Resin problems – Three things no one will tell you about using resin

It’s always been my mission for you to have an excellent experience with resin, even if you don’t buy resin products from Resin Obsession. Here are three resin problems no one else will tell you about using it:

All resins will yellow with time

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your clear resin castings will yellow over time. Resins with UV inhibitors and HALS stabilizers help extend the time before yellowing occurs. However, things such as mixing off ratio (even though it still can cure without tackiness), putting over an improperly cured lacquer, excessive heat, and/or constant exposure to sunlight can speed up the yellowing process. How long an epoxy resin will last in its clear state is very difficult to predict.

If this happens to your resin kit before you use it, here’s what you can do with yellowing resin.

There is no one size fits all resin

In other words, no resin will work for every single resin project out there. Resins that cover artwork surfaces don’t always work in molds. Resin for molds won’t evenly coat stainless steel tumblers. So how do you know what resin to choose? I wish I could tell you that every resin manufacturer and retailer was honest about how to get the best results with their products. Unfortunately, as I have found out helping resin enthusiasts for more than a decade, some businesses don’t always do this.  Either they don’t understand their product or are more focused on making a sale rather than making sure you have a great resin experience. If it’s a resin sold on Resin Obsession, we have a downloadable PDF that details all the resins we sell, including their best uses.

Your technique is everything to avoiding resin problems

I admit that I tend to go overboard when I give resin instructions and teaching. Like I don’t have a Resin Obsession for nothing. But on the other hand, when you get done with a Resin Obsession tutorial, I want you to think, ‘Wow, that was easy.’ I know I can overload your mind with critical details in the instructions, but this will make you more likely to pay closer attention to what you are doing.

This is in contrast to tutorials I see that simply give you two to three steps to for a project. I cringe when I read those articles.  I can easily see where someone trying to follow these directions isn’t going to get the same result as the person who wrote the article. Instead, s/he will blame the resin for the resin problems when it’s not the resin’s fault. It’s the fault of the person trying to teach you and not helping you where you’re at.  If you are a beginner and are looking for a good place to start, we have resin books and resin classes to help you learn about resin in an afternoon.

What’s the best advice I can give you about achieving resin success?

If you are serious about becoming a skilled resin artist, you need to do everything you can to learn about resin. That includes surrounding yourself with useful resin information. Learning everything you can about resin before you take on a project will save you lots of time, aggravation, and money. But in the case that you do make mistakes, make them an opportunity to learn. I can undoubtedly tell you that I’ve learned more from my resin mistakes than my resin successes. Enjoy the journey!

Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2020 Resin Obsession, LLC