Resin 101: Epoxy and UV Resin for Beginners

1. Intro: Resin is a medium like no other. It starts out liquid and then hardens into a beautiful solid material, and it can be used to create a variety of unique art projects. In this class, I will be discussing resin on a smaller crafting scale. This course was made with the absolute beginner in mind, and I share all of my current knowledge that I wish was available to me years ago when I started working with resin. I will explain two part resin and UV resin as well as casting versus coating, and how each one works. I will also talk about the necessary tools, molds, ways to add color, safety precautions to take, and a bunch of tips to help your finished pieces come out flawless. This information can be applied when making things like jewelry, coasters, and various other art pieces. It can also be used for learning how to coat and protect surfaces and artwork such as paintings. At the end of the class, I'll walk you through two different projects that you can try out for practice. If you're interested in buying resin materials. All of the products that you'll hear me mention can be accessed through the "about" section of this course. Let's get into it! 2. Epoxy/Two-Part Resin: The first type of resin that I'll be talking about is two part resin, which is also known as two part epoxy or epoxy resin. In this class, you'll hear me interchangeably use the terms epoxy and two part resin. Please know that I am referring to the exact same thing, which is any kind of resin that has two parts which need to be mixed together. These two different parts that make up epoxy are called resin and hardener. When separately exposed to air, both of these parts remain liquid. But when mixed together, the two begin a chemical reaction that changes their combined liquid form into a solid. This process of transforming from liquid to a solid is referred to as curing. Working with epoxy is fairly simple, but you must be meticulous and precise when handling the wet resin. The first thing to look for is how your epoxy should be measured. Some two part resins must be measured by volume, while others must be measured by weight. The reason for this distinction is that some brands have a resin and hardener that have the same density, whereas with other brands one could be heavier in weight than the other. Weight can seem like the best way to get accurate measurements, but if your epoxy is meant to be measured by volume, then measuring it by weight will throw off the ratio. If two part resin is measured incorrectly, it won't cure properly and it will usually remain tacky and bendy. Every resin is different. It's important to follow the measuring instructions on your bottles. It's also very important to measure out the resin and hardener based on the ratio. The brand has instructed brands use a one to one ratio, but that isn't always the case. Be sure to read the instructions that come with your resin. For example, the resin I use needs to be measured out by volume at a one to one ratio. If I measure out 20 milliliters of resin, then I also need to measure out 20 milliliters of hardener. If your resin is measured by volume, do not measure both parts using one cup. Instead, use two cups, one for each part. This way you can make sure that the resin and hardener are measured correctly. If your resin is measured by weight, you can measure both in one cup if you want to, but it will be much easier to avoid mistakes if you use two. Once your parts are measured out, you can pour one part into the other. Some brands will specify which part to pour. Mix slowly and carefully for at least 3 to 4 minutes while scraping the sides and bottom of your cup or container. As you're mixing, the epoxy will look cloudy and swirly, but once it's fully mixed, it should look like one clear liquid. A useful rule of thumb for making sure that the two parts are fully mixed is to stir until it looks ready to you. Then mix for another 2 to 3 minutes, just to be sure. Now that your resin and hardener are mixed together, you can start working with your resin. But the amount of time you have is limited because epoxy has a set work time. Work time is the amount of time you can work with the resin while it is still in liquid form. Once you've mixed the resin and hardener together, the countdown basically starts. After that the resin will thicken and gel up, then eventually cure and become a solid. You should be able to find work times on the bottle labels or on the brand's website. Every brand is different, but you can generally expect a work time of 40 to 60 minutes. During this time, you can color your resin, pour it into molds, coat surfaces, or do anything else that you have in mind. After you've finished pouring or casting the resin, you need to leave it to cure. Put it somewhere where it won't be touched or tipped over. Pick a room that no one spends a lot of time in, especially no bedrooms. Epoxy isn't something you want to be breathing in for long periods of time, and the curing process usually takes 48-72 hours for the resin to completely harden. But again, each epoxy is different, so yours may take more or less time. After that, you can demold the resin. Or if you've poured your resin, like on a painting or a table, it should now be solid and ready for use. 3. UV Resin: Unlike two part resin, UV resin comes in one bottle and it does not need to be mixed with anything. It is ready to use straight out of the bottle because it does not need to be combined with hardener. Instead, it stays liquid until exposed to ultraviolet rays like sunlight, which causes the resin to cure and harden. Uv flashlights and lamps also work for curing UV resin. And they are much faster than sunlight, placing the resin under a UV light. It can cure completely in just a few minutes. But even with just sunlight, your resin pieces can be fully cured and ready to use in less than an hour. Uv resin is much easier to use than two part resin because it doesn't require as much precision. It's less messy. Ready to use and bubbles aren't as much of an issue as they are with epoxy. Uv resin is pretty straightforward, but it does have its downsides. It can't be used in large quantities like epoxy can. Hence why most artists only use it for jewelry and keychains. Cured UV resin is usually more brittle than cured epoxy. You don't want to use it for thin pieces. That being said, it's extremely convenient and a great option if you want to use resin in small amounts. 4. Casting vs. Coating: Coating and casting are the most common uses of resin. What's the difference between the two? Coating is when you pour a thin layer of resin over a surface, doing so can make that material stronger. Glossy and water resistant. Wood paintings and other art pieces are a few things that are commonly coated with resin. Casting is when you pour resin into something like a mold, then let it cure. What types of resin can be used for casting and what should be used for coating, starting with epoxy. These kinds of resin can technically be used for coating or casting, but you'll have to make sure to buy a brand that is suitable for your needs. Some epoxy brands work for casting and coating, while others specify that they are only meant for casting or only meant for coding coating. Resins are usually thicker compared to casting resins. A thicker epoxy makes it easy to control the direction of the resin when coding so that it doesn't flow over the edges. On the other hand, when casting, a thin consistency easily gets in all the grooves of a mold so that the finished piece has all the intended detail. If you are casting with a large, deep mold, you will typically need to work in layers. Resin heats up as it cures, and if you cast large amounts in one layer, the resin will heat up too much and there can be issues during the curing process. Brands will often specify how thick these layers can be. My R and glow epoxy suggests working in layers that don't exceed 6 ounces in volume with whatever resin you're working with, you would pour out a layer, let it cure for a few hours, then pour the next layer, and so on. Once the last layer has had at least 24 hours to cure, you can de mold it and it will be solid to the touch, but it will need the total 48, 72 hours to fully cure. Now, for the UV resin coating and casting is a bit different. Uv resin isn't intended to be used in large amounts. You can cast and coat with it, but in much smaller amounts than you would with epoxy when coating the object you plan to cover should be small enough that it is about jewelry sized. I would personally say it shouldn't be any bigger than 3 " in ***gth just to be on the safe side. But you may still be successful in coating an object bigger than that when casting, molts should be small as well. Molts intended for UV resin are usually less than 2 " in ***gth, like epoxy. When casting with UV resin, you will need to work in layers. These layers need to be pretty thin, around three to 4 millimeters in height. Uv resin also heats up when curing, and a thick layer will cause overheating. This can make your resin shrink, warp, or become discolored. Uv resin isn't an alternative to epoxy as much as it is its own thing. Epoxy and UV resin may provide a similar finished result, but they serve different needs. When cured, epoxy is the stronger out of the two. If durability in the long run matters most to you, then you should use two part resin. If you're looking to create or large pieces, then again, epoxy is probably the way to go. If you want to make smaller pieces and you don't want to spend a lot of time mixing resin and waiting for it to cure, then UV resin will likely be for you. Likewise, if you need your resin to cure super quick, UV is perfect for this, but if you don't mind the extra effort and waiting times, you could use epoxy for small pieces as well. Ultimately, the type of resin you choose will depend on your project. But if you really can't decide which one to pick, then I'd suggest epoxy because it works for a wider variety of crafts than UV resin. 5. Essential Tools: Resin Work is pretty straightforward and only a few basic tools are needed with UV resin. The only thing that's required is some kind of UV light source to cure the resin. But if you plan on working with two part resin, the first thing you'll need are some measuring cups and or mixing containers. If the resin you're using must be measured by volume, then measuring cups are vital for ensuring that you pour out the correct amount, each part. If you're working with large amounts of resin, you might also want to get larger containers for mixing. Otherwise, you can use the same measuring cups for mixing resin. There are two kinds of measuring cups that you can get, silicone and disposable. Each one has its advantages. Silicone cups are re, usable, flexible, durable, heat safe clean up can be as simple as letting extra resin cure then popping it out of the cup. On the other hand, disposable cups are obviously easier for clean up because you can just toss them out. I personally prefer disposable because they're clear and easy to see through. They accumulate less dust and they come in more sizes than the silicone ones. Plus, even though they are made to be thrown away, they can still be re, used. After I finish working, I leave any excess resin in the plastic cup to cure, and 24 hours later I'm able to pull it away from the plastic. Then the cup can be washed with soap and water so that it's clean for the next use. Granted, it isn't as easy to peel cured resin out of these cups than the silicone ones, but it's still worth it for me, personally. If your resin needs to be measured by weight, you do not need to use measuring cups, though. They may still be helpful for mixing. What you will need is some scale to weigh the resin. I recommend getting a digital pocket scale or kitchen scale for this because they are sensitive and it's easy to measure out correct amounts. The last necessary tool for working with two part resin is a mixing utensil. Just like with the cups, you have the option between silicone and disposable. Silicone stirring tools are re, usable and easy to clean. However, most of these tools are usually flexible, which can make them slightly annoying to work with. The most common disposable mixing tools used are popsicle sticks and plastic spatulas. These disposable options are stiff, which makes them easier to stir with than the silicone. Popsicle sticks work really well, but they may also introduce bubbles into your resin mixture. They also can't be re, used. I typically use plastic spatulas because I find them to be the easiest to use. They don't create as many bubbles as popsicle sticks, and they don't have to be thrown away after one use. If you wipe the spatulas off after you finish working and before the resin has time to start setting, then you'll be able to re, use them, which is better for the environment and it saves money. That's about all you really need to start working with resin. But here are a few extra tools that really come in handy. The first is a heat gun or a blow torch, if you're working with epoxy heat, will help remove bubbles and make the resin thinner for a period of time. Both of these things make it easier for your cured resin to come out smooth and flawless. I'm going to explain everything about heat guns, blow torches, and heat in general, during the removing bubbles lesson in this class. But for right now, all you really have to know is that some heating tool will be extremely helpful, especially if you're working with two part resin. Next up we have silicone paint brushes. You can use these to apply and spread resin. They work similar to regular paint brushes, but you don't have to worry about the resin ruining them like it would with a normal bristle brush. You can also use these to spread a little bit of resin into the crevices of a mold before filling it up. Sometimes pockets of air fill ****** in a mold before the resin can. Especially if the mold has small details like the arms and legs on these gummy bears. You usually won't notice that the mold wasn't fully filled until you mold the resin. But if you paint a layer of resin all along the inside of the mold before pouring in the rest of your resin, your pieces are more likely to cure with no holes. The last thing I would recommend are bezels. Bezels are shaped frames that can be filled with resin. These don't only make fun key chains and jewelry, but they're also a great way to practice if you're new to resin. Bezels will work with epoxy and UV resin, but they are more commonly used with UV resin because the fast curing helps avoid spillage. I purchased these ones from Miniature Sweet, but you can also get them from Sophie and Toffee, Etsy, and Amazon, just to name a few places. All of these tools and materials that I mentioned are things that I actually use every time I work with resin. That being said, most of them are not necessary. So feel free to try out different things to find what's most useful for you. And please keep in mind that all tools, molds, containers, and any other object you use for resin should never be used for food again. Once it is used with resin, that should be the only thing you use it for M. 6. Coloring Resin: If you want to spruce up your resin and add some color. There are a few ways to do that. The first method is to use some kind of powder dye. In my opinion, these kinds of dyes are the most reliable option for coloring resin. Because they are strong and pigmented. The colors won't fade or change over time. And they can be used with both two part resin and UV resin. Some powder yes you can use are mica powders, pigment powders, shaved down, chalk pastels, and even eyeshadow. A powders and pigment powders are pretty much exactly the same. The only difference is that mica powders are shimmery, while pigment powders can be matt in color. Eye shadow should work similar. Just be sure to crush it into a fine powder before mixing it in with your resin. Also, I wouldn't waste expensive make up on this either use an old palette you have or purchase drugstore eye shadow. Chalk pastels can be shaved down into a powder, though they won't mix into the resin as seamlessly as the other powder. Yes, there might be a little flecks of chalk that just won't b***d in. The second best method for coloring resin is to use liquid pigments. These are quicker and less messy to use than powder. Yes. However, not all liquid dyes can be used with UV resin. Colors could fade once the resin is exposed to sunlight. When buying dyes, make sure that it is compatible with the type of resin you plan on using. Another popular color, it is alcohol ink. You can mix some into your resin, but the color will be very transparent. The more common way of using these is to add a few drops of ink to your wet resin after it has been placed in a mold. You can blow or swirl the ink around if you'd like, but if you leave it, it will naturally produce really beautiful designs. The main downside to alcohol inks is that the colors may fade over time. Acrylic paint can also be mixed in with resin to add color. However, I would only use this as a last resort option. And limit the amount of paint you add to just a few drops. A little bit of paint will work well, but adding too much can cause the resin to thicken up, while wet thin pieces will be slightly bending even after they have fully cured. Lastly, you can add glitter and other additives. Loads of things can be added and encased in resin. You just want to avoid things like fresh food and plants because they will eventually rot inside your cured artwork. 7. Molds: Resin sticks to just about anything. So many mold materials can't be used. If you're looking to cast resin, the most compatible option is silicone. Silicone molds are extremely flexible, so it's easy to pop the cured resin out because resin doesn't stick to silicone. These molds are very easy to clean. Silicone molds are widely available. I usually purchase my molds on line from Amazon and but they are also available in craft stores and even in the baking sections of stores like Target and Walmart. I also make many of the molds I use because I have more control over the design. Silicon mold maker is available both online and in craft stores, and it's pretty simple to create your own molds for resin crafting if you'd like to learn more about how to make your own silicone molds, I have a class here on scale, share all about easy homemade molds for resin and polymer clay. One more important thing to know is that any color of silicone will work. Molding two part resin, but when it comes to UV resin, only clear molds can be used. The transparency allows for ultra violet rays to pass through and cure the resin. If you use an opaque mold, only the resin on the surface will cure and everything touching the inside of the mold will remain tacky. Here's a quick tip to figure out exactly how much resin you need to fill a mold. First, get the mold you plan on using and fill it with water. Next, transfer the water from the mold to a measuring cup. I'm using some plastic pipes for this. Any of the water or alternatively, you can measure out the water first and just subtract the amount of water you don't use to fill the mold. Lastly, it helps to write down the amounts needed for all your molds so that you don't have to repeat this process later. 8. Removing Bubbles + Avoiding Holes: Bubbles are a much bigger problem with two part resin than they are with UV resin. And that's because the mixing process introduces a lot of air. The first thing you can do to keep air pockets out of your resin is to avoid creating them. Heat helps bring bubbles to the surface where they can then pop before even pouring out your resin. And hardener, place the bottles in a warm water bath for around 10 minutes. This helps eliminate micro bubbles. It thins out the consistency of the wet resin mixture. The thicker and more viscous your mixture is, the more bubbles you can expect. After taking the bottles out of the bath, dry them off so no water enters your resin mix. Instead of making a warm water bath, you could pour out each part, then use a heat gun to warm them up for a few seconds before mixing the two parts together. Heat guns blow out, we heat. I always go with this method instead of the water bath because it takes less time. Once each part has been warmed up and measured out, you can carefully pour your hardener into the resin slowly and in one direction to prevent adding extra air. After mixing the resin and hardener, it helps to let the mixture sit for five to 10 minutes as many bubbles will rise on their own. After that, I use a heat gun to pop any bubbles that may still be on the surface. At this point, you can start using your resin. You may still have a few air bubbles, but there are a few ways to remove them once the resin has been poured. The most common is to use heat. The three most popular sources are heat guns, blow torches, and lighters. I've briefly talked about heat guns, but they blow out hot air and they're basically really hot hair dryers. They are powered by electricity. All you have to do is plug them in and they work. They're a really great choice for beginners and those who want an easy to use option. However, the biggest problem with heat guns is that the air blown out can move the wet resin around a little bit. This isn't an issue for most people, but those who do intricate resin pores may not love that aspect. Next we have butane and propane blow torches. Torches provide more heat than heat guns, and it's often easier to achieve a bubble less appearance using them. Plus they don't blow out any air, so you don't have to worry about your resin moving around. With that said, unlike heat guns, it's better to not use torches. With silicone molds, the high heat can melt and damage them. It can also cause the resin to stick to the mold. Instead, torches are usually used when coating something like a painted surface or a tabletop. Also, obviously, this method uses gas, so you have to be cautious when filling and using these torches. Other than that, this is a really popular option among resin artists. Lastly, we have lighters. These are most commonly used when making very small pieces like jewelry. If you do choose to use a lighter, make sure to get one with a long neck so that your hand doesn't have to come too close to the wet resin or to the flame. They may be advertised as candlelighters, utility lighters, or grill lighters. When using any of these three options, keep your heat source moving around in circular motions and never hold it in one place for more than a few seconds so that you don't over torch or burn the resin. You want to get close enough to the resin so that you can pop the bubbles, but you never want to actually touch the resin. If you're using a lighter or a blow torch, be extra careful that the flame doesn't make contact with the resin. It's also important to mention that heat speeds up the curing process. Using heat at any point to remove bubbles will cause the resin to cure faster than normal. This means that you will have less time to work with the wet resin than you would without the use of heat. There's no way to know the exact amount of time that heat shaves off, but I personally subtract 20 minutes from the normal work time listed for the brand I use. Some brands will have this time written on the bottles, while others will have it written on their website. Normally with no heat, I would get 45 minutes to work with the wet resin before it starts to set. When using heat, I try to work a little bit faster, and within 25 minutes, Two more methods for removing bubbles are pressure pots and vacuum chambers. I've never used either one of these. I can't personally speak on them, but many professional resin crafters swear by these two tools. In the about section, I've linked a great video that describes how they work. Lastly, you can gently blow through a drinking straw to pop surface bubbles. This doesn't work as well as the other methods mentioned, but it is better than doing nothing. If a straw is all that's available to you, this isn't a bad option. 9. Eliminating Dust: Dust is a serious problem when creating resin art, it easily sticks to the wet resin and it gets noticeably caught in cured pieces. The first thing you can do to avoid dust is to wipe down your work surface and all your utensils and tools before you start working After that, it's also helpful to use a water filled spray bottle or Miss bottle to lightly mist the air and your work surface. The water droplets, grab any dust particles floating in the air and pull them down to the floor. If you have already mixed your resin at this point, make sure it's covered before you start so that you don't accidentally get any dust or water in your mixture. After you've sprayed the air, some small water droplets will be sprinkled across your work surface. This helps dust stick to the surface instead of being released back into the air. So you do not want to wipe the water away until you finish working. Dust and lint stick to silicone molds like crazy. And the best solution I've tried for this is tape. I use a few pieces of transparent or packaging tape to pick dust off the entire mold, even the outside, because that dust could end up getting in the resin as well. The tape doesn't stick to the silicone, so you don't have to worry about damaging your molds. This trick works on all silicone. You can use this method to clean dust off your silicone measuring and mixing cups as well as your utensils. Another great tip is to cover your pieces while they cure. You could use a cup, a cardboard box, or anything else that will be lifted enough so that it doesn't touch the resin. It also helps to use something clear for this so that you can keep an eye on your piece, but it isn't necessary just for comparison. These are two pieces of baked polymer clay that I coated with epoxy resin while curing. I covered one of them and I left the other one uncovered. As you can see, the one that was covered has a clear and smooth finish, yet the one that I left exposed has little pieces of dust embedded in the resin. An additional thing I like to do is turn on an air purifier. Air purifiers filter the air in the room and suck in floating dust. I like to turn mine on half an hour before I start working, so that it has some time to clear the room of dust. And then I also keep it on just in case while I work. But I put it on the other side of the room so that the dust being drawn in by the purifier doesn't get too close to my resin. 10. Cleaning Up Resin: It's very important to clean up spilled liquid resin and remnants of cured resin. If you've spilled wet resin on a silicone surface, your best bet is to leave it there until it cures. Or if it's UV resin, use a light to cure it, then you can peel it off and discard it. If you've spilled resin on any other hard surface, it must be cleaned up immediately. Do not use water to try and clean up the resin, it only makes it stickier. Instead, use rubbing alcohol or acetone with some kind of disposable rag or cloth like a paper towel. Ideally, you want to get either 91, 99% rubbing alcohol, the stronger the better. But 91% is more easily found in stores and it works just fine. 11. Cons of Working With Resin: Resin, whether it be two part or UV is one of a kind, no other craft material can perfectly achieve the same results. That being said, there are many caveats to keep in mind before ever even working with resin. The first is yellowing. A lot of brands say that their resin is crystal clear, but they are only referring to how it looks right after it finishes curing over time due to exposure to sunlight and UV rays. Both two part resin and UV resin can start to develop a yellow color. The more time your cured resin is exposed to sunlight, especially direct sunlight, the more it will yellow. Some brands react to UV light more than others, and it doesn't take long before a resin piece starts to lose its crystal clear finish. Likewise, not all brands yellow to the same degree. Some may only yellow a bit. But regardless of time and how dark the yellowing may be, it is still something to expect with most, if not all, brands to avoid this. Some people like to mix UV light stabilizer pigments in with their resin. This isn't a solution as it doesn't prevent yellowing. Instead, it just extends the amount of time it would take for your resin to yellow. But it may be something to explore as it can help. Uv light has the greatest impact on yellowing, but high temperatures and excessive amounts of water can cause your resin to develop a yellow tint. I recommend avoiding these things as much as possible if you're curious about how certain brands look after they've yellowed. In the About section, you can find links to a few websites and videos that compare yellowing among different brands. The second con mainly applies to two part resins and it won't necessarily be a problem for everyone, but resin has a limited work time. This means that you will have to work fairly quickly if you mix up a bigger batch than you need. You might as well make use of that resin for something because it will start to set and you can't just save it for another project. As previously mentioned, heat speeds up the curing process. The more heat you use, the less time you'll have to work with the resin. On the other hand, UV resin doesn't have a set limited work time. Instead, it will gel faster depending on how much UV light is around while you are working. If you're working in a room with a lot of sunlight, you can expect your resin to begin curing within a few minutes. But if you work at night or in a room with little exposure to sunlight, you will have a much longer amount of time to work. Another issue with resin is the price. Both UV and two part resins are costly and UV resin is the pricier of the two. Considering that resin is a learning curve when you first start working with it, you may mess up quite a bit. A lot of your first pieces may not be great and you can end up wasting resin. It isn't a cheap hobby, especially not at the beginning. 12. Necessary Safety Precautions: The last and in my opinion, most important con to working with resin is the health aspect. Resin fumes can cause respiratory illnesses, irritation to eyes and skin, as well as other health issues. Some resin brands, like the one I mentioned earlier, don't contain any VOCs or volatile organic compounds. They are therefore safer than others. According to these brands, you don't need much more than gloves and ventilation when using their product. I can't speak on whether or not that is perfectly true, but I do not recommend taking that chance. Resin is not a material that just anyone can or should use. For example, if you are pregnant, you should completely stay away from resin. If you have asthma, you may be more susceptible to resin induced respiratory problems. For anyone working with resin, it is very important to wear the correct protective gear no matter what kind of resin you're using. What protection do you need? First and foremost, get a respirator with the appropriate cartridges. A respirator is worn over your face and it covers your nose and mouth. It is you from inhaling any gases or vapors. Respirators come in different sizes, whatever size you end up getting. Just make sure that it actually fits your face. Medium sized respirators are typically recommended for women, but I'm I'm five foot and it didn't feel right on me at all. It pressed hard on my nose and was ever so slightly loose around my jaw, I ended up getting a size small, and that fits me perfectly. If your respirator doesn't feel right, you may want to try another size. As an ill fitting respirator will not protect you well. It should feel comfortable on your face a bit snug, it shouldn't hurt or be uncomfortable. I use a three M 6,202 face piece re usable respirator, but most respirators work just fine. What's more important is that you buy the correct cartridges. I use the three M P 100 cartridges, but whatever brand you decide to go with, make sure that the cartridges are rated for organic vapors. Your cartridges should always be attached to the respirator during use. You should not be able to smell anything once you are wearing it. A good way to test this is to put on your respirator and then spray some perfume into the air. You should smell nothing. Never start resin. Work with a respirator that you can smell out of. If you don't have perfume, you can try smelling anything that you know has a strong scent, such as food or coffee. Respirators come with instructions on how to test the fit and do seal checks, but you can also find specific videos about this on line. In the about section, you can find the video that I used to test the fit of my respirator. If you've never used a respirator before, it might take some getting used to. You may have to breathe a bit slower and more deliberately than you normally would, so that you don't get dizzy. It becomes second nature pretty quick. Also, your cartridges will expire a few months after opening, so keep an eye out for that date. Expired cartridges won't work or protect you anymore. If you can smell while wearing a respirator fitted with old cartridges, they have definitely expired and you should not use them. The P 100 cartridges by three M that I use expire six months after opening, even if they haven't been used. I know that was a lot of information to take in all at once, but that is as complicated as protection instructions get. Other than that, here's a few more things that you will need. Disposable gloves so that you don't get any wet resin on your skin. You'll also need some eye protection or safety goggles. You could also just purchase a full face respirator which covers and protects your whole face at once. You will need to work in a well ventilated area, open as many windows as you can. Please keep in mind that the air purifier I mentioned earlier is not a sufficient source of ventilation. But you could turn it on or just use a fan to help circulate air along with your open windows. The biggest mistake you can make with resin is to treat it like any other art material sold in craft stores. When I first started working with resin, I was a teenager and I didn't take any safety precautions other than occasionally opening one window. I didn't realize it was required because most of the resin artists I watched online wore no protection, not even gloves. I would literally see people get it on their skin and pay no mind. After a couple weeks of using both UV resin and epoxy, I began to get intense migraines that would last for days, even on the days that I didn't work with resin. Also get dizzy, especially while curing UV resin. Some people get allergic reactions from inhaling the vapors and others can develop a sensitivity even to cured resin. That didn't happen to me, but what I experienced was enough that I stopped working with resin for a long time. Eventually, when I decided to get back into it, I did a lot of research on what I should be using. I switched from pro marine epoxy resin to art and glow because the smell isn't as strong. I also bought the necessary protection and I work in a very well ventilated room with the door closed to restrict possible fumes from getting to other parts of the house. I don't want this to discourage anyone from working with resin because it can be used safely. If you do want to try it out, just make sure to be cautious so that you don't put yourself or anyone around you in harm's way. I know that to some, all of these precautions may seem excessive, especially if the brand you use claims to be completely safe. At the end of the day, it's your decision what precautions you take. I'd highly recommend doing your own research on resin and whatever brand you pick, just so you fully know what you're getting into. 13. Can Any Age Work With Resin?: After hearing all the safety precautions, you may be wondering if you could be too young or too old to work with resin for the most part. When it comes to what ages can use resin, I don't think that years matter as much as maturity, caution, and your own personal health. That being said, I personally don't think it's a good idea for anyone under high school age to be handling resin alone. And honestly, kids probably shouldn't be working with resin at all. If I had to put an age on it, I'd recommend being at least 16 years old. But again, caution and maturity are what matter most as long as you read and follow the instructions and safety warnings, everything should y. 14. Epoxy Project: We're going to work on two class projects, one that uses epoxy and one that uses UV resin. I'm going to start with the epoxy project and I'll be showing you how to make a simple coaster. In the project and resources tab, you'll be able to find a PDF that has the exact links of all the products I'm using. For both projects, including the mold and bezel still follow along using any supplies you have. For this project, you will need two part resin, a coaster mold, measuring and mixing cups, and a mixing tool. Some optional materials are pigments or des glitter, a heat gun packaging tape, and a box or some other container for covering. The first thing you'll want to do is measure out how much resin you need to fill your mold. To do this, I use the water technique that I mentioned earlier during the molds lesson of this chorus. I measured that each one of these hexagon molds needs about 3 ounces of resin to make one coaster that I dried the mold off and prepped it for casting by removing all dust using some packaging tape. Once your mold is completely clear of all dust and lint, you can set it to the side while we mix our two part resin. Before we start, make sure you are wearing protective gear and working in a well ventilated room. Since my resin needs to be measured out at a one to one ratio, I mark the one a two ounce point on two measuring cups using a Sharpie. Then I carefully poured resin into one cup and hardener into the other. You can use a heat gun to warm up each part a bit. Just be careful not to get so that you don't burn the resin or melt your measuring cups. If you're using plastic, then pour one part into the other and stir slowly in one direction until your mixed resin looks clear. This will take a few minutes to do. If the mixture looks cloudy or swirly, keep stirring for a few more minutes until the two parts are fully combined into one. This process took me around 7 minutes total. Afterwards, I used my heat gun to warm up the mixture. Then I let it sit without touching it for two to 3 minutes so that any bubbles can rise to the surface. Again. I use gun to pop the bubbles that have risen to the surface. Now you can keep your resin clear or you can add color. I poured some of my resin into another cup because I want to use two different colors. If you want to use one color for your coaster, there is no need for a second cup. I decided to keep most of the resin clear, but for the other, I added some white dye and a bit of pink pigment powder to give the resin a pastel pink color. If you'd like, you can also mix some glitter into your resin. I some iridescent flakes to both my clear and pink resin. Now take a quick look at your mold to make sure it is still dust free. If it isn't, just use some more tape to fix that. If you're using a silicone mold and a heat gun, you can warm it up for a few seconds. Warming up the mold is an extra step, but it helps the resin spread easily through the mold. It helps eliminate bubbles. At this point, you can start pouring your resin into the mold. If you're using more than one color, like me, you can alternate between them when filling the mold. Regardless of if you're using one color or multiple, it helps to fill up the mold in increments and use a heat gun in between. Once your mold has been filled, you can cover it and leave it to cure. As an extra step, you can check back on it after half an hour or so and pop any more bubbles or remove any pieces of dust that may have gotten caught in your resin. Then cover it up again and leave it for the remaining time. Once it has cured, you can carefully take it out of the mold and it is now ready to use. 15. UV Resin Project: This next project uses UV resin, and we're going to be creating a beach scene pendant using a bezel. You'll need UV resin, a UV light source, something to mix in, and something to mix with resin tape or some other kind of no sticky tape. An open bezel, and blue and white dyes or pigments. Some optional materials are craft sand and a heat source, like a heat gun or lighter. Start by cutting a piece of resin tape that's a bit bigger than the bezel you plan on using. If you don't have any resin tape, you can use painter's tape, magic tape, or washi tape like I am using. Lay the tape sticky side up and press the bottom of your bezel onto it. You want to make sure that the entire piece is completely stuck to the tape because any gaps can cause your resin to leak. Place this to the side and we're going to start preparing the sandy part of our scene. You can ignore the step If you don't have any sand, combine some craft sand with UV resin. Take parts of this mixture and add it to the lower area of the bezel. This part will represent sand on a shore, so feel free to shape it however you'd like. Just try not to add so much that it goes beyond the thickness of the bezel frame. Then use a UV light to set the sandy resin enough that it won't move. If you're using a UV flash light or lamp, one to 2 minutes should be more than enough time. If you're using sunlight, it will depend on how much of it is hitting your resin, but I would give it at least 7 minutes or just keep checking on it by lightly touching it with a silicone tool or a toothpick until it becomes solid enough that it won't budge. Now for the water, I'm mixing UV resin and some blue powder dye. Fill the remaining area of the bezel with a thin layer of this. If you didn't add any sand, you'll want to fill the whole bezel with your blue resin. Again, use some of UV light source to set the resin. The last color you'll need is a milky white. Add a small amount of white dye to your resin so that it isn't too opaque. Layer this on top of the blue. And before setting it, we're going to drip some clear resin onto the white. This will help create a foamy water look that you see at a shore. You can add small amounts of the resin at a time using a toothpick, or you could add larger blobs straight from your bottle. You can leave these larger pools of resin or you can spread them around with a toothpick or a heat gun. If you notice any bubbles at the surface, you can pop them using a lighter or a heat gun. Once you're happy with the way it looks, you can cure the entire thing because I'm using a flash light. I used some containers to prop it up so that I don't have to hold onto it the whole time. A few minutes later, my whole piece was fully cured. You can now gently peel it away from the tape. Your piece may have some sticky residue on the back from being stuck to the tape. And if it does, you can use some rubbing alcohol to remove it. It may take a few days for the UV resin smell to wear off, but your piece is ready for use right now, and it can be attached to keychains, necklaces, or whatever else you have in mind. 16. Final Thoughts: I really hope you learned some valuable information that you can apply when working on future projects. If you are completely new to resin, take your time learning and be patient with yourself. Resin takes time to master, so don't be disappointed. If your art isn't perfect at the beginning, practice makes progress. If you give one of the class projects a shot, you can share it with everyone by submitting a project, I'd love to see your creations. Again, all the materials, tools, and sources that I mentioned are linked in the About section of this course. And if you have any questions that were left unanswered, feel free to ask away in the discussions tab and I'll do my best to answer them. If you'd like, you can check out my Youtube channel and my other social media accounts where I post videos all about my art. Thanks for making it all the way to the end and I hope you enjoyed.