Trouble with applying resin to a tumbler

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    • #9948
      Katherine Swift
      Keymaster

      This question comes from Crystal:

      I have recently purchased the Amazing Clear Cast Resin to clear coat my glitter tumblers. Ive been doing it for a while and when I do it on the actual glitter ones, they come out fine.

      Recently I tried a different way to do the tumblers. I would spray paint them and then spray a iridescent glitter spray paint on it and then spray paint with glitter lock clear and regular clear and then I would add the Amazing Clear Cast.

      But now I noticed on those, I would get hole-like spots in the tumblers as I am rotating it while drying. I don’t know why it’s doing that and I keep looking it up and can’t find answers. I thought you might be able to help. Please see picture below for reference.

    • #9949
      Katherine Swift
      Keymaster

      Hi Crystal,

      This happens when something changes the surface tension of the resin such that it doesn’t want to stay on the surface, but wants to ‘bunch up’ instead. I will see this in thin viscosity resins like the Resin Obsession super clear resin. The amazing clear cast is a thick, doming resin, so this should not happen, as you have found out in previous uses.

      While I haven’t used the other products you mention, I suspect something in them in having a physical or chemical effect on the resin to cause the surface tension to change. Here are a couple of things you can try differently.

      1. Rotate the tumblers at a slower speed.
      2. Coat them with another layer of a clear, acrylic based spray before applying resin. This is the one I suggest: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/castin-craft-gloss-resin-sealer-spray
      3. Go back to the old way of doing them. If your tumbler still feels bumpy or uneven after applying the first coat, you can apply a second one.

      Let me know what works out for you!

      • #107275
        Steve
        Guest

        I just had this problem as well. Here’s what I figured out. Your resin is not sticking to the surface in some areas, perhaps the final layer of paint or what ever it was you put on there before the resin did not allow the resin to stick. My first two coats were put on primer paint, and turned out fine, however, when I put on the third one, it started getting lumpy. The main difference was that between coat one and two, I applied the new coat while the first coat was still tacky (about 10 hours after first coat) then I waited 24 hours for the third and had sanded it first with 320 grit. That was not gritty enough to make the cured coats sticky enough. For amazing clear you should apply new coats between 4 and six hours, it should turn out fine

    • #35237
      Jessica McClary
      Guest

      I am new to working with epoxy. I have tried 2 separate tumblers and both did the exact same thing after the first coat… after drying they’re not smooth, but rather wavy and dimply… is this normal after the first coat? Will it smooth out after the second coat or will it remain wavy and dimply?
      I am using amazing clear cast epoxy..

      • #35330
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Unfortunately you will need to sand it smooth before applying a new coat. If it’s already bumpy, adding another coat may make that worse.

        • #35378
          Jessica McClary
          Guest

          If I sand it down will that make the first layer looked scuffed/ foggy looking after I apply the second layer? I have sanded it down some and then cleaned it really good first with water then went over it with alcohol and It’s no longer super shiny like it was before I sanded it….

          Also what’s making it wavy and dimpled? What do I need to do to make sure the next tumbler doesn’t do the same thing….

    • #54523
      Latoya Lewis
      Guest

      I have recently began making tumblers with epoxy. Everything goes well until the final coat cures and I get bumps in the epoxy on the cup.

      • #54993
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Hi Latoya, it sounds like your cup and resin aren’t rotating long enough during curing.

    • #63711
      Shawna
      Guest

      The first 5 tumblers turned out perfect! Now I’m having the problem of applying epoxy and it shifts the glitter or absorbs into the glitter and pulls it off in chunks. Please helpppp!

    • #80595
      Lety
      Guest

      I dropped my cup and it made a dent on the bottom…it has about 3 layers of glitter then one coat of epoxy. The actual cup doesnt seem damaged. Is there any way to fix the dent?

    • #81035
      Lisa
      Guest

      I am having trouble with my epoxy being uneven on the bottom. One end will have more than the other making it wobble. Will I have to sand it and reapply the epoxy?

    • #82238
      Shelby Handy
      Guest

      I am having issues with my Epoxy pulling away from the top of my cup and when the cures It’s like a big bump at the bottom. My Turners are level I even put a support piece under the PVC pipe but it is still happening has anybody had this issue?

    • #82835
      Anna Guillen
      Guest

      I just applied epoxy on 2 tumblers that I first spray painted. When I went to tape them for glitter coat the epoxy lifted with the tape. I peeled off the resin on the entire tumbler. Why isn’t it staying on?

      • #82836
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Hi Anna, something on the tumbler is acting as a release. Can you wash the surface with soap to remove the oily residue?

      • #83075
        Ashley Savage
        Guest

        Yes i have been having same problem but dont know why it is happening.

      • #83346
        Melissa Ausflug
        Guest

        What would cause the tumbler to have like ridges once’s it is cured. Like when I take my hand and feel around the cup it’s ridgy.

    • #82877
      Jennifer Lee
      Guest

      Hello! The last two tumblers I made with epoxy have dried with a dull finish. They look great at first but as they cute the shine goes away. I am using Craft Source High Gloss epoxy resin. What is going wrong? They turn for about 5-6 hours then sit until a total of about 24 hours.

    • #82933
      Heather Sergesnt
      Guest

      Is there any way to spot fix epoxy on a tumbler?
      My tumbler turned out beautifully except for a tiny pin sized hole in the epoxy. Is there a way to fix just this spot?

    • #82969
      Katelyn Nettles
      Guest

      Hi! I’ve done glitter tumblers with resin on top of that. Well now that I’ve done a bigger cup with the alcohol inks in wood grain look, the resin seems to be sliding down at the lip and the beveled edge going to the smaller bottom section. What’s wrong?!

      • #163725
        Lori
        Guest

        Same happened to me. I found that the next tumbler I put something the same size as the lid under the right end of the rotator. (Well, I’m right handed, so my motor is on my left and the arm is on the right)
        It wasn’t balanced for the lip! I didn’t do this for the first 2hours. The epoxy is too wet. After it got sluggish I rebalanced the turner, by putting the lid under the right end of the turner, and let it finish turning and drying.
        I no longer buy tumblers with that crazy lip!!

    • #82995
      Gracie
      Guest

      Hello!
      I am new to making tumblers with resin and my cup has been rotating for four hours and is sticky. Will this change once fully cured?

    • #83135
      Sammi
      Guest

      I glittered and resined the base of a tumbler and now it’s uneven and wobbly. Is there any way to fix this? I see above where someone suggested sanding, but won’t that require reapplying glitter and resin? And when I reapply the resin won’t it run onto the finished part while turning?

    • #83212
      Judy
      Guest

      I am trying to do my first tumbler but am having similar problems to others. Refer to the photo and comments from Crystal on August 17. The same thing is happening to mine. I did alcohol ink so the surface was pretty smooth to start with. I did not seal it the first time. I got all the bumpy craters, etc. so I sanded the whole thing down and started from scratch. The second time I sealed it after the alcohol ink before the epoxy but got the same result. I sanded it down to try and smooth it out as best I could before putting the second coat of resin. I got the same result. Before I try another tumbler, I need to know what I’m doing wrong. None of the videos I watch address this problem/issue. I watched many videos and am doing the same thing as instructed in the videos but am having no luck.

      • #83216
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Hi Judy, are you using a doming resin for your project?

    • #83269
      joe
      Guest

      Hey guys. I was looking for a solution to a different problem, but I see a lot of people with a similar problem to what I had at first.

      If you have bumpy, spotty, uneven surface, it might be due to not using enough epoxy to coat the object. We did some ornaments and cups and found that if you don’t use enough, no matter how smooth it is at application, it will eventually look like the top picture in this post. Try using more epoxy to coat, it worked for us.

      The problem we have had is using a Spin It from Michael’s, it leaves a big lump on the bottom of the cup or ornament. No matter how much we level or what we are turning with it, even at different speed settings, it just leaves that lump. I don’t have that problem with my DIY rotisserie turner. Any thoughts? Yes, I know the reviews are FULL of this problem, but it seems fixable.

    • #83278
      Jen W
      Guest

      I am new to making cups. The main part of my cup looks great, however the top and bottom edge of my cup stay rough even after the second coat. I do sand those areas after the first application, but has not helped.

      Thank you for any suggestions.

      • #125378
        Donna
        Guest

        Hi Jen,
        I am new to resin and tumblers and I am having that same problem. Did you ever figure it out?

    • #83416
      Marlene Sharpe
      Guest

      Hi, I’m having trouble with epoxy staying on . I have stripped, sanded, repainted, still getting fish eyes and spots where epoxy just won’t cover. Can’t figure it out. Could it be the epoxy? I’m using Dr. Crafty resin

      • #113045
        Loren
        Guest

        Hello if you are first sanding then spray painting the cup make sure to let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before applying epoxy so the spray paint can de-gas if u don’t this will cause fish eyes, if no spray paint is being used I suggest making sure u are sanding well enough to create tooth for the epoxy to hold onto. I would also make sure safety that your resin is FDA compliant and food safe. And remember always wear your PPE and have proper separate ventilation because epoxy is toxic while curing.Hope this helps!

    • #83421
      Marlene Sharpe
      Guest

      Hi, I am using Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast resin. Worked great for my first 2 cups. Now , after I spray paint and start putting my first coat of epoxy, I get fish eyes and large spots where the epoxy doesn’t want to stick. So, I stripped it with acetone, sanded it down, wash real good with soapy water, then spray painted, put epoxy on , it does the same thing. What can I do to keep this from happening?

    • #83501
      Carolyn
      Guest

      Hi. I havent had any of the previous problems with my epoxy and tumblers. However, the last two I did ended up getting moisture underneath the epoxy after its first wash in the sink and I’m not sure why since I had not had this problem before. The first one I used fabric for my design and the second one was just glitter. Please help…

      • #91252
        John Wood
        Guest

        We were having the same problem with fish eyes and ripples forming as the cups were spinning. Turns out we were not mixing the epoxy long enough. Increased the stirring time to 5 minutes and have had beautiful results. Hopes that works for you. You might also check the temperature of the two parts before you start.

    • #83540
      Kris
      Guest

      I have had the same issue but I also changed epoxy when this started to happen. I’m going back to the original to see if that fixes it. Now I’m having trouble with alcohol inks staying put. Everything wants to slide to the bottom of the wine glass

    • #83589
      Darlene Parten
      Guest

      Did u clean ur cups with alcohol and let it dry before adding the expoxy? I had a similar situation and my alcohol didn’t dry good.

    • #83860
      Tracey
      Guest

      Hello I was just wondering if any of you could help me. I just attempted to make my first glitter tumbler and I just put the first epoxy layer over the glitter last night and i now see that it did dry and it nice and clear but there are little hard round bumps literally all over it like the whole thing is super bumpy and when I applied it last night there weren’t air bubbles all in it so what is causing this? I’d really appreciate it thank you so much!

    • #84737
      Laura Regan
      Guest

      Hi. Any tips on the lip of the cup? That never seems to get as smooth as the rest if the cup.

    • #84788
      LaTonia
      Guest

      Applied resin to tumbler 24 hours ago. The tumbler is on spinner (slow speed). It is still wet in spots and appears to be runny. Should I put another coat of epoxy on top of current coat of epoxy? I am using Amazing Clear brand.

    • #85280
      Tanisha Kanno
      Guest

      I applied my first coat of epoxy to my tumbler…let it cure-sanded any imperfections and added my vinyl and another layer of epoxy. The last coat cured beautifully except on the brim of the cup its rough…help!!!!

    • #85536
      Michelle Belcher
      Guest

      My tumblers are wavy going around, I’ve read that maybe I’m not using enough resin but when I apply the resin is dripping off. We’ve checked that the turner is level, what else can I do? They almost seem like finger ridges on some it’s that noticeable. I thought maybe I was using too much epoxy but they are alcohol ink so I need enough for it to move. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I’m using Art n Glo resin, I hope that’s not the problem because I love it.

    • #85712
      Tiffany
      Guest

      I have this same issue. Trying to find a solution.

    • #89419
      Britney Kilpatrick
      Guest

      My first coat of epoxy with alcohol ink has spots where the epoxy separated. After it cured, i added my vinyl, cleaned well with alcohol and microfiber cloth. Pored my 2nd coat and it is still separating in spots! I mixed my epoxy well for atleast 5 mins. I also used a heat gun on low to get out air bubbles. Will a 3rd coat help with this?

    • #89421
      Katherine Swift
      Keymaster

      Hi Britney, are you using a doming resin to finish your tumbler? If you aren’t, then a third coat is unlikely to help.

      This article explains the difference between the two: https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/doming-resin-casting-resin/

    • #90730
      Lisa
      Guest

      Hi everyone –
      I tried my first glitter tumbler. Everything was fine. 2 coats of glitter with Modge Podge, light clear coat, 2pt food grade apoxy, then vinyl decal. When I pulled the transfer tape off the tumbler, it pulled off some of the glitter. Any ideas what I did wrong?

      Thank you all in advance,

    • #90731
      Lisa
      Guest

      Hi everyone –
      I tried my first glitter tumbler. Everything was fine. 2 coats of glitter with Modge Podge, light clear coat, 2pt food grade apoxy, then vinyl decal. When I pulled the transfer tape off the tumbler, it pulled off some of the glitter. Any ideas what I did wrong?

      Thank you all in advance,

      • #95329
        Tiff
        Guest

        It sounds like you didn’t apply a layer of epoxy over the glitter.

    • #91503
      Katie
      Guest

      Hi there hope someone can help me just went to remove tape from top of my first resin tumbler and the resin all removed from the bottle I had used alcohol to clean bottle then painted it blue with acrylic paint a layer of resin with glitter and then two layers of resin. Please help

    • #91516
      Crystal Sedlar
      Guest

      i have done 3 woodgrain cups and after they are finished and i wash them with soap and water, they have a dull finish. Looks like I never applied an epoxy. Any ideas why this is happening?

    • #92265
      Erika
      Guest

      Why is my epoxy spreading causing bubbles after using hot air?

      • #92271
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Hi Erika,

        If your resin heats up too quickly, it can produce a lot of bubbles.

    • #95327
      Tiff
      Guest

      Hey ya.
      I am having issues with the rims of the bottoms of the cup. I switched to art resin and now the cups don’t want to seal on the edge around the bottom. So the bottom will be completely covered. And the side. But not the bottom edge of the cup. I tried adding more resin because I thought there was not enough for it to level over the edge but then it just bunched up on the side and leaves a thicker amount right before the edge. Do I need different resin? How do I fix this ?

    • #114874
      Ludoan
      Guest

      Hi everyone!
      I’m new in the creative world of resin. I needed to deal with lumps in my first tumblers. I’m very possitive, but I need guidance. The epoxy is leveled the first time, but then in the cured process appears the lumps with empty spaces of epoxy.
      Thanks for be here for us.

    • #118229
      Ashley
      Guest

      Hi,I have read if you don’t give adequate drying time when using spray paint on the cup the tiny fumes can still be rising up and can effect the epoxy process leaving fish eye dimples.

    • #130023
      Chris
      Guest

      I epoxyd my tumblers and once dried I added the decals…however i havent been abke to work more o them so they def cured can i still add my last coat of epoxy over the decals and cured epoxy?

      • #130037
        Katherine Swift
        Keymaster

        Hi Chris,

        Yes, you can apply a new layer of resin as long as the previous layer has (at least) partially cured.

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