Must-Know Tips For A Glossy And Durable Epoxy Resin Piece!
Looking for brilliant shine and durable coats on your epoxy resin projects? Our table top epoxy does the trick! Follow this step-by-step guide to see how we added this glossy finish to a mixed media serving board.
Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate/Expert
Estimated Working Time: 24-36 Hours
What You’ll Need:
- Upstart Epoxy Table Top Resin
- Finished Resin Project
- Alcohol (Denatured or Isopropyl)
- Sander
- Two Vessels (For Mixing)
Choose a previous project to work with.
We grabbed a river-style serving tray to kick this project off. This tray is a project we’ve done a resin pour on before, and sanded down to 220-grit. We decided to use this one because we wanted to bring out the swirls, shades, wood grain, and the holographic effect that the powdered pigments created together. Gloss coatings are perfect for pieces like this!
For very porous woods, you’d want to do a seal coat before starting to work with it, but walnut (which is the wood on our tray) typically doesn’t need one. If you do conduct a seal coat, make sure you remove any bubbles before moving on to the next step.
Mix up your epoxy resin.
The first thing we do is mix up our table top epoxy by weight, which we highly suggest for smaller projects like this. To get our desired weight, we are going to use the two vessel method. The vessel method is when you weigh one part of the mixture (Part A) in the first vessel, and then the other in a second vessel. Next, use a weight scale and make sure the amount matches up to the desired 1:1 ratio.
Make sure that the epoxy resin is thoroughly mixed.
Start mixing both parts together and be sure to scrape the sides and bottoms of the vessel. When mixing your epoxy resin, keep going until there are no more clouds in the mixture. It’s important to mix as thoroughly as you can, because unmixed parts of resin will cause your project not to cure properly. There’s about 20-40 minutes of working time with this project, so take your time!
Pour the epoxy resin onto your project.
From a height of 10-12 inches, start slowly pouring the mixture on the piece. Pouring from a height distance helps your project get great epoxy coverage and naturally removes air bubbles.
Move the cup in different directions so that it reaches all areas of the project and fills any gaps. The epoxy will level itself out, thanks to the formula! If there’s not enough epoxy, feel free to mix up more and pour again.
Spread your epoxy resin throughout the piece.
Ensure that there’s generous spillover on the chamfers, sidewalls, and handholds. What this does is break the surface tension, so that any epoxy that comes down will have an easier time seeping into the project. This is what you want because it’s going to add more coverage!
Use alcohol to get rid of any bubbles.
Now it’s time for degassing and removing bubbles. This is an optional step, but we recommend it for added safety measures. You can use a blow torch or heat gun and lightly graze the surface to pop those bubbles. Be careful not to keep the tool focused on one stop for too long- too much heat will make the resin cure too fast!
Let the project cure, and you’re finished!
At this point, you’ll start to notice that your project is slowly transforming- the super clear coating just jumps out at you! Now let the project cure overnight and when it's done, you're ready to start using your mixed media board.
