QA

What Repels Epoxy Resin

What causes epoxy to repel?

Substrate contamination is the most common problem that causes fish eyes and pin holes in epoxy seal coats. Dust, dirt, wax, silicones, even the oil from your fingers when touching the part prior to sealing with epoxy will deter epoxy resins from laying flat and curing with a perfectly smooth surface.

What to use to keep epoxy from sticking?

The most simple fix is to cover your work bench with 3 mil or heavier plastic sheeting. It’s inexpensive and tear-resistant, can be taped to the work surface and cured epoxy will peel off it. Other even cheaper options include cutting open a garbage bag or plastic storage bag.

How do you keep resin from sticking to the mold?

Surfaces resin won’t stick to – what surfaces will resin not Mold release. Wax. Polyethylene plastics. Anything with a greasy surface. Silicone. Polyethylene or polypropylene plastics. Painter’s tape of packing tape – either clear or brown masking tape. Wax paper, parchment paper or freezer paper.

What happens if you overheat resin?

If your resin overheats and smokes, you do not want to put it into a plastic or cardboard container. These can also leak or worse — catch fire. Do not throw the hot resin in your trash! The reaction is still occurring and can melt your trash can or start a fire.

How do you fix epoxy ripples?

An uneven hardening of your epoxy resin can lead to dull, or even tacky spots. To fix an uneven epoxy finish, wait until the epoxy has dried thoroughly, and then sand it lightly with fine-grained wet sandpaper. After this, make sure to wipe down the surface, so it is entirely free of any sanding dust and other debris.

What material does resin not stick to?

Here are a few well-known materials that epoxy resin doesn’t stick to: Parchment or Wax Paper. Sheathing or Tuck Tape. Silicone, Vinyl or Rubber.

Does resin stick to Vaseline?

Petroleum jelly is a suitable mold release agent best suited for simple molds without fine details. If used on highly detailed molds, the petroleum jelly may be as thick as some of the fine details, resulting in lost details on your finished resin object.

Can you put epoxy resin on cardboard?

Your cardboard will be more water-resistant and less prone to tearing with one or two coats of resin, epoxy, or wood glue*. You can find resin*, epoxy, and glue in hardware or craft stores. You will also need a flat paintbrush, its size depending on how big your cardboard is.

Why is my mold sticking to my resin?

Your resin is too hot. While resin generates heat when mixed with hardener, too much heat can melt the mold, causing the resin to stick.

What can I use as a resin mold?

Because the cookie cutters are metal, resin will bond to them unless you use resin mold release. You can also use release on the texture tile or rubber stamp to help make unmolding easier. Place the cookie cutters into a container to catch the excess release, then spray. You don’t need a thick coat.

Should silicone molds be greased for resin?

You should always grease the silicone mold you use. This prevents the hardening epoxy resin from sticking to the mold. If the resin adheres to the mold during the curing process, the mold is damaged and the casting is usually not usable.

Why does my resin have tiny holes?

Bare spots, or voids, happen when something sitting on the surface of your artwork and repels the ArtResin, preventing it from adhering. It could be silicon residue or even something like lotion or natural oils from your hands that transferred onto your piece when you handled it.

Why is my resin not smooth?

Fisheyes or divots are generally caused when there is not enough resin on the surface of the project for the resin to self-level. To fix this issue, you will want to ensure you add enough resin to self-level and completely cover your surface.

Why did my resin cure so fast?

Resin kits have a minimum and maximum mixing amount. Too much resin and hardener mixed together produce too much heat too quickly. 2. When using paints and other solvent-based colors in resin, these can sometimes speed up the resin curing reaction and cause the mixture to heat up too quickly.

Why did my resin melt my cup?

You look over and see your epoxy resin smoking or maybe your mixing cup melted. When you mix Part A (resin) and Part B (hardener) together new chemical bonds begin to form causing an epoxy exothermic reaction. Energy is released in the form of heat as the mixture catalyzes.

Can you over torch resin?

You don’t want to end up over torching your resin, which is what may happen if you hold your torch too close to the resin surface or in one spot for too long. Over torching can result in dimples or ripples in your cured resin surface, yellowing and even burn marks.

What causes air bubbles in epoxy?

When bubbles appear in a freshly applied epoxy coating, the most common culprit is something called “outgassing”. Outgassing is a site condition that allows air or gas from the concrete substrate to escape in excess and cause blisters, craters, bubbles, or pinholes.

Can you sand bubbles out of epoxy?

Yes, you CAN get rid of bubbles after your resin has dried! Simply sand down the entire surface of your piece, making sure you pay special attention to the areas with bubbles. Wipe away all the sanding residue with a damp paper towel. Apply a fresh coat of carefully measured and mixed ArtResin epoxy resin. Cover.