning or picking up good tips from other makers. I've been working with resin for 15 years and I'd never say I know everything, I definitely learn from other makers all the time 👍

Thank you Steve. The advice about putting a fan BEHIND you pointing to a window makes perfect sense🤗 I'm a safety nut, yet, I never thought to do that💖 Truly appreciate the tip!

Thank you so much Steve for your VERY informative videos. I am just starting out with resin and can’t begin to tell you how much I already have learned from you. Thank you!