Choosing the right epoxy resin for your project
Epoxy Resins are now available for a wide range of different applications. However, choosing the right Epoxy Resin for your project can be difficult. This Epoxy Resin Selector Guide provides a good overview of which epoxy resins are ideal for your project.
What to look for when buying epoxy resin
Epoxy resin has exploded in popularity, so more and more cheap products are on the market. To avoid compromising quality, we recommend using branded resins from well-known manufacturers like FibreGlassDirect, which may be more expensive but are a much better grade than cheap resins.
Epoxy Resin for Jewellery
Beautiful jewellery can be cast using epoxy resin and silicone moulds. Various materials are used, ranging from clear or coloured resin to wood or combinations of these materials. Casting is also possible using this technique. The casting of smaller objects depends less on layer thickness than on UV protection, good workability, and good colour separation when casting multiple colours. The casting of objects also requires crystal-clear curing.
Casting epoxy resin jewellery requires:
- A hard resin must be used to prevent scratches on the jewellery
- During casting, air bubbles should escape naturally or be removed with a butane torch
- Including UV protection would ensure less yellowing and colour changes in sunlight
Epoxy Resin for Art and Crafts
Resin Art refers to all techniques applied to produce decorative or art objects with epoxy resin. This material is used for various applications, from casting resin and colour pigments onto a wooden painting ground to making resin jewellery to casting geodes and cup mats. Due to this application's use of thin layers in which colour pigments or liquid paint is mixed, the resin must not be too runny, as the individual colours would otherwise mix quickly, resulting in an unsightly colour tone.
Artists who work with resin need specialized art supplies tailored to their needs. The focus here is on ensuring that no solvents are used, that no volatile organic compounds escape during the process, and, in general, there is little odour. Additionally, epoxy resins for professional use come with a UV filter which prevents the resin and the paint it contains from yellowing and fading. It is important to mention that epoxy always loses a little of its crystal clarity and can yellow slightly as it ages; however, this should be hardly noticeable, especially if colours have been mixed correctly.
For epoxy resin used in art, it is important to note the following:
- For good colour separation, the resin should have a medium to high viscosity (link this to other article)
- This resin was developed for coatings and is often called "laminating resin."
- Processing time should be 30 minutes long to allow the picture or artwork to be cast, and UV protection is recommended to prevent yellowing.
We stock a full range of clear casting resins suitable for Art purposes, check out our Art Epoxy Resin.
Epoxy Resin for River Tables
The use of epoxy resin tables is growing in popularity. Epoxy resin and wood can create beautiful tables of all types. The production process, however, requires some preparation and practice. The weight of the resin will depend on the size of the table; casting a 5cm thick tabletop may require more than 10kg of resin. Tables require a special casting resin for this application to obtain such a thick layer in just one pour.
A commercially available, inexpensive resin can generate heat and damage the wood and its surroundings if used. It is, therefore, worthwhile to be patient and pour over several thin layers and allow them to dry for several hours.
The following properties are particularly crucial for epoxy resin tables:
- It should be possible to stack layers up to 5cm thick.
- The resin should be able to be processed in large quantities without overheating.
- For air bubbles to escape as efficiently as possible, a longer pot life should be used. The pot life of a mixed resin/hardener is the amount of time it remains a liquid at a given temperature.
- Resins should include UV protection to minimize the resin's yellowing.
The best product for casting a penny or river table is the TriCast 50 which is suitable for pours up to 50mm.
Epoxy Resin for Coating Floors
In recent years, epoxy resin flooring has become increasingly popular in living spaces and garages. A variety of flooring can be laid with epoxy in the living room, and it is also increasingly used to seal wood floors that have already been laid.
Despite its hardness, epoxy floor paint should still be flexible enough to withstand all loads after curing. These floor coatings have unique formulations, which are very easy to apply, and, most importantly, minimize any air bubbles that may be present during application.
Most products are available ready-mixed in a wide range of colours, so the work of mixing is eliminated, and the colours are accurate.
Choosing epoxy resin products for floor coating:
- A self-levelling resin is best for an even floor surface
- The resin used should allow for air bubbles to escape naturally
- The cure time should be sufficient to process larger areas
- UV protection should be used to prevent yellowing and color changes
- Resistant to impact and scratches
For more information on Epoxy Floor Coating Resins, contact the FibreGlassDirect team.
Resin Casting
Unlike the creation of resin art pictures or the coating of surfaces, resin casting has completely different requirements. During casting, the resin must not harden too quickly to prevent excess heat from accumulating, and slow curing will also allow air bubbles to escape.
When buying casting epoxy resin; you should consider the following
- Most casting resins have low viscosities.
- The longer the open time, the slower the heat build-up during cure.
- Layer thicknesses of up to 5 cm should be achievable.
- A UV filter is needed because the resin is often not coloured during moulding but instead is left transparent.
