[Jaime Nelson]

I have a naturally hollowed out root ball from a lilac tree. After picking out all the dirt it grabbed from the earth I realized there were holes all throughout the root ball and inside it looks like a cave. I want to add a layer of glow resin coating the inside and then fill it all the way with clear resin. I have no experience with wood working or resin. I’m worried I will mess it up. I need to know what type of resin I should use and how I should apply it.

[Katherine Swift]

Can you link to a picture? That will give me a better idea of what to recommend.

[Jaime Nelson]

I’m not sure how to attach a picture.

[Jaime Nelson]

I did just start following you on Pinterest and was able to upload the photos of my root ball to my art board. Not sure if you can see it that way or not.

[Katherine Swift]

Sure! Can you provide a link here?

[Jaime Nelson]

Root ball wood project – http://pinterest.com/pin/336503403393743231/?s=3&m=messages

[Jaime Nelson]

Root ball project – http://pinterest.com/pin/336503403393743230/?s=3&m=messages

[Jaime Nelson]

Root ball project – http://pinterest.com/pin/336503403393743228/?s=3&m=messages

[Katherine Swift]

Thanks Jaime, the pictures help a lot.

Bubbles are going to be a major concern since there are a bunch of cracks and crevices in your project. For what you want to do, I recommend the Resin Obsession dee pour resin. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-deep-pour-resin If you are careful in mixing, bubbles are almost never a problem.

I would suggest trying to seal the wood interior if possible. Bubbles trapped in the wood could come out later as the resin is curing. Unfortunately, I don’t have any good advice for how to do that. As for the visible holes, be sure to cover them with a good masking tape before pouring. The resin won’t stick to the tape and you can peel it off after curing. With that said, I would still tell you to expect some resin runoff. You will likely want to babysit your tree for the first hour or so after pouring.

There isn’t going to be a good way to add glow/resin to the interior. You could try brushing it on, but gravity is going to take over and it will drip to the bottom. If I were going to try this, I would find a way to paint/prime the interior, then add glow powder to the paint for the next layer. https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/colorants/products/day-glow-in-the-dark-powder-for-resin (This powder works great with paint too.) Once everything is dry (couple of days at least) then add the resin. The couple layers of paint may be all you need to seal the wood to keep bubbles from coming into your resin.

Please come back and share a picture when you are finished!

[Jaime Nelson]

When you say paint Prime do you mean something like gesso?

[Katherine Swift]

No, I’m thinking more like a paint primer since you are working with wood.

[sheri]

I have worked with resin and wood before. I have a few tips for you. First make sure the wood is very dry. Any moisture will cause bubbles. I suggest you put it in the oven at a very low heat for a couple of hours or more. You must seal it very carefully or you will get bubbles like crazy. I use two or three layers of modge podge. And then work in layers and babysit the layers and watch for bubbles. Use a barbeque lighter and pass over the layers to pop the bubbles…watch each layer for an hour or two for bubbles. If you have an old junk piece I would practice on that. I us Envirotex Lite for this. Sounds like a very cool project! Best of luck to you!

[Jaime Nelson]

Thank you so much for the suggestions they are great!

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