7 Steps to a Bubble-Free and Flawless Cure
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Few things exist that are more satisfying than creating a bubble-free resin piece that is flawlessly cured. On the contrary, few things are more frustrating than working tirelessly on a piece, and the result being less than satisfying. No artist enjoys putting time, effort, and passion into a piece, and it coming out sticky, covered in a layer of jelly-like goo, or filled with bubbles.
So, whether you have worked with resin before, and want to perfect your craft, or have recently learned of this mystifying medium and are attempting to build the courage to create your own piece: here is our guide to ensure that your projects reflect the vision that you start with.
- The temperature of the workspace, and resin itself, is key. The workspace should be between 72°-78°F, the closer to 78°, the better.
- If the resin is cool, use a warm bucket of water and place the resin and hardener bottles into the warm water. This will prevent microbubbles. The working time* of the resin mixture will go from 45 minutes, down to 30 minutes. This is because the resin mixture is thermosetting, and with increased temperature, the curing process will begin sooner than usual.
(*Working time is the time you have to mix and pour the resin mixture once the hardener and resin meet in the same cup.)
- When pouring either the resin or hardener, carefully pour down the side of the measuring cup. Pouring from high above the measuring cup can result in air bubbles.
- Double check that the resin and hardener are exactly a 1:1 ratio of resin to hardener.
- When mixing, mix smoothly, thoroughly, and consistently to avoid adding air bubbles. (To avoid adding air to the mixture, press the stirring utensil to the bottom of the cup while mixing.)
- After the resin and hardener is mixed and poured, wait about two minutes. Then, to remove any air bubbles, use an artists torch, kitchen torch, lighter, toothpick, or straw to remove bubbles. (Keep checking over the next 1-2 hours to make sure that additional bubbles do not appear.)
- Last tip: If the resin and hardener are ever milky or cloudy, this is a good indicator that the temperature of your resin is too low.
Working with resin can seem intimidating at first. However, once you understand the elements of a successful pour, it is easy to retrace your steps and see what went wrong whenever issues arise. We hope that these steps give you the confidence to jump into working with resin, if you haven't already. If you already have experience working with resin, we hope that these steps serve as a guide so that every pour you do leaves you satisfied with your work and inspired to create more!
Alex
Hi Mathew,
Thanks for the comment!
We would recommend using a dye that does not introduce too much moisture into the resin and hardener mixture. A lot of artists use alcohol dye. We also have a few different types of pigments that pair beautifully with our resin.
As far as bubbles, we recommend keeping the temperature of both the resin and the workspace between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. That should help to eliminate some of the bubbles. Please also check to make sure that you are stirring slowly and methodically.
The maximum pour amount is 6 oz or 1/8" for each layer. You can add additional layers as early as 3-5 hours after the previous layer.
Michael Duncan
Getting going in resin casting before attempting something floating around my head and design table. My question is about vacuum extracting the piece to remove any air? Would this be a good solution to help guarantee a bubble-free project? Thanks in advance, Michael
Mathew wiltzius
Coloring… I want to add a basic color, like blue but you do not have on your website. I’ve watched other videos of people that use everything from food coloring to fabric die.
Anyway, I used fabric die as it was easy to get but the end result ended up bubbling before it cooled. It actually added volume to the test peice by about 50% so it was a pretty big amount.
What should I use to color this resin?
I’m also haveing a pretty tough time with bubbles. I’m going to try tempature as it’s set to 69-70 degrees in the house, so I’ll do the garage tommorow.
Why can I only do 6oz at a time? I’m making a 6 foot resin / wood table and will need about 2 gallons total. Just curious if it’s ok to wipe up a whole gallon.
Alex
Hi Tom,
We love to hear about how our resin stands out amongst the others.
We purposely omitted needing a respirator. Our resin contains no VOCs and is low odor. We recommend working in a workspace with decent ventilation, but if you feel as if your workspace does not ventilate well, then we would recommend wearing a respirator as a precaution.
Tom Klein
I’ve tried four other resins and always there was an obstacle, a flaw like cloudiness, too many bubbles, a yellow haze, or too long a curing time. Then ArtnGlow solved all those problems. I’m an eco artist, encasing acorns and other ground “debris.” Results are worthy of any museum! Only one question: Your 7 steps omit the need of a mask for respirator. Is that omission a mistake or intentional? Best and Thanks, Tom