We have been working with resin for many years and not only cast it ourselves, but we also advise beginners with this wonderful material. We have written and filmed a lot about the different processes. But we missed to summarize working with resin in a few points that you as a beginner need to know. So we will not go into individual procedures now, but advice that we would appreciate as beginners. Because we wouldn't have to be slow to figure them out on our own. 😊
Tip #1
Start
Are you brimming with creativity and ideas but just can't seem to get going? Do you tell yourself that those who do nothing, do nothing? That may be true, but those who do nothing don't even have fun creating.
Don't worry that the products won't be beautiful and breathtaking the first time. It's part of the process of learning a new skill. Of course you'll make some mistakes, but isn't that the beauty of it? Figuring out what went wrong and doing it better next time? None of the artists started out by making a gallery-worthy piece the first time. So don't be hard on yourself, let yourself go and forgive yourself for minor imperfections.
By the way, all you have to do with resin is follow the instructions and you don't have to worry about any big puns.
Tip #2
Read the labels on resins
Everything you need to know is written on each of our resins. And if you don't feel like reading too much, take a minute or two to at least read the information at the beginning. It tells you what height you can cast to, the UV stability of the resin, and what it's good for. Those few pieces of information are often enough to help you choose the right resin.
Tip #3
Read the instructions (we don't like to do it either, but there's no rest)
Are tutorials the first thing to go in your trash? With resin, avoid that and read up on how to properly weigh and mix. Only then will the result be perfect.
Tip #4
Become a master mixer
Yes, having this tip really saved us a lot of failed products in the beginning. Why did we almost always have a small piece in them that didn't harden? Because we only stirred in one cup and all it takes is a really small unstirred bit of resin hiding near the bottom of the cup and the product defect is gone. When pouring, this little bit gets into the mould and does not harden. Therefore, always stir for 3 minutes in one cup, pour and stir again in a new cup for another 3 minutes.
Tip #5
Choose your project and then your resin
Stop forcing the resin to handle a casting when it's not built for it. Resin with casting up to 10cm is really only suitable for high castings. It won't have the volume to react in the germ and won't cure. Is it stubborn from the resins? Maybe a little, but there's nothing we can do about it. 😊 Don't despair, there's the right one for every project you have and it'll be love at first casting.
Tip #6
Address bubbles early
Someone once said that bubbles in resin are not pretty and everyone acts accordingly. We personally think that in many projects they are definitely not a bad thing. I mean, what material can do that? But if you don't want them in your project, address that when you mix the resin. Not everyone has a vacuum pump at home that will vacuum all the air out of the resin, so we have to mix carefully and slowly. No mixing like you're making dough! Nice and slow, around the edges, from the bottom, and don't stir in unnecessary air.
Tip #7
Keep a resin journal
Journal:
- What resin you used
- What and how many colors you used
- Specific techniques
- Anything new you've tried
- Temperature in processing
Trust us, you won't remember this. And there's nothing worse than looking at a unique product and not being able to make it again.
Tip #8
Pay attention to your workspace
Resin needs the right temperature. If it's too low, it may not cure and if it's too high, an exothermic reaction may occur. What is the ideal ambient and mass temperature? The temperature should be no lower than 20°C and no higher than 25-27°C.
What is the main thing? The temperature must be constant throughout the curing process. So leaving the casting on the balcony overnight is not a good idea.
Tip #9
Be Organized
Organized and creative together? Inevitable with resin. To keep things calm and give you time to cast, have everything prepared in advance. Moulds, paints, a mat... and most importantly an idea of what you are creating. That's the only way you'll have enough time to create in peace after mixing. The resin takes time to cure and doesn't care if it's in a cup or a mold. So unfortunately, it won't wait until you pour it into the molds, and a cup-shaped cast is not exactly what you want.
Tip #10
Eliminate visible layers by knowing the gel time of your resin
How do you make something in resin without running joints? You apply the next layer when the previous layer starts to thicken and is in the gelation stage (thick like honey). This is the key to making things look like they are floating in the resin.
Gelation happens differently for each resin, so tip #6 is important - write everything down so that next time you can estimate when gelation happens on your project, so you don't have to keep an eye on it every now and then.
Tip #11
Use a spirit level
No more "I can see it by eye". You don't see it, and neither do we. Even a slope of a few millimeters will cause you to have a crooked product. Use a spirit level. 😊
Tip No. 12
Don't guess - read
Do you guess how something could be? For example, a lot of people guess that anything can be poured into resin, like live flowers, and that's wrong. Do you have a project in your head and do you guess that you can do something? Then you'd better check out our blog first, where we cover a lot of topics, or ask us. We'll be happy to advise you. It's always better to think through a project in detail beforehand than to cry over spilled resin.
Tip #13
Not a drop wasted
And we needed to know this from the start, too. Have the molds ready for the leftover resin. There's always some left over. Whether a few drops or even half a cup. Prepare molds for key chains, for example, to use it in. Making something up at the last minute sounds easier than it is.
Tip #14
Enjoy!
Does it seem more about technique than creativity? Well, that's a mistake. Keep the technique, enjoy the creativity. Our photo reviews show us every day that the possibilities are endless and that creativity really has no limits with resin.
