Have you seen all the crafty dice sets all over social media? Who knew that making dice for game night would be more fun than the game itself? But, once you’ve decided to take on a dice-making project, how do you know what resin is the best to use for dice? Like, won’t any resin work?
Not very well.
To make beautiful dice, it makes sense to search for the best resin for dice. But chances are you’re using molds to make your dice.
Now you might be thinking, ‘Of course, I’m using dice molds. Like what else would I be using?’
Ah, and that’s the point, young padawan.
Instead of focusing on a resin to make dice, you need to focus on a resin for molds.
Why? Because resins for molds are specially formulated to cure bubble-free and pick up the mold details like dots and numbers.
Like, wait. They all don’t do that?
No. Resins that mix thick, like epoxy for coating tumblers, won’t produce the crisp details you see on dice. Let’s not ruin game night by having people guess if it’s a one or a seven on di you made with your D20 mold.
So then, what’s the best resin for dice molds?
I’m so glad you asked. The Resin Obsession super clear epoxy is the dice maker’s number one choice for making resin dice. Why?
- It cures hard — like glass. Dice made with this resin won’t soften or dent with use.
- It contains top-level UV protectants to protect against yellowing.
- Your resin will cure clear and bubble-free without the need for any special equipment. You don’t need a pressure pot or vacuum chamber to make bubble-free resin dice.
- The resin cures in under 12 hours. That means you can reuse your mold quicker, letting you churn out dice sets quickly.
- Also, it has the ASTM D-4236 designation, which means it meets the highest level of safety. (Not all resins get this designation.)
- And if you’ve been paying attention, you can use this resin for any of your resin mold projects, like jewelry and crafts.
What if you want to color this resin for dice?
No worries here. It takes epoxy pigments beautifully. These are the ones I like to use.
What other supplies do you need to make dice with resin?
- Mixing cups for measuring parts A and B of the resin kit
- Mixing sticks to mix the resin
- Packing tape
- Latex gloves
- Resin colors like dyes, pigments, powders, and glitter (unless you want clear dice)
- Extras like charms, beads, or other tchotchkes to add to your resin
- Plastic pipettes
- Acrylic paint and paintbrush to highlight the resin dice details
- Silicone mat or wax paper to protect your work surface
So how do I use this epoxy to make resin dice?
Step 1: Get dice molds
We’ve got those in several styles in our store too. You can buy a dice set of seven or a single di mold. Once you’ve got your mold, close it with packing tape. Don’t use a rubber band as sometimes it can get too tight and misshape the mold. You don’t want to make lopsided resin dice.
Step 2: Mix the resin
With the super clear resin, mix anywhere from ½ ounce to 3 ounces (total of parts A and B). You must do this step with great accuracy. You don’t want to have your resin cure sticky. Also, don’t forget to wear your gloves when you do this.
💡 Pro tip: Warm the resin kit in a hot water bath for five minutes before using. This will thin the liquid consistency and make mixing easier without introducing bubbles.
If using resin to make dice is new to you, don’t sweat it. I’ve got an in-depth article on how to mix resin.
If you’re coloring the resin, now is the time to do it. Add as little color as possible so you don’t interfere with the resin curing.
💡 Pro tip: Using colors designed for resin will get you the most consistent results. You don’t have to worry about your resin curing or changing color to something weird.
Step 3: Add to the mold
Pour the resin in a thin stream into the mold through the opening at the top. You can control the resin pouring in a couple of ways.
One way is to squeeze your cup to form a spout. This works well if your cup is flexible like our 1-ounce mixing cups. Or use one of our mixing cups that has a spout.
The other way is to hold a toothpick over the mold opening. Then, pour the resin onto the toothpick, letting it drip into the mold.
You can also use your pipettes to fill the mold from inside. First, fill the pipette with resin without sucking up bubbles. Then, insert through the opening into the mold. Finally, push the resin out of the pipette.
Step 4: Check for bubbles
So while it’s important to check for bubbles in the resin, this is extra important when using dice molds. It’s common for bubbles to trap at the mold opening and stay there while curing. Then, when you demold your resin dice, you find a big divot.
Grab your toothpick and push it through the hole at the top of the mold. This will pop a large bubble and allow you to drip more resin into the mold.
💡 Pro tip: Overfill the mold. It’s easier to sand off resin instead of filling in a hole.
Step 5: Let cure
Cover it with your plastic container. You need to be sure your resin stays undisturbed for the next 12 hours. Resist the urge to peel off the tape and see how your resin is curing.
Step 6: Demold
Now it’s time to see your resin handiwork. Remove the tape and lift the cured resin di from the mold.
Step 7: Finish edges
By overfilling the mold, you have a resin stem and button to deal with. Use extra-sharp scissors or a cutting tool attachment to remove the extra resin. Then sand to make that part look like the rest of the resin.
Step 8: Accent details
Grab acrylic paint and fill in the details. Buff off the extra color, then let it dry for 24 hours.
Ta-da! Marvel in your resin dice. Now you have to wait for FriYAY!
Not ready yet to try your hand at resin?
I get it. No one wants to waste their time and money making something you wouldn’t show anyone. It’s why I wrote the ebook, Resin Fundamentals. For less than the price of a resin kit, you can learn the details I wish I had known when I started creating with resin 17 years ago. Buy the PDF book now and receive a download link in minutes.
Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2023 Resin Obsession, LLC