Everything I’ve Learned About Why is My Resin Wavy

If you are asking yourself why is my resin wavy, know that this can be a completely normal occurrence.  But then again, it might not be.

Normal:  Mixing resin and hardener together

When you first mix epoxy resin together, you should expect to see wavy resin. Because the two parts of a resin kit are different liquid consistencies, these look like swirls when you mix them together.  As you continue mixing them together, these swirls will disappear. As a matter of fact, this is one of the ways you will know if your resin is well-mixed.

If you are new to resin and unsure how to mix it, you read this article: how to mix epoxy resin.

Not normal:  Waves and swirls in cured resin

Now if you’re asking yourself why is my resin wavy and the resin is cured, that’s a problem.  Here are a few reasons why that happens:

1. The resin wasn’t mixed completely before use. In general, you should mix resin together for about 10 percent of the resin’s pot time. So if a resin has a 30 minute pot time, plan on mixing the two parts together for about 3 minutes.

2. Your resin is cold. Sometimes, resin components can crystallize when the kit gets too cold. These crystals can show up as swirls or waves in resin. Before using the kit again, warm it in a warm water bath.

3. Moisture contamination. This usually comes from something like glue or other adhesives contaminating the resin. This can happen if papers and other findings and are used in the resin before they are fully dry.  If this has happened to you, this article will help: how to seal papers for including in resin.

4. Waviness can sometimes show up on the top of polyester resin castings because it got too hot. Try using less catalyst, as within the kit’s directions, to reduce the reaction heat.

Want to learn more about topics like why is my resin wavy?

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